Neighbours to depose as Kolkata Police investigates ED searches at I-PAC chief’s residence

Kolkata Police has confirmed the identities of emergency officials who searched the office of political consultancy I-PAC and the residence of its chief Pratik Jain following allegations of break-in and document theft, a senior official said.

According to the officer’s statement, police decided to record the statements of Mr. Jain’s neighbors to establish whether they witnessed any part of the calls or the way emergency workers entered the building on Loudon Street in Kolkata.

“Notices have been sent to many residents asking them to be interrogated,” he said. “We want to know what residents and neighbors saw that morning. Their testimony is very important in determining the course of events,” he said in a statement on Monday, January 12, 2026. he said.

“The names of the ED officials do not appear in the security footage of the residential complex. Investigators found indications that officials of the central agency allegedly entered the premises past the security guards without following standard entry procedures,” said a senior Kolkata Police officer.

It was claimed that the mobile phones of the security personnel were also taken by force during the operation.

The raids took place on the morning of Thursday, January 8, 2026, when emergency services officials searched Mr Jain’s home in Loudon Street. Soon after the news broke, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the area.

The Trinamool Congress chief alleged that sensitive election documents, both physical and electronic, related to the party were kept at Mr. Jain’s house and I-PAC’s Sector V office and these were stolen during the raid.

After a complaint was lodged against the ED at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station and Bidhannagar Electronic Complex Police Station, CM Banerjee said, “These were important organizational documents related to elections. These were taken illegally.” Kolkata Police has since intensified its investigation into the matter.