Did Kolkata Police Visit I-PAC Co-Founder’s Home to Identify ED and CRPF Personnel Involved in Raids?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kolkata, Jan 10 (NationPress) - On Saturday afternoon, personnel from Kolkata Police arrived at the residence of Pratik Jain, co-founder of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), to identify the officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) team who were present during the raids conducted by the central agency on Thursday.
The identification process involves reviewing footage from the CCTV cameras at Jain's residence and gathering testimonies from local residents.
In addition to family members, the police are also recording statements from the domestic staff and security personnel assigned to Jain's home.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has lodged two complaints at different police stations concerning the ED's simultaneous raids at Jain’s Loudon Street residence and the I-PAC office located in Salt Lake, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata.
One complaint has been filed at the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station, which oversees Jain’s residence, while the other has been submitted at the Electronic Complex Police Station under the jurisdiction of Bidhannagar City Police, pertaining to I-PAC’s office.
Notably, neither the ED officials nor the CAPF personnel were named in either complaint, which were filed against unidentified individuals.
Furthermore, the Kolkata Police have initiated a suo motu complaint at the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station regarding the matter.
The leadership of the West Bengal BJP has asserted that it is unprecedented for state police to pursue officials of a central investigating agency merely for executing their official duties during the raid.
The raids are linked to an ongoing investigation into a significant coal smuggling case, connecting the multi-crore coal smuggling syndicate led by Anup Majee to the political consultancy I-PAC through a hawala trail.