A Delhi court on Thursday sent I-PAC co-founder and director Vinesh Chandel to 14-day judicial custody in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal, following the completion of his Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand.
Additional Sessions Judge Deepti Devesh allowed the ED’s plea seeking judicial custody after Chandel was produced before the court at the end of his 10-day custodial interrogation.
Earlier, on April 14, the court had granted the Enforcement Directorate custody of Chandel, observing that there were grounds to believe his involvement in activities related to the generation, diversion and possession of alleged proceeds of crime running into several crores of rupees.
Chandel was arrested on April 13 after prolonged questioning in connection with the case, days ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, adding a political dimension to the investigation. He is a key figure in the political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), where he holds a 33 per cent stake.
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According to the ED, the case pertains to alleged irregularities in coal mining and transportation in West Bengal, which are under investigation for suspected laundering of illicit funds. The agency has been probing a network of transactions and entities allegedly involved in siphoning and routing money generated through illegal activities.
During the course of the investigation, the ED is understood to have examined financial records, communication trails and corporate linkages to establish the flow of funds. Officials have indicated that custodial interrogation was necessary to confront Chandel with evidence and other accused persons in the case.
While the ED has claimed that Chandel played an active role in handling aspects linked to the proceeds of crime, the defence is expected to challenge the allegations during the course of the judicial proceedings.
The case is part of a wider probe into alleged corruption and illegal operations in the coal sector in West Bengal, which has seen multiple arrests and searches over the past few years. Investigators have been focusing on uncovering the financial architecture behind the alleged scam, including the role of intermediaries and shell entities.
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