Multi-city searches conducted in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Delhi
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out fresh searches at multiple locations linked to political consultancy firm I-PAC in connection with the West Bengal coal smuggling case, officials said.
The raids were conducted simultaneously across Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Delhi as part of the agency’s ongoing money laundering investigation into the alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam.
According to officials, several premises associated with I-PAC were searched, including the Bengaluru residence of Rishi Raj Singh. The firm, which provides political consultancy services, is known to work closely with West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress and handles its media and IT operations.
The latest action comes months after the ED conducted searches in January at I-PAC’s Kolkata office and at premises linked to its director Pratik Jain. Those raids triggered a political controversy after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with party leaders, entered the office during the operation.
The ED had alleged that Banerjee removed key documents and electronic evidence from the site — a charge she strongly denied, accusing the agency of overreach.
Subsequently, the central agency approached the High Court and later the Supreme Court, seeking a CBI probe into the case, citing alleged interference and the need for an independent investigation.
Officials further claimed that around ₹10 crore in alleged proceeds of crime were routed to I-PAC through hawala channels, with payments reportedly linked to its role in the 2022 Goa Assembly elections.
The investigation remains ongoing, with the ED expanding its probe into the financial trail and possible links between the consultancy firm and the alleged coal smuggling network.
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Love Begum Mumtaz Didi for her skills to stem any govt officials probing futher. She will take help of Porkistan, Kangladesh & China to achieve her goals. She can burn India to achieve her goals