High drama in Kolkata as ED raids I-PAC-linked locations
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted raids at multiple locations across India, including premises linked to the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in Kolkata, as part of a nationwide crackdown on an alleged fake government job racket and related money laundering activities.
According to officials, searches were carried out at around 15 locations targeting an organised network accused of cheating job aspirants by promising government employment in exchange for money. As part of the operation, the ED searched the I-PAC office in Kolkata as well as the residence of I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain.
Soon after news of the raids broke, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Pratik Jain’s residence along with Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma. The Chief Minister declined to take questions from reporters during her visit.
Addressing the media later, Banerjee alleged that documents related to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), including party records and details of candidates, were seized during the ED action. Accusing the central agency of acting at the behest of the BJP ahead of elections, she termed the raids politically motivated.
Questioning the scope of the ED’s action, Banerjee alleged that party strategy documents and hard disks had been taken away. She accused the Centre of misusing investigative agencies to target opposition parties and claimed the move was linked to the ongoing electoral process in the state.
High drama also unfolded at I-PAC’s office in Salt Lake’s Sector V, where Banerjee arrived while the ED searches were underway. Visuals showed Kolkata Police personnel transferring files and documents from the I-PAC office into the Chief Minister’s vehicle.
I-PAC has been working as the political strategy organisation for the Trinamool Congress since 2019.
In a statement, the TMC strongly condemned the ED raids, calling them a “deliberate and politically motivated conspiracy” aimed at destabilising West Bengal. The party alleged that the BJP was misusing central agencies to forcibly seize party documents, internal strategies and candidate-related information.
The party further claimed that the raids were carried out under the direction of an “authoritarian Home Minister” and asserted that it would resist what it described as an attack on democratic processes.
Earlier this week, Banerjee had also targeted the Election Commission of India over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging large-scale deletion of voter names. Addressing a public gathering in Gangasagar, she claimed that nearly 54 lakh names had been removed from voter lists in South 24 Parganas district alone and accused the poll body of misusing technology.
The ED has not yet issued a detailed statement on the raids.
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