The search took place at the Kolkata office of a political consultancy company, I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee), and at the home of its director, Pratik Jain, who resides in Kolkata. This search has quickly become a focal point for the political standoff that is emerging between the government of West Bengal and the central authorities leading up to critical elections. This search and seizure happened on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
What Happened: Location and Scope of ED Action
Coordinated searches were conducted by ED teams at the office of I-PAC located in Salt Lake (Sector V) and some associated premises of its co-founder and director, Pratik Jain, including his house at Loudon Street, Kolkata. Security personnel of a central paramilitary force were accompanying these teams. According to the official reports coming in, the search operations are being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as a part of a money laundering case that has also been connected to a multi-crore coal pilferage scam.
Though the specifics of the allegations against I-PAC and Pratik Jain are not yet public information according to the ED, it has been found that it is a multi-location search.
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Political Consequences – Mamata Banerjee
The Chief Minister of the state of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, was quick to react to the raid and made some politically charged remarks on the issue.
Banerjee visited Pratik Jain’s home during the ongoing ED raid and alleged that the ED was trying to grab internal party documents held by Trinamool Congress (TMC), such as lists and plans for upcoming elections. Banerjee labeled it as a political and unconstitutional attack against her party through abuse of investigation agencies by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the central government.
Photos from the spot revealed Banerjee walking out with files and a hard disk, which she claimed had documents relevant to TMC. She felt the ED was sweeping her party’s files in the name of an investigation.
The chief minister also announced statewide protests across West Bengal against what she termed a “ED loot” of TMC materials, asking supporters to oppose the action of the central agency.
Drama at I-PAC Office
In a theatrical scene, the personnel of state police stood guard over piles of documents being removed from the building at the I-PAC Salt Lake office. A few visuals that made their way onto social media depicted the transfer of files and materials in general into a vehicle in police presence, serving as a boost in the story of a raid that was utterly political and contended.
I-PAC was a powerful political consultancy agency which closely worked with the Trinamool Congress and the Government of West Bengal, particularly after the 2019 Lok Sabha election. It was floated by the political strategist Prashant Kishor ahead of the 2014 general elections. I-PAC shot into the limelight in view of its involvement with campaign strategy.
Broader Context: Nation ED Raids Action against I-PAC and Pratik Jain by the ED has come amidst a bigger pan-India operation related to a counterfeit government job scam, where searches continue at around 15 locations across multiple states, including Kolkata.
In the above scenario, the Kolkata action carried out by the ED is just a part of the larger crackdown, although the link between the job scam and the alleged money laundering charges involving I-PAC remains unexplained.
Political Fallout and Reactions Political Fallout
The episode has heightened political polarization: The raids conducted by the ED have been termed as political by Mamata Banerjee and her party, TMC, as they took place just before elections.
The state and central politics debate has erupted, with the West Bengal government viewing the move by the ED as an assault on the democratic procedure, while opposition parties have seen it from the lens of lawful enforcement procedure (although it has not received a direct statement from central authorities as yet). The issue is bound to make headlines during the next electoral contest because of the concerns about the governance of the country, the deployment of central agencies, and the federal relations at the time.
