The Enforcement Directorate has issued summons to the wife and brother of Pratik Jain, a co-founder and director of the political consultancy I-PAC, in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation involving alleged hawala transactions. Officials confirmed on Tuesday that Barbie Jain and Pulkit Jain are required to appear at the federal agency’s headquarters this Wednesday for questioning under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
While specific details remain thin, investigators are reportedly scrutinising the business dealings of both individuals.
I-PAC is well-known for its role in advising the Trinamool Congress, the governing party in West Bengal. This latest development follows the arrest of another I-PAC co-founder and director, Vinesh Chandel, on Monday. His detention is part of a broader probe that officials suggest is tied to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal, a state currently in the midst of an election cycle.
Pratik Jain himself had previously been summoned regarding the money laundering case, which originated from a criminal complaint filed by the Delhi Police on March 28. In response, he has moved the Delhi High Court to challenge the summons. The escalation in the probe follows searches conducted by the agency in January, when investigators raided both Jain’s residence and the I-PAC offices in Kolkata.
Also read: I-PAC director Vinesh Chandel remanded to 10-day ED custody
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