‘Sets unsettling precedent’: I-PAC reacts day after ED raids its office, founder Pratik Jain's home

A day after Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at the residence of I-PAC head Pratik Jain, the political consultancy firm raised "serious concerns" over the raids, calling the move an "unsettling precedent".

"Officials from the Enforcement Directorate carried out searches at the I-PAC office and at the residence of our Director, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata. It was a difficult and unfortunate day for a professional organisation like I-PAC. We believe this raises serious concerns and sets an unsettling precedent," I-PAC's statement read.

It said that the agency have extended full cooperation and engage with the process in complete accordance with the law.

The ED raid has led to a high drama in West Bengal since Thursday after the searches at the Kolkata home of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain, which has led to protest by ruling Trinamool Congress in the state, with the probe agency moving Calcutta High Court against the state government. I-PAC provides political consultancy to the TMC.

The I-PAC office in Salt Lake and Jain's house on Loudon Street in Kolkata were among about 10 premises, including four in Delhi, raided by the central probe agency in the presence of paramilitary teams.

The political consultancy group, which has associated with several political parties, said its role is limited to transparent and professional political consulting.

“Over the years, I-PAC has worked in a professional advisory capacity with multiple political parties across ideologies and regions, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, All India Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, YSR Congress Party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS), Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena among others. We do not contest elections or hold political office. Our role is limited to transparent and professional political consulting, uninfluenced by differences in political ideology,” the statement said.

The central agency issued a statement on Thursday, saying the searches were part of an investigation over illegal coal smuggling, adding that the raids were “evidence-based”, “not targeted at any political establishment”.

"The search is ongoing at 10 places - six in West Bengal and four in Delhi- the ED said, a statement shared by ANI news agency.

In a later statement, the probe body said the searches were part of a probe into a 2020 case registered by the CBI against a coal smuggling syndicate allegedly led by Anup Majhi, alias Lala, who is accused of illegally excavating coal from Eastern Coalfields' leasehold areas in and around Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district.

"IPAC is also one of the entities linked to hawala money," the agency alleged, maintaining that the proceedings were being conducted peacefully and professionally until the chief minister’s arrival.

The agency accused Banerjee of entering the residential premises of Prateek Jain, the director of top political consultancy group I-PAC, during its ongoing search operation in Kolkata and taking away "key evidence", including physical documents and electronic devices.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee took to the streets to protest against the ED action. Mamata said that the BJP was trying to come to power in West Bengal as they did in Maharashtra and Haryana.

Mamata accused the ED of acting as a political tool of the BJP to "steal" her party's internal strategy, asserting that she did nothing wrong in reaching the premises linked to I-PAC during the raids.

Addressing a rally in Kolkata after a massive 10-km-long protest march, the chief minister said she had intervened at the raid site purely in her capacity as the chairperson of the Trinamool Congress and not as the CM.

"What I did yesterday, I did as the TMC chairperson. I have done nothing illegal," she said.

"You entered at 6 am; I went at 11.45 am. By then, many things might have been stolen," Banerjee said.