The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches at premises linked to the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in multiple cities as part of its ongoing investigation into an alleged coal smuggling and pilferage racket in West Bengal.
The raids targeted locations in Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Officials stated that the action was being carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the coal smuggling case.
This is the latest in a series of probes linking I-PAC to the case. In January 2026, the ED had raided the I-PAC office in Kolkata and the residence of its founder and director, Pratik Jain, along with other locations in West Bengal and Delhi. The current searches include premises connected to I-PAC co-founder and director Rishi Raj Singh.
I-PAC, a prominent political consultancy firm known for providing strategic services to various parties, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, has been under scrutiny after the ED alleged that proceeds of crime from the coal smuggling syndicate may have been layered or diverted through entities connected to the firm.
Rishi Raj Singh and Pratik Jain were recently summoned by the ED to record their statements. The two have approached the Delhi High Court seeking to quash the notices, citing their involvement in ongoing election-related work in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
The coal smuggling investigation stems from alleged illegal excavation and theft of coal from Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) leasehold areas in West Bengal. The case has seen multiple rounds of ED action, including earlier searches and seizures in the state. During the searches in Kolkata, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had stormed into the I-PAC office and Jain’s residence and took out files and electronic devices, claiming that they contain sensitive data related to TMC’s election strategy. ED has filed a plea against the CM in that matter.
