The Enforcement Directorate Thursday conducted raids at multiple locations in Kolkata and Bidhannagar, including those linked to the political consultancy firm I-PAC, in connection with a money laundering case.
The searches covered I-PAC’s office on the 11th floor of a Salt Lake building, the Loudon Street residence of its head, Pratik Jain, and the office of a trader in Posta, Burrabazar.
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VIDEO | Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) visits I-PAC Director Prateek Jain’s residence after an ED raid and says, “Is it the duty of Home Minister Amit Shah and the ED to take away all my party documents? If I go to the BJP party office, what will be the… pic.twitter.com/lRQOpKtVN4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 8, 2026
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dropped in at the house of Pratik Jain as the central agency conducted the raids.
“This is most unfortunate that ED raided the house and office of our IT wing and its head. They are trying to collect all the information. I rang up Pratik, he is in charge of my party,” said Mamata Banerjee, who came out holding a file in her hand.
“I have collected the party file. ED is trying to get details of all our party activities and plans. They are trying to get the candidate list and our internal information. Is it the duty of ED and Amit Shah? See, I got this, the file and hard drive,” said Mamata Banerjee, showing a green folder in her hand.
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“What if I raid the BJP party office? What will be the fallout?” she asked.
Manoj Verma, Commissioner, Kolkata police, too, visited Jain’s house before Mamata Banerjee came.
The chief minister then reached I-PAC’s Salt Lake office, as workers of the Trinamool Congress gathered outside the building.
While additional central forces have been deployed at I-PAC’s office during the chief minister’s visit, the Bidhannagar Commissionerate also posted its personnel at the spot.
Meanwhile, Kolkata police officers were seen loading files into Mamata’s car parked in the basement.
Rajeev Kumar, Director General of Police, West Bengal, also reached the I-PAC’s office.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said ED should take legal action against Mamata for interfering in the investigation.
“I-PAC is a corporate organisation. ED can raid its offices. What the chief minister and Kolkata police commissioner have done is unconstitutional. They tried to interfere in an investigation by a central agency. ED should take legal steps against the chief minister. I-PAC is not a party office. Why should party documents be there?” he asked.
On February 3, 2019, CBI teams visited the then Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar’s house to question him in connection with the Saradha Ponzi case, alleging he had ‘destroyed evidence and connived with accused persons’ as chief of the State Task Force.
After this, Mamata sat on a dharna at Esplanade, protesting the CBI raid on Kumar.