West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee greets the gathering during a public rally ahead of the state Assembly elections, in Birbhum, Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
ED raids I-PAC premises in multi-city crackdown over West Bengal coal case
ED targets executives of TMC’s political consultancy firm again, sparking a fresh legal and political standoff months after a confrontation with Mamata Banerjee
In a second time in just three months, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday (April 2) conducted fresh searches at several premises linked to the executives of political consultancy firm I-PAC and some others in multiple cities, officials said.
The raids, which are being held ahead of the Bengal elections, are being undertaken at locations in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi in connection with an alleged coal smuggling and pilferage scam of West Bengal, according to officials. The premises of I-PAC co-founder and director Rishi Raj Singh are among those that were raided, they said. No official statement has been issued so far.
I-PAC targeted
I-PAC is a central pillar of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) machinery, managing its political strategy, IT, and media operations. Its role is pivotal in shaping the party's electoral narrative and facilitating direct interaction with the West Bengal electorate.
Also read: SC questions West Bengal on Mamata's alleged interference in ED's I-PAC raids
During a Delhi high court hearing on April 1, I-PAC promoters Prateek Jain and Rishi Raj Singh challenged the timing of ED summons issued to them amid ongoing elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. They had been summoned by ED to record their statements.
ED responded and assured the court that it would defer the summons until the conclusion of the assembly polls.
High drama
This is the second time in just three months, the ED has targeted I-PAC premises ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
A previous wave of raids was launched in January, which saw the federal agency search several locations linked to Prateek Jain and the consultancy firm, including Jain’s Loudon Street residence and I-PAC’s Salt Lake office in Kolkata.
The January raids sparked a high-stakes standoff when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at Prateek Jain’s residence in a show of defiance. Banerjee condemned the operation as "politically motivated," alleging that officials were attempting to seize sensitive party data and internal documents ahead of the elections.
Also read: SC asks if ED can seek relief from state in case involving CM Mamata Banerjee
While the ED hit back, labelling her intervention a “gross and blatant abuse” of power, the legal battle eventually reached the Supreme Court.
Alleged coal scam case
The ED probe is related to coal scam case. It has been alleged that coal was illegally mined and stolen from the lease area of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL). These area re located in and around West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district.