At a press event in the front of Jain’s residence, Banerjee revealed that ED officers have “taken our party data, laptop, iPhone and party election strategy including SIR… They have taken our tax papers, our bank account details… You have taken out all data. It is an insult to all the IT sector. Is it not a crime? I am waiting for justice”.
“We are gentle, we are sober, but if you give me pain, I won’t stay quiet. This is not a private organisation. IPAC is authorised by us and they are our team. If we build the data now, the election will be over,” declared the Chief Minister who is hopeful of an additional term for the fourth time in the upcoming elections for the assembly scheduled to take place in the beginning of January.
The BJP is the biggest threat to democratic processes she questioned whether it was right for her to “I raid their party office”.
“In the name of SIR, 1.5 crore voters have been deleted. If you have the courage, fight with us electorally Amit Shah ji,” she added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday (January 9 2026) said that the ED of using it as an instrument of political power for the BJP to “steal” her party’s internal strategy. She also claimed that she was not in any way wrong when she visited the I-PAC premises connected to I-PAC in an agency’s search one day earlier.
Mrs. Banerjee also accused senior BJP leaders such as the Union home minister Amit Shah who is accused and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, of “benefiting from proceeds of the coal scam” and also claimed she was able to put evidence into the public domain should she need to.
West Bengal Chief Minister is protesting against the raids that were conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the I-PAC office and the residence of the Co-Founder Pratik Jain.
The following Thursday (January 8 2026) Mrs. Banerjee visited the I-PAC office, and she was accused by the ED claimed she had removed crucial evidence from both offices.
I-PAC and the ED the ED and I-PAC on Thursday filed a petition with before the Calcutta High Court over the central agency’s searches of the home and office of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain. Justice Suvra Ghosh, in front of whom the case was brought up is expected to hear the case to hear the matter on Friday.
In addition the eight TMC lawmakers, Derek O’Brien, Satabdi Roy, Mahua Moitra, Bapi Haldar, Saket Gokhale, Pratima Mondal Kirti Azad, and the Dr. Sharmila Sarkar are staging a dharna at Amit Shah’s office in Delhi on Friday.
What Is I-PAC
I-PAC is the consulting company founded by Prashant Kishor. He is recently tried his hand at politics. Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party contested the recently held assembly election in Bihar however, it was unable to gain any seats. Kishor has said he’s going to stay for the long run and, for the moment, will concentrate on gaining the support of young people.
I-PAC has been working as political consultants for the Bengal’s government Trinamool Congress since the 2021 elections to the assembly. Following the 2021 elections they extended their contract to 2026. Apart from providing consulting services to the TMC The I-PAC also oversees the TMC’s media and IT operations.
The Coal Case
As per the Enforcement Directorate, its investigation has discovered the existence of a coal-smuggling group believed to be headed by Anup Majee was involved in the illegal mining and theft in coal taken from Eastern Coalfields Limited leasehold areas in West Bengal. The coal that was mined illegally was shipped to factories and plant situated in districts like Bankura, Bardhaman and Purulia.
The investigation also revealed that a large portion of coal that was illegally mined was delivered by the Shakambhari Group of companies. Investigators also found an alleged hawala network to layer and transfer proceeds of the crime. Evidence and statements collected during the investigation proved the hawala connection according to the agency.
The ED stated that a hawala operator orchestrated transactions worth the equivalent of tens of millions of rupees Indian Pac Consulting Private Limited (I-PAC) that has been identified as one of the companies that are linked to the Hawala trail of money.
Summary
- Mamata Banerjee removed documents during ED searches conducted at IPAC the chief’s residence. The central agency has claimed.
- ED further alleged that Banerjee hindered investigations into coal-smuggling as well as money laundering cases
- Banerjee has said his claim that ED raid is the BJP’s political vendetta