ED raids at I-PAC Hyderabad: I-PAC offices searched in multiple cities in coal smuggling case
According to sources, simultaneous search operations began early this morning at the Kolkata residence and office of I-PAC director Pratik Jain.
By Newsmeter Network
ED raids at I-PAC Hyderabad
Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday raided several premises linked to the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), including director Pratik Jain’s Kolkata residence and its offices in Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
The ED said the operation is part of an ongoing money laundering investigation stemming from a large-scale coal smuggling scam in West Bengal.
Simultaneous raids across Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad
According to sources, simultaneous search operations began early this morning at the Kolkata residence and office of I-PAC director Pratik Jain.
ED teams moved in at the same time into the political consulting firm’s offices in the national capital, Bengaluru, the tech hub and Hyderabad’s financial district.
The federal agency scrutinises financial records, digital devices and transaction documents to trace alleged proceeds of crime linked to the illegal coal mining and smuggling network that operated primarily in the Asansol-Raniganj belt of West Bengal.
What is I-PAC?
I-PAC, founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor, has run election campaigns for major political parties across several states.
However, the current raids are not connected to any specific election or political party, but rather to alleged financial conduits that may have been used to launder money generated from the coal scam.
The ED’s investigation into the West Bengal coal smuggling case has previously led to arrests of several individuals, including senior bureaucrats and police officers.
Claims of shell companies
The case involves the illegal extraction and interstate smuggling of coal, with the ED alleging that large sums of cash generated by the racket were routed through various shell companies and consultancies.
Officials confirmed that the agency had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against I-PAC and its director based on a predicate offence registered earlier by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or State police.
