Kolkata, 08 January (H.S.): The family of Pratik Jain, head of political consultancy firm India Political Action Committee (I-PAC), on Thursday filed a police complaint against the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleging that important documents were stolen during a raid at their Kolkata residence.

According to police officials, Jain’s wife lodged the complaint at Shakespeare Sarani police station. The complaint alleges that several essential and important documents went missing from their Loudon Street residence during the ED’s search operation.

“We have received a formal complaint of theft against the ED. The matter is under investigation, and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings,” a police officer said.

An ED official stated that the search operation began at around 6 a.m. and continued for more than nine hours, with the agency’s team leaving Jain’s residence at around 3 p.m.

The ED on Thursday conducted search operations at I-PAC’s office in Kolkata and at the residence of its director Pratik Jain under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The searches are part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged multi-crore coal smuggling-linked money laundering case.

I-PAC provides political consultancy services to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and also manages the party’s IT and media operations. The agency’s office in Salt Lake and Jain’s residence on Loudon Street were among around 10 locations searched simultaneously by the ED, including four premises in Delhi. Central paramilitary forces were deployed during the raids.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Pratik Jain’s residence during the raid and later went to the I-PAC office in Salt Lake. She alleged that the central agency was attempting to seize internal documents, hard disks and sensitive data related to the party’s election strategy. She had warned of filing an FIR, following which the complaint was registered.

Notably, the West Bengal Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in the first half of this year.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh