ED arrests I-PAC co-founder in Bengal coal scam probe ahead of assembly polls

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested Vinesh Chandel, director and co-founder of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee, in connection with a money-laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal, weeks ahead of the Assembly elections.

Chandel was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in New Delhi late in the evening and is expected to be produced before a special court, where the agency will seek his custodial remand for further questioning.

Earlier, the ED conducted searches on April 2 at Chandel’s Delhi residence, the Bengaluru premises of I-PAC co-founder Rishi Raj Singh, and the Mumbai residence of former AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair as part of the probe.

On January 8, the agency had also searched the I-PAC office and the Kolkata residence of its founder Pratik Jain, triggering a controversy after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the spot with state officials and took away documents.

The ED alleged its searches were obstructed and that relevant documents and devices were removed, while the All India Trinamool Congress rejected the charge, accusing the agency of targeting election strategy material ahead of the polls.

The elections in West Bengal are scheduled in two phases on April 23 and April 29. I-PAC has been providing political consultancy services to the Trinamool and the state government since 2021.

The ED has moved the Supreme Court of India seeking a CBI probe into the alleged obstruction, and the matter is currently under hearing.

The case stems from a November 2020 FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation, alleging a multi-crore coal pilferage racket linked to mines operated by Eastern Coalfields Limited in the Kunustoria and Kajora areas near Asansol.

According to the ED, a hawala operator linked to the alleged coal-smuggling network routed transactions worth tens of crores of rupees to Indian PAC Consulting Private Limited, the registered entity of I-PAC.

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Inputs from Munish Chandra Pandey

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