Probe Intensifies
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently apprehended Vinesh Chandel, a prominent director at I-PAC, a political consultancy firm. This arrest is directly
linked to an ongoing money laundering investigation concerning an alleged coal scam that has surfaced in West Bengal. Chandel was taken into custody in Delhi under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The firm I-PAC has been providing political consultancy services to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the West Bengal government since 2021, adding a layer of political intrigue to the financial investigation. This development follows earlier searches conducted by the ED at various premises associated with I-PAC members, including Chandel's residence in Delhi, the home of another co-founder, Rishi Raj Singh, in Bengaluru, and the Mumbai residence of former Aam Aadmi Party communications in-charge, Vijay Nair.
Coal Scam Uncovered
The roots of this investigation delve into a massive coal pilferage scam that came to light following a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in November 2020. This FIR alleged a multi-crore racket involving the illegal extraction of coal from Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) mines located in the Kunustoria and Kajora regions of West Bengal. The ED subsequently took over the case, initiating its own money laundering probe. Investigators have alleged that I-PAC had direct connections with transactions amounting to crores of rupees, purportedly linked to the coal smuggling network. Furthermore, the ED has put forth accusations that I-PAC functioned as a 'hawala' operator, channeling illicit funds and being one of the entities involved in the movement of these questionable finances. The agency claims that I-PAC was instrumental in laundering approximately Rs 20 crore, with these funds subsequently being transferred to a Mumbai-based 'Angadiya' firm, which itself has faced scrutiny in connection with a separate liquor policy case involving the Aam Aadmi Party.
