The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on January 8, 2026, at the Kolkata residence of Pratik Jain, co-founder and director of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), and the I-PAC office in Salt Lake. The searches were part of an ongoing money laundering investigation connected to an alleged multi-crore rupee coal smuggling case that originated from a 2020 CBI FIR. These raids ignited a significant political controversy when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reportedly arrived at Jain's residence during the operation and later visited the I-PAC office. The ED accused her of obstructing their investigation and forcibly removing key evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices. Chief Minister Banerjee, however, denied these allegations, asserting that the searches were politically motivated and an attempt to seize sensitive party data. In response to the alleged obstruction, the ED initially approached the Calcutta High Court and subsequently moved the Supreme Court. The agency is seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident, alleging that its right to conduct a fair and independent investigation was curtailed by the state machinery. Concurrently, the West Bengal government has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, requesting that no order should be passed without hearing its side of the matter. Pratik Jain, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, is a prominent political strategist known for his role in building I-PAC. Founded in 2015, I-PAC is a political consultancy firm that has worked with various political parties across India, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He is also reported to head the TMC's IT and digital strategy wing and works closely with Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. The ED's investigation alleges that illicit funds from the coal scam were routed to I-PAC, potentially used for the TMC's election campaigns.