Kolkata: In dramatic scenes, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today (January 8) visited the Loudon Street residence of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) founder Pratik Jain amid an ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) search, sharply escalating the political fallout from the central agency’s raids in the city. The ED has moved the Calcutta high court, alleging obstruction of investigation and the snatching of files. The matter is scheduled to be heard on Friday.Pratik Jain is considered highly influential in state politics and administration and has met chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna, the state secretariat, multiple times. Ahead of assembly elections, I-PAC known to act as a bridge between the ruling party and the government regarding implementation of welfare schemes.Banerjee arrived at Jain’s residence around noon while the search was underway. Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma reached the spot minutes before her. The chief minister stayed for a brief period and emerged carrying a green file. Speaking to the media, Banerjee alleged that the ED was attempting to seize Trinamool Congress party documents. “They were confiscating my party’s documents. I have brought them back. They were taking hard disks and phones. This is political harassment,” she said.“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 if I raid the BJP party office? On one side, they are deleting the names of all the voters by carrying out the SIR in West Bengal…Because of the elections, they are collecting all the information about my party…” Banerjee said in English.Banerjee then proceeded to I-PAC’s office in Salt Lake Sector V, where security was tightened and TMC supporters had gathered outside, raising slogans against the Union government. West Bengal Director General of Police, Rajeev Kumar also reached I-PAC office as did senior minister Sujit Bose.This is not Banerjee’s first time opposing central action. In 2019, she had staged a sit-in protest at the CBI office at Kolkata’s Nizam Palace following the agency’s attempt to question Rajeev Kumar, then the Kolkata Police Commissioner, in connection with the Saradha scam.Police personnel were seen carrying several files from the I-PAC office and placing them in a car. According to RTO records, the vehicle is registered in the name of the All India Trinamool Congress.Details of the car, according to the RTO website.Earlier in the day, the ED started conducting simultaneous raids at I-PAC’s Sector V office and Pratik Jain’s residence as part of an investigation linked to an old coal smuggling case registered in Delhi, according to agency sources. A special ED team arrived from Delhi late on the night of January 7 to carry out the operation with central armed forces.The I-PAC office, located on the 12th floor of a high-rise building in Sector V, was sealed during the operation, temporarily restricting entry and exit. At the time the search began, only a few night-shift employees were present. Senior officials of the consultancy later coordinated through video conference from their homes.Another ED team also searched the residence of a businessman in the Posta area of Burrabazar in connection with the same case.ED responseIn a statement of allegations forming part of its account of the operation, the ED said its investigation found that a large portion of the coal involved in the case was sold to the Shakambhari Group of companies, and also revealed a hawala nexus, supported by multiple evidences including statements of various persons.The agency further alleged that a hawala operator involved in layering of proceeds of crime from coal smuggling facilitated transactions amounting to “tens of crores of rupees to IPAC.” The ED said persons linked to the generation of coal-smuggling proceeds, hawala operators and handlers were covered in PMLA searches on January 8, 2026, and claimed I-PAC was among the entities linked to hawala money.Also read: Riverbeds of Power: Inside the Unstoppable Nexus Ruling West Bengal’s Sand MinesAccusing the West Bengal chief minister of obstructing investigation, ED stated, “Proceedings were being conducted in a peaceful and professional manner, till the arrival of West Bengal Chief Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee along with large number of police officials. Ms. Banerjee entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain, and took away key evidences including physical documents and electronic devices. The CM’s convoy then proceeded to I-PAC’s office premises, from where Ms. Banerjee, her aides, and the state police personnel forcibly removed physical documents and electronic evidences. The above actions have resulted in obstruction in ongoing investigation and proceedings under the PMLA.”The ED has not yet issued a detailed statement on recoveries or seizures.ReactionsTMC has announced that it will hold demonstrations against BJP for misuse of central agencies across the state from 4 pm today.Leader of the opposition in the Bengal assembly, and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari criticised the chief minister’s visit, calling it unethical and an attempt to interfere with a constitutional authority.“A chief minister is not merely a political leader but an administrative head. This amounts to obstruction,” Adhikari said, though he refrained from commenting on the investigation itself.I-PAC has been closely associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress since 2019, playing a significant role in election strategy, governance feedback, and organisational restructuring. The firm is known to coordinate with both senior party leadership and sections of the state administration, particularly ahead of elections.Political observers say that although the ED action is officially linked to a corruption probe, its timing ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections has heightened its political significance. The raids come days after Union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to Kolkata and on the same day BJP national president J.P. Nadda arrived in the city for organisational meetings.The CPI(M) also reacted swiftly, with state secretary Mohammed Salim announcing an emergency press conference, indicating that opposition parties are likely to raise questions over the use of central agencies in the political process.“Why is the chief minister of the state rushing to stop an investigation by the country’s anti-corruption agency? Anti-corruption investigating agencies are meant to function independently, but they are being used for political interests. There is something fishy here. Who is Pratik Jain? When so many TMC leaders and ministers were arrested in corruption cases and sent to jail, the chief minister did not go even once. Then why this rush in Pratik Jain’s case? Until now, even people within his own party had hardly heard his name. In reality, this is a benami organisation of Abhishek Banerjee. Under the cover of an IT cell, a racket has been operating involving money from cow and coal smuggling and from the sale of government jobs, including teaching posts. I-PAC has been used to influence the state’s electoral machinery in order to somehow keep the Trinamool Congress in power,” Salim said.Both the ruling and opposition camps continue to closely monitor the developments, which have further intensified the political climate in the state.