Kolkata Police has initiated an investigation following recent Enforcement Directorate searches at the residence of Pratik Jain and premises linked to the Indian Political Action Committee in Kolkata. The probe is examining allegations of forced entry, theft of documents, and the identification of the officers involved. Statements from neighbours and residents are being recorded to establish the sequence of events during the search operation.
According to police officials, the scope of the investigation includes verification of the identity of Enforcement Directorate officers and the manner in which they entered the premises. Police stated that no names of Enforcement Directorate officials were recorded in the security register of the Loudon Street residential complex, raising concerns over a possible violation of standard security protocols.
Investigators said they are confirming the official credentials of the officers who conducted the searches. Police are recording statements from neighbours and residents to determine how the officers gained entry and what transpired during the operation. A senior officer said these statements are critical to clarifying the incident.
Police have indicated that there are signs suggesting the officers pushed past security guards to enter the premises. It has also been alleged that mobile phones belonging to security personnel were forcibly taken during the searches. A senior officer said notices have already been issued to several residents to appear for questioning as part of efforts to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
On Thursday morning, Enforcement Directorate teams carried out searches at Pratik Jain’s residence on Loudon Street and at the Indian Political Action Committee’s Sector V office. Officials claimed the action was conducted as part of a money laundering investigation. Police, however, stated that the absence of Enforcement Directorate officials’ names in the security register points to a breach of standard procedures.
Following reports of the searches, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the site. She levelled allegations against the central agency and the Union government. Banerjee said that highly sensitive election-related party documents were stored at Pratik Jain’s residence and the Indian Political Action Committee’s Sector V office, and expressed apprehension that these documents may have been taken under the guise of the searches. She stated that the action appeared to be politically targeted.
