Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Jan 13: The Kolkata Police have stepped up their investigation into the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches conducted at the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain and the consultancy firm’s office, amid allegations of forced entry and removal of sensitive documents.

A senior police officer said that statements from Jain’s neighbours are being recorded to verify the identity and actions of the ED officials on the morning of the raids. Notices have already been issued to several residents, directing them to appear for questioning.

“We want to understand what the neighbours and residents saw that morning. Their accounts are crucial to establishing the exact sequence of events,” the officer said.

Preliminary findings suggest that the names of the ED officials involved do not appear in the housing complex’s security register. Investigators are also examining claims that security personnel at the building were bypassed and that their mobile phones were forcibly taken during the operation.

The raids took place on January 8 at Jain’s Loudon Street residence. Following the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the location and alleged that crucial party-related election documents, both physical and electronic, stored at Jain’s home and I-PAC’s Sector V office, were illegally taken.

Complaints were lodged against the ED at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station and Bidhannagar Electronic Complex Police Station. The Kolkata Police continue to investigate the matter, seeking to verify all aspects of the operation.