I-PAC Chief Pratik Jain’s Family Files Police Complaint Alleging Theft During ED Raid

PTI, KOLKATA, JAN 08, 2026: The family of Pratik Jain, director of political consultancy firm I-PAC, on Thursday filed a police complaint against the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleging theft of important documents during a raid at their home, an official said.

The search operation, which began at 6 am, continued for over nine hours, with ED officials leaving Jain’s residence on Loudon Street in southern Kolkata around 3 pm, according to a probe agency official.

“Shortly after that, Pratik Jain’s wife filed a complaint at Shakespeare Sarani police station alleging theft by ED. It is alleged in the complaint that essential documents were stolen from their home during the raid,” the police officer said.

“We have received a formal allegation of theft against ED and are investigating the matter. Appropriate action will be taken based on the findings,” he added.

The raids at Jain’s home and the I-PAC office were part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam, official sources said.

Apart from providing political consultancy to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), I-PAC also manages the party’s IT and media operations. Jain’s Salt Lake office and his residence on Loudon Street were among about 10 premises, including four in Delhi, raided by the federal probe agency in the presence of central paramilitary teams.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier visited Jain’s residence and office amid the ongoing raids, alleging that the central agency was attempting to seize TMC’s internal documents, hard disks, and sensitive data linked to the party’s election strategy.

The West Bengal Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in the first half of 2026.

Ed: Pratik Jain, co-founder and director of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), has come under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as the agency launched extensive raids at his residence and the consultancy’s offices in Kolkata and Delhi over alleged money laundering activities.

ED officials conducted searches at ten locations from 7 am on Thursday, including six sites in West Bengal and four in Delhi. Among the locations raided were I-PAC’s Salt Lake office and Jain’s residence on Loudon Street, Kolkata. The anti-graft agency has cited “specific evidence” linking Jain to hawala transactions connected with a coal mining scam in West Bengal. According to the ED, a hawala operator allegedly involved in the layering of proceeds from coal smuggling had facilitated transactions amounting to tens of crores of rupees to Indian Pac Consulting Private Limited.

I-PAC, a leading political consultancy in India, is known for designing electoral campaigns for the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) and managing its IT and media operations. During the raids, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Jain’s residence and alleged that the ED was attempting to seize sensitive documents belonging to her party. “They are confiscating my party’s documents and hard disks, which contain details about our candidates for the Assembly polls. I have brought those back,” Banerjee stated, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using central agencies to target regional parties.

The ED, however, rejected Banerjee’s allegations, asserting that the raids were “evidence-based” and not aimed at any political establishment. The agency also criticised the CM for obstructing the investigation by taking possession of key documents and electronic devices.

Pratik Jain, an engineer-turned-political strategist, co-founded I-PAC in 2015 along with Vinesh Chandel and Rishi Raj Singh. An IIT Bombay graduate with a Bachelor of Technology degree (B.Tech) in 2012, Jain began his career as an analyst at Deloitte and was a founding member of the NGO ‘Citizens for Accountable Governance’, aimed at strengthening accountable governance in India. He also heads the IT cell of the Trinamool Congress, a role confirmed by Mamata Banerjee.

Jain’s consultancy has played a pivotal role in shaping the TMC’s election campaigns, including managing strategy, digital outreach, and media operations. The ED’s probe into alleged money laundering and hawala transactions marks a significant development in ongoing investigations into coal smuggling in West Bengal, with potential political ramifications ahead of upcoming elections.