The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of Trinamool Congress IT chief Pratik Jain in Kolkata on 8 January 2026. The searches were linked to an ongoing money laundering investigation. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Jain’s residence during the operation. The raids also targeted other locations in Kolkata and Bidhannagar, including the office of a trader in Burrabazar. No arrests were reported during the searches.
According to Deccan Herald, the Enforcement Directorate’s actions were part of a probe into alleged money laundering activities. The agency searched both the I-PAC office and the home of Pratik Jain, who is also the IT head for the Trinamool Congress.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the raids as “most unfortunate” and questioned the involvement of the Union Home Minister in such operations.
As reported by The Indian Express, the ED’s searches were connected to a 2021 coal smuggling case. The agency targeted I-PAC’s office in Salt Lake, Jain’s Loudon Street residence, and a trader’s office in Posta. Mamata Banerjee, after visiting Jain’s home, alleged that the ED was attempting to collect internal party documents, including candidate lists and strategic files. She was seen holding a green folder, stating, “ED is trying to get details of all our party activities and plans.”
As noted in an article by Deccan Herald, Mamata Banerjee questioned whether it was the duty of the Enforcement Directorate and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to collect party hard disks and candidate lists. She characterized the raids as political vendetta, stating, “The nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country and is taking away all my party documents.”
“Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah to collect the party's hard disk, candidate list?... The nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country and is taking away all my party documents. What will be the result?” Mamata Banerjee said during her visit to Jain’s residence.
Further details indicated that Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma also visited Jain’s house before the Chief Minister’s arrival. The ED’s focus appeared to be on gathering digital and physical records related to party operations. The Chief Minister’s public statements drew parallels to previous incidents, such as the 2019 CBI visit to a former Kolkata police commissioner’s residence, which had also led to political protests.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.