ED raids I-PAC employees in West Bengal coal 'scam' case
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "ED raids I-PAC employees in West Bengal coal 'scam' case")
ED raids I-PAC employees in West Bengal coal 'scam' case Photograph: (Credit: ANI)
The ED conducted fresh raids on I-PAC executives in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad on Thursday. The searches are part of an ongoing probe into the West Bengal coal smuggling case involving Rishi Raj Singh.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at the premises of employees of the political consultancy firm I-PAC’s employees. Searches were conducted in multiple cities on Thursday (Apr 2). The raids are being conducted at multiple locations like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi. This is in connection with an alleged coal smuggling and pilferage scam in West Bengal, as reported by news agency PTI. I-PAC co-founder and director Rishi Raj Singh was among those whose premises were searched, they said. Earlier in January, the federal probe agency had conducted raids related to this case. The I-PAC office and the Kolkata residence of the founder and one of the directors, Pratik Gandhi, was searched.
ED had recently summoned Singh and Jain to record their statements.
They have approached the Delhi High Court to quash these notices issued to them, citing ongoing election work in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Reports suggest that the ED is looking for digital evidence and financial trails that may lead to the alleged illegal proceeds of the said coal trade.
The timing of the raids is significant, as both Singh and another director, Jain, recently approached the Delhi High Court. They are seeking to quash the summons issued to them by the ED, arguing that the investigation is hampering their professional duties. In their petition, the executives cited their ongoing commitments to election strategy and ground operations in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, where political stakes remain high.
The coal smuggling case involves allegations of illegal mining and theft from Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) mines in West Bengal’s Kunustoria and Kajora areas.
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