ED arrests I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel in coal scam ahead of Bengal elections

In a major action weeks ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday (April 13) arrested Vinesh Chandel, a director and co-founder of political consultancy firm I-PAC, in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in the poll-bound state.

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An official said Chandel was taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Delhi late evening. He is expected to be produced before a special court tonight, where the ED will seek Chandel's custodial remand for questioning.

I-PAC has been providing political consultancy to the TMC and the West Bengal government since 2021.

ED action triggers political storm

Chandel's premises in Delhi, apart from that of another I-PAC co-founder and director, Rishi Raj Singh, in Bengaluru and that of former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) communications in-charge Vijay Nair in Mumbai, were raided by the ED on April 2 as part of this investigation.

The federal probe agency conducted raids in connection with the case on January 8 at the I-PAC office and the Kolkata residence of its founder and one of the directors, Pratik Jain, leading to a controversy after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the said location along with state government officials and took away documents.

The ED had said its searches against I-PAC and Jain in Kolkata were "obstructed" by Banerjee, claiming relevant documents and gadgets were forcibly taken away by her and the state administration.

The chief minister and the TMC had countered these allegations, saying said the ED was attempting to take its election-strategy-related documents from I-PAC premises just before the assembly polls in the state.

Coal scam probe deepens

The ED sought a CBI probe into this "gross abuse of power" by the CM from the Supreme Court, which is currently hearing the case.

The ED case stems from a November 2020 FIR of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that has alleged a multi-crore-rupee coal-pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in West Bengal's Kunustoria and Kajora areas, in and around Asansol.

The ED had said in a statement that a "hawala" operator linked to this alleged coal-smuggling ring had facilitated transactions of tens of crores of rupees to Indian PAC Consulting Private Limited, the registered company of I-PAC.

Abhishek slams arrest timing

Meanwhile, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said the arrest of Chandel raises serious concerns about the fairness of the electoral process.

“The arrest of Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC, barely 10 days before the Bengal elections, is not just alarming — it shakes the very idea of a level playing field,” Banerjee said in a post on X.

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"At a time when West Bengal should be moving towards free and fair elections, this kind of action sends a chilling message: If you work with the opposition, you could be next. That’s not democracy — that’s intimidation,” he added.

Banerjee further alleged a “double standard” in the functioning of central agencies. "Those facing serious corruption allegations seem to find protection the moment they switch sides, while others are swiftly targeted at politically convenient moments. People are not blind to this anymore,” he said.

He also questioned the role of institutions during the election period. “When institutions meant to protect democracy start feeling like tools of pressure, trust begins to erode. On one side, the Election Commission. On the other, agencies like the ED, NIA, CBI stepping in at the most sensitive time. It creates an atmosphere of fear, not fairness,” Banerjee said.

In a direct message to the Union government leadership, Banerjee said, “To Amit Shah and the BJP’s power structure — be in Bengal on the 4th and 5th of May. Come with Gyanesh Kumar and every agency you deploy. Bengal will not be bullied, will not be silenced and will not bow. This is a land that answers pressure with resistance and it will show you exactly what that means.”

(With agency inputs)