ED Arrests IPAC Co-Founder in Bengal Coal Scam Probe

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Vinesh Chandel, a director and co-founder of the political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee, in New Delhi on Monday in connection with a money laundering investigation tied to an alleged coal pilferage scam in West Bengal. The arrest, occurring less than two weeks before the state's Assembly elections, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders who view it as an effort to disrupt the poll process.

Chandel, a graduate from the National Law Institute University in Bhopal with prior experience in journalism and law practice, was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Officials said he would be produced before a special court in Delhi for custodial interrogation. The case originates from a November 2020 First Information Report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which alleged a multi-crore racket involving the illegal mining and smuggling of coal from leasehold areas of Eastern Coalfields Limited in the Kunustoria and Kajora regions near Asansol. According to the agency, a hawala operator connected to the smuggling network routed transactions worth tens of crores of rupees to Indian...