ED Arrests I-PAC Director Vinesh Chandel In West Bengal Coal Scam Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested Vinesh Chandel, a director and co-founder of political consultancy firm I-PAC, in a money-laundering case related to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.

According to officials, Vinesh Chandel was taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Delhi.

This came days after the ED conducted raids at 11 premises of Indian Pac Consulting Private Limited (I-PAC) in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Delhi in the Bengal coal smuggling case. The searches were also carried out at locations linked to I-PAC director Rishi Raj Singh in Bengaluru.

“On 02.04.2026 searches at 11 premises were conducted in Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Vijaywada and Ranchi. The searches were conducted on the

office premises of IPAC, residence of its directors and offices of some companies linked with IPAC. During the Search various incriminating materials relating to money laundering, domestic and international Hawala were found and seized,” according to a statement by the ED.

I-PAC has been closely associated with the Trinamool, shaping election strategies for the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

Following the arrest, AITC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said in a post on X: “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. At a time when WB should be moving toward 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!”

“What makes it even harder to ignore is the double standard. 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 further 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!” he added.

The probe into the coal scam case pertains to charges that coal was being illegally mined and stolen from the lease area of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in and around West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district in collusion with officials of the railways and CISF, with links to Hawala operators unearthed.

An FIR in the case was registered in 2020.