I-PAC, Nair Premises Searched in ED Probe on Coal Scam
The case originates from a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI, which alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage racket linked to Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in the Kunustoria and Kajora areas near Asansol.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted fresh searches at multiple locations in connection with an alleged coal pilferage and money laundering case linked to West Bengal.
Officials said raids were carried out in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Premises linked to I-PAC co-founder and director Rishi Raj Singh in Bengaluru and former AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair in Mumbai were among those covered.
The agency had earlier conducted searches in January at the office of Indian PAC Consulting Pvt. Ltd. (I-PAC) and at the Kolkata residence of its founder Pratik Jain. Singh and Jain were subsequently summoned for questioning and have approached the Delhi High Court seeking to quash the notices, citing election-related engagements.
The case originates from a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI, which alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage racket linked to Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in the Kunustoria and Kajora areas near Asansol.
According to the ED, a hawala operator associated with the alleged coal smuggling network routed funds to I-PAC. "IPAC is also one of the entities linked to Hawala money," the agency had alleged, claiming that about Rs 20 crore generated from the alleged pilferage was transferred to the firm.
Officials said the funds were moved through a Mumbai-based ‘Angadiya’ operator identified during the agency’s probe into the Delhi excise policy case. The ED had earlier alleged that Rs 45 crore in kickbacks from the excise case were used by the Aam Aadmi Party for its Goa Assembly election campaign, and claimed that Jain handled I-PAC’s operations in Goa.
A Delhi court has recently discharged all accused, including former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Nair, in the CBI case related to the excise policy.
The ED has also alleged that its earlier searches at I-PAC premises in Kolkata were obstructed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state administration, and has sought a CBI probe into the matter from the Supreme Court, where the case is under hearing.
