Key Points
- ED conducted raids at 10 locations, six in West Bengal and four in Delhi, targeting I-PAC and Prateek Jain
- Raids linked to 2020 CBI FIR against Anup Majhi coal smuggling syndicate worth Rs 1,114 crore
- Mamata Banerjee arrived at Jain’s residence during raid, allegedly took away documents and electronic devices
- ED filed petition in Calcutta High Court alleging obstruction, Justice Subhra Ghosh to hear case on Friday
- ED claims hawala operator facilitated transactions of tens of crores to I-PAC from coal smuggling proceeds
- Mamata calls raids political vendetta, announces protest march across Bengal
- ED denies targeting any political organization, says searches evidence-based and not election-related
The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at six locations in West Bengal and four in Delhi on Thursday, targeting the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and its director, Prateek Jain, in connection with a money laundering probe linked to coal smuggling. The operation began early Thursday morning, with ED teams simultaneously searching Jain’s residence in south Kolkata and I-PAC’s Salt Lake office, along with other premises connected to the investigation.
The raids were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Anup Majhi and others on November 27, 2020. The ED registered a case on November 28, 2020, and has been investigating a coal smuggling syndicate that allegedly illegally excavated approximately 25.51 lakh metric tonnes of coal worth around Rs 1,114.35 crore from Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) leasehold areas in West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee’s Dramatic Intervention
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee protested the ED raids and arrived at Prateek Jain’s house while the search was underway, causing high drama in Kolkata. Following this unprecedented intervention, the ED filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court, accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of obstructing the investigation and alleging that the Chief Minister herself had removed evidence.
The ED alleged that during the search, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of South Kolkata and another officer in charge of the Sarani police station arrived at the scene, followed by the Police Commissioner with several other Kolkata Police officers. The authorised officer informed them about the operation and showed them his identity card. The ED stated that the operation was proceeding peacefully and professionally when Mamata Banerjee arrived with a large number of police officers.
Serious Allegations Of Evidence Tampering
The ED made several serious allegations against the Chief Minister. The agency claimed, “Mamata Banerjee entered Prateek Jain’s house and took away crucial evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices.” The Enforcement Directorate further stated that the Chief Minister’s convoy then reached the I-PAC office, from where Mamata Banerjee, her associates, and police personnel forcibly removed physical documents and electronic evidence, disrupting the ongoing operation.
In its petition filed before the High Court, the central agency urged judicial intervention over what it described as “hindrance and obstruction” caused by the Chief Minister to its officers executing searches under the PMLA. The ED’s counsel sought an urgent hearing, adding that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the house of I-PAC chief Prateek Jain and took away crucial evidence while the raids were underway.
Coal Smuggling Syndicate And Hawala Links
The raids conducted on January 8, 2026, targeted individuals involved in money laundering from coal smuggling, including hawala operators and handlers. The investigation revealed that the coal smuggling syndicate led by Anup Majhi was stealing and illegally mining coal from ECL leasehold areas in West Bengal, which was then sold to factories and plants in Bankura, Burdwan, Purulia, and other districts.
The investigation also revealed that a significant portion of the coal was sold to the Shakambhari Group of Companies. Links to hawala operators also surfaced, with one hawala operator involved in laundering the money obtained from coal smuggling, facilitating transactions worth tens of crores of rupees for Indian PAC Consulting Private Limited (I-PAC). The ED alleged that I-PAC is also an organisation linked to hawala money.
ED’s Clarification And Denial Of Political Motivation
The ED, in its statement, said that the searches were conducted based on evidence. The agency clarified that no political organisation was targeted, no party office was searched, nor were these searches related to any election. This is part of a routine operation against money laundering, the agency maintained.
The probe stems from an FIR registered by the CBI in 2020 against alleged coal smuggling kingpin Anup Majee and others. According to the ED, the investigation has uncovered a layered money-laundering mechanism in which hawala operators were allegedly used to route proceeds of crime. One such operator is suspected to have facilitated transactions worth “tens of crores of rupees” to I-PAC, the agency said.
Political Fallout And Legal Battle
Justice Subhra Ghosh will hear the case on Friday, the same day Mamata Banerjee has announced a protest march across Bengal against the ED raids. The confrontation marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the West Bengal government and central investigative agencies, with both sides preparing for a major legal and political battle.
Mamata Banerjee has called the raids a political conspiracy and accused the BJP of misusing central agencies to target the Trinamool Congress ahead of crucial elections. The ED’s move to approach the High Court seeking protection for its investigation represents an unprecedented direct legal confrontation with a sitting Chief Minister, setting the stage for a constitutional and legal showdown in West Bengal.
