West Bengal coal scam: ED searches I-PAC offices, AAP official Vijay Nair among targets

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its probe into the alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam in West Bengal on Thursday, conducting raids against top executives of political consultancy firm I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee ) and former AAP communication in-charge Vijay Nair , officials said.

The searches, carried out across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi , targeted key premises, including the office of I-PAC co-founder Rishi Raj Singh in Bengaluru and Nair’s residence in Mumbai. This marks the latest development in an ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The case traces back to a November 2020 FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) , which alleged massive coal pilferage from Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in West Bengal’s Kunustoria and Kajora regions , near Asansol. According to the ED, a hawala operator connected to this alleged smuggling network facilitated transactions worth tens of crores of rupees to I-PAC’s registered entity, Indian PAC Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

Officials allege that about ₹20 crore of hawala funds , generated from the West Bengal coal scam, were routed through I-PAC. Since 2021, I-PAC has been providing political consultancy to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the West Bengal government , prompting questions over the firm’s financial sources and operations.

This probe follows earlier ED raids in January 2026 at I-PAC’s Kolkata office and the residence of co-founder Pratik Jain . Both Singh and Jain had approached the Delhi High Court seeking to quash summons issued by the ED, citing ongoing election-related work in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

The agency also highlighted a potential link to the Delhi excise policy “scam” , alleging that funds from a Mumbai-based hawala firm, previously under ED scrutiny for moving ₹45 crore kickbacks during AAP’s 2022 Goa assembly election, may have intersected with I-PAC operations in multiple states. A Delhi court, however, recently discharged all accused , including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal , Nair, and 19 others, in that excise case.

Adding to the controversy, the ED claimed that its earlier searches in Kolkata were obstructed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee , with relevant documents and gadgets allegedly taken away by the state administration. The federal agency has now sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into this alleged “gross abuse of power,” which is currently being considered by the Supreme Court.

With the investigation expanding and political implications looming large, all eyes remain on the unfolding legal and administrative proceedings.