The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at several locations in Kolkata and Bidhannagar on Thursday, 8th January, as part of an investigation into a money laundering case linked to an organised fake government job scam, officials said. The scam involved I-PAC’s head, Pratik Jain, who is accused of cheating people by promising them government jobs in exchange for money.
Among the locations searched were premises linked to the political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), which is owned by political strategist and Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishore.
The ED searched I-PAC’s office located on the 11th floor of a building in Salt Lake, the Loudon Street residence of I-PAC’s head, Pratik Jain, and the office of a trader in the Posta area of Burrabazar, Kolkata.
#WATCH | West Bengal | The Enforcement Directorate is conducting a raid at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee in Kolkata
— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2026
ED is conducting searches at 15 locations across India in a fake government job scam against an organised gang involved in scamming people… pic.twitter.com/KKms2NM7wc
Mamata Banerjee questions ED action
As the central agency conducted searches, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a surprise visit to the residence of Pratik Jain. Speaking to reporters after coming out of the house, Banerjee strongly criticised the ED action.
“This is most unfortunate. The ED has raided the house and office of our IT wing and its head. They are trying to collect all kinds of information,” Banerjee said. She added that she had spoken to Pratik Jain, whom she described as being in charge of her party’s work.
Holding a file in her hand, the chief minister claimed that the ED was attempting to access internal party details. “I have collected the party file. They are trying to get information about all our party activities, plans and even our candidate list. Is this the job of the ED and Amit Shah?” she asked, showing a green folder and referring to a hard drive.
ED raida IPAC office and immediately Mamata Banerjee a sitting CM reaches the IPAC Salt Lake office in the middle of Enforcement Directorate raids.
— Rahul Jha (@JhaRahul_Bihar) January 8, 2026
Looks like she is scared now of facts which we all knew long back that IPAC works like a money laundering firm and not anymore as a… pic.twitter.com/6K0fFhKFSp
Banerjee went on to question the agency’s conduct by asking, “What if I raid the BJP party office? What would be the reaction then?”
Heavy police presence at the I-PAC office
Before Mamata Banerjee’s arrival, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma had already visited Pratik Jain’s residence. Later, the chief minister went to I-PAC’s Salt Lake office, where Trinamool Congress workers gathered in large numbers.
Security was stepped up during her visit, with additional central forces deployed at the building. Personnel from the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate were also posted at the spot. Meanwhile, Kolkata police officers were seen loading files into the chief minister’s car parked in the basement.
West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar also reached the I-PAC office as the situation continued to draw political attention across the state.
