Kolkata, 10 January (H.S.): Following serious allegations by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kolkata Police has become actively involved in the investigation. The police have initiated the process of identifying the ED officials allegedly involved in the theft of documents from Pratik Jain's residence and the I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) office. They are also attempting to identify the central forces personnel and officers present at both locations.
In this connection, on Saturday morning, police officers from the Shakespeare Sarani police station arrived at the Loudon Street residence of Pratik Jain, the founder of I-PAC. The police seized footage from all the CCTV cameras and the DVR. Statements from the domestic staff and security personnel working at the house were also recorded. According to police sources, the process of sending notices to the alleged accused will begin after their identification is complete.
Notably, on Thursday morning, around 6:30 AM, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials launched a search operation at Pratik Jain's flat on Loudon Street. However, the ED informed Kolkata Police about the search via email only about five hours later. Upon receiving the information, police officers, including DC (South) Priyabrata Roy himself, arrived at the scene on Thursday morning and attempted to speak with the ED officials. Allegedly during this time, ED and CRPF personnel manhandled the police officers and stopped them by showing them batons.
According to police sources, based on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's complaint, Shakespeare Sarani police station and Bidhannagar Electronic Complex police station have launched an investigation into the theft of election-related documents and digital data belonging to the Trinamool Congress. A case has been registered under Section 3(5) (common criminal intention), Section 303(2) (theft), Section 332(c) (unauthorized entry) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66 of the IT Act. Mamata Banerjee alleged that unidentified ED and CRPF officers broke into Pratik Jain's house and the I-PAC office in Sector Five, stealing election-related documents and digital files belonging to the Trinamool Congress, and also tampering with online data. The police have registered a case suo motu at Shakespeare Sarani police station in this regard.
The police said that typically, any central agency or police force from another state informs the local police station before conducting a search operation, but the ED did not do so in this case. When the police from the local station arrived at the scene, they were prevented from entering. Neither identification cards nor search warrants were shown. Later, the Deputy Commissioner (South) and other senior officers also arrived, but they too were denied entry.
Upon receiving information about the incident, Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, along with other senior officers, reached the spot and spoke with the ED officers. However, even after one ED officer showed his identification card, the police were not allowed inside. The investigation into the matter is currently underway, and Kolkata Police is taking the matter seriously and has begun investigating all aspects of the incident.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey