Kolkata, April 19 (IANS) Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), whose co-founder Vinesh Chandel was arrested earlier this month by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Delhi in connection with the multi-crore coal smuggling case in West Bengal, on Sunday, announced its decision to temporarily shut down all its operations in the poll-bound state for 20 days.

The management of I-PAC, which has been acting as the voter strategy agency of the Trinamool Congress since 2022, on Sunday sent an email to all its employees at the Kolkata office to go on leave for 20 days.

“In view of certain legal issues, management has decided to pause operations in West Bengal with immediate effect. We fully respect the law of the land, are cooperating with the process, and are certain that justice will take its due course,” the email communique read.

Thereafter, the I-PAC management has asked all employees and team members to avail a short leave for 20 days.

“At the end of this period, by 11th May, we will regroup, review the situation, and decide the next steps. You may reach out to us in case of any queries. We appreciate your cooperation, patience, and understanding,” the email read.

It is learnt that the email landed in the individual email IDs of the employees after midnight on Saturday. At the time the report was filed, there was no official statement on this count either from I-PAC authorities or Trinamool Congress in the matter.

Last week, the ED also summoned I-PAC’s other co-founder, Pratik Jain’s brother, Pulkit Jain, and wife, Barbie Jain, for questioning at the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi in connection with its ongoing investigation into the multi-crore coal smuggling scams.

However, neither of them turned up.

After the arrest of Chandel last week, Trinamool Congress’ general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee expressed objections to the arrest, saying that the action by the ED, barely 10 days before the crucial two-phase West Bengal Assembly elections, was alarming and shook the very idea of a level playing field.​

Earlier on January 8, the ED officials conducted raids and searches at I-PAC’s Salt Lake office on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, as well as at Pratik Jain’s residence at Loudon Street in Central Kolkata.​

While the raid and search operations were underway, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by top bureaucrats and police officers, stormed in and left with several papers and electronic documents, including Jain’s mobile phone.​

The ED approached the Supreme Court, alleging that its officers faced obstruction of the investigation process.

–IANS

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