From Poll Rout To Probe Heat: TMC Expected To Face ED, CBI Squeeze Post-Bengal Shake-Up

Last Updated:May 06, 2026, 19:57 IST

The Enforcement Directorate has multiple cases pending against TMC members and loyalists, which could gather pace now

Violence against its cadre, party offices vandalised, security withdrawn for its top leadership—the winds of change in West Bengal are already bruising the Trinamool Congress. But these might just be precursors to bigger challenges that await the party and its leadership as far as anti-corruption probes are concerned.

The Enforcement Directorate has multiple cases pending against TMC members and loyalists, which could gather pace now. At the top of the list is the alleged coal scam, where Abhishek Banerjee is under the scanner. Recently, ED reignited its coal scam probe after raiding consultancy firm I-PAC in connection with the matter.

The case

ED suspects money laundering worth Rs 1,300 crore in the coal scam. Two foreign bank accounts—one in Bangkok and the other in London—have been under scrutiny for the last five years. The accounts allegedly belong to Abhishek Banerjee’s wife, Rujira Banerjee. In June 2022, both the CBI and ED questioned Rujira extensively about the coal scam. The same year, Abhishek Banerjee too appeared before ED to answer questions in the coal scam.

The agencies believe coal was pilfered after illegal mining at leasehold mines of Eastern Coalfields in Kunustoria and Kajora areas near Asansol in West Bengal. The ED, having revisited the probe just ahead of the 2026 assembly polls, could intensify its focus on the alleged laundering from Asansol to Bangkok and London.

For the Banerjees, ED scouting for new evidence in the so-called cash-for-job scam and the school teacher’s recruitment scam could mean more trouble. In October 2023, Rujira Banerjee was questioned extensively by ED in the cash-for-job scam.

The agency, in all likelihood, will summon Abhishek and Rujira Banerjee again for questioning.

Former loyalists under scanner

Rajya Sabha lawmaker and former DGP Rajeev Kumar, ex-Kolkata police commissioner Manoj Verma, and then DCP Priyabrata Roy are also likely to face the ED soon, as per officials in the agency. A lookout circular has been issued against Kolkata DCP Shantanu Sinha Biswas after he failed to respond to ED summons. I-PAC chief Pratik Jain is also under the ED scanner. The agency summoned him earlier and believes questioning him is critical to gathering evidence against some TMC functionaries under probe. ED had raided Jain on January 8, leading to a confrontation with Mamta Banerjee, who allegedly took away files and digital devices from the premises.

Other TMC leaders facing heat

Partha Chatterjee: The former education minister has been under continuous investigation in the alleged school teacher’s recruitment scam. He was raided again by the ED last month after fresh evidence allegedly surfaced. The agency is likely to keep the pressure on him to reveal the true source of the Rs 21 crore of cash and jewellery that was allegedly recovered from the premises of his aide. ED believes these were proceeds from the scam.

Sujit Bose, Rathin Ghosh, Debashish Kumar: Bose and Ghosh, former ministers in Mamata’s government, have been asked by the court to join the ED probe in the municipality recruitment scam. Bose, the fire and emergency department minister in the outgoing government, was defeated in his stronghold of Bidhannagar. Ghosh, the former food minister, survived the rout at Madhyamgram. Debasish Kumar, who lost to Swapan Dasgupta in Rashbehari, was questioned by the ED in connection with a land-grabbing case just ahead of polls. He is likely to be summoned again by the agency.

Predicate offence

One of the limitations faced by central agencies so far in West Bengal was a reported lack of cooperation from the state police. The CBI—in the absence of a mandate—could only carry out a court-ordered investigation. This meant the ED had no predicate offence to rely on, flouting a key requirement of the PMLA. The central agencies now believe that while the CBI mandate will be restored by the state government, it will be easier now for ED too. “The agency hopes that at local thana level the resistance to registering cases will go down now, making it easier for ED to start PMLA probes based on predicate offence," said a source.

News india From Poll Rout To Probe Heat: TMC Expected To Face ED, CBI Squeeze Post-Bengal Shake-Up

Read More