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On Thursday (January 8, 2025), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the residence of Pratik Jain connected Loudon Street successful Kolkata, arsenic good arsenic the bureau of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), successful transportation with an alleged ember smuggling lawsuit that dates backmost to a fewer years.
The raid, triggered a governmental tempest successful West Bengal, prompting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to deed the crushed starring a protestation against the ED raids connected I-PAC.
Who is Pratik Jain and wherefore a Chief Minister is supporting him?
An IIT Bombay alumnus, Pratik Jain, is simply a governmental strategist and co-founder of I-PAC. He is known for his relation successful gathering I-PAC into 1 of India’s astir influential governmental consulting firms.
Founded successful 2015, I-PAC is progressive successful services specified arsenic data-driven run management, governance enactment and elector outreach programmes. Over the years, it has worked with respective governmental parties crossed India, including Trinamool Congress (TMC) successful West Bengal.
According to reports, I-PAC works intimately with Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and his office. The steadfast is liable for designing the canvass campaigns of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and besides manages its IT and media cell. Ms. Banerjee herself said Mr. Jain was caput of the IT compartment of the Trinamool Congress.
An engineering postgraduate from IIT-Bombay, Jain began his vocation arsenic an expert successful consulting steadfast Deloitte, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was the founding subordinate of Citizens of Accountable Governance, which yet became I-PAC. The governmental consulting steadfast has worked with respective governmental leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, M.K. Stalin, Jaganmohan Reddy, Uddhav Thackeray, Rahul Gandhi, and Nitish Kumar. The steadfast worked connected respective events with Narendra Modi who was past the Chief Minister of Gujarat and the campaigns aided successful BJP winning a decisive mandate successful 2014.
Why is Pratik Jain nether ED lens?
The Directorate of Enforcement, successful a connection connected January 8, said, raids were carried retired connected 10 premises, six successful West Bengal and 4 successful Delhi, arsenic portion of a 2020 lawsuit registered by the CBI against a ember smuggling syndicate led by Anup Majhi alias ‘Lala’, who allegedly stole and illegally excavated ember from the Eastern Coalfield leasehold areas successful and astir Asansol successful Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district.
Also read: TMC protestation successful Kolkata updates
A hawala relation linked to ember smuggling facilitated transactions of tens of crores of rupees to the Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, the registered institution of governmental consultancy steadfast I-PAC. “I-PAC is besides 1 of the entities linked to Hawala money,” the ED has alleged.
What precisely happened during the ED raids?
The raid rapidly escalated into a governmental play aft Ms. Banerjee visited Mr. Jain’s residence during the operation, alleging that the cardinal agencies were attempting to prehend delicate party-related data. In response, the ED accused her of removing cardinal grounds from some locations.
Enforcement directives: On the ED raids successful West Bengal| EDITORIAL
The TMC has besides accused the Centre of misusing investigative agencies to intimidate their governmental opponents up of the Assembly elections, a assertion that the BJP has consistently rejected.
Political reactions
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti connected Thursday (January 8) alleged that the Central agencies’ enactment successful West Bengal up of the predetermination reeked of the BJP’s “desperation.”
The BJP connected Friday (January 9, 2026) condemned Ms. Banerjee for her behaviour during the ED raids astatine a backstage consultancy steadfast successful Kolkata and alleged that her actions showed she tried to “rescue thing sensitive” implicating her and her enactment successful the wealth laundering lawsuit linked to the alleged ember smuggling.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma connected Friday (January 9, 2026) slammed Ms. Banerjee, for her behaviour during the ED raids, stating that her actions were “deeply disturbing” and undermined nationalist respect.
Meanwhile, the ED filed a question successful tribunal alleging obstruction of its investigation. On Friday, the agency’s counsel presented the lawsuit to a Bench led by the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, which opted not to intervene. The substance is scheduled for different proceeding connected January 14.
With PTI and ANI inputs
