Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of obstructing an ongoing money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged coal smuggling syndicate, triggering a sharp political confrontation between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP-led Centre.
ED Claims Searches Were Disrupted After CM’s Arrival
The ED said it was conducting searches at 10 locations—six in West Bengal and four in Delhi—under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with an alleged coal smuggling racket led by Anup Majee. According to the agency, the searches were being carried out in a “peaceful and professional manner” until Mamata Banerjee arrived at the residence of Pratik Jain, chief of political consultancy firm I-PAC, accompanied by senior state police officials. The ED alleged that after her arrival, key physical documents and electronic devices were removed from the premises, and similar actions were taken at I-PAC’s office in Salt Lake.
Coal Smuggling, Hawala Links, and I-PAC Allegations
The ED claimed that its investigation has revealed links between the coal smuggling network and hawala operators, with proceeds of crime amounting to tens of crores of rupees. One such hawala operator allegedly facilitated transactions to Indrapac Consulting Private Limited (I-PAC), which is associated with the Trinamool Congress. The agency maintained that the actions taken during the raid amounted to obstruction of justice, while asserting that the searches were evidence-based, legally conducted, and not related to elections or any political office.
Mamata Banerjee Rejects Charges, Calls Raids Political Vendetta
Rejecting the ED’s allegations, Mamata Banerjee accused the central agency of attempting to seize the Trinamool Congress’s internal documents and election strategy. She said ED officials confiscated party-related data, including hard disks, laptops, and mobile phones containing sensitive political information, questioning whether it was the agency’s mandate to collect such material. Launching a direct attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Banerjee termed the raids politically motivated and unconstitutional, alleging misuse of central agencies to intimidate opposition parties.
