Kamal Ghorui
New Delhi : I-PAC promoter director Vinesh Chandel, arrested here late on Monday, was sent to 10 days of ED custody after being produced around midnight before additional sessions judge at the Patiala House courts, Shefali Barnala Tandon, at her residence. The judge gave her order at 3.30 am.Meanwhile, ED has issued summons to Barbie Jain, wife of I-PAC founder director Pratik Jain, and Pulkit Jain, brother of Pratik, asking them to appear for questioning at the agency’s HQ on Wednesday. The judge noted prima facie evidence of Chandel’s involvement in unaccounted cash transactions and hawala dealings.It was observed that I-PAC promoter director Vinesh Chandel had “instructed deletion of emails and sensitive data, including deletion of financial records” immediately after ED searches on April 2, 2026, adding that “by doing so, the arrestee has deliberately attempted to destroy material evidence and obstruct the course of investigation”.The court recorded that Chandel “knowingly assisted and has been actively involved in the process and activity connected with proceeds of crime, including its concealment, possession, acquisition, use and projection as untainted property”, making him liable under Section 3 of PMLA.Granting ED Chandel’s custody till April 23, it directed CCTV-monitored interrogation and his medical examination every 48 hours.According to agency sources, ED’s money trail in the ongoing investigation in the West Bengal coal scam has tracked hawala transactions allegedly involving I-PAC. Though Chandel’s arrest came on a separate FIR registered by the economic offences wing of the Delhi Police this year, the probe into the coal scam began in Kolkata in 2020.ED had earlier estimated the proceeds of crime from the coal scam at over Rs 1,300 crore. Rujira Banerjee, wife of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, is one of the suspects in the case and has been summoned for questioning by ED multiple times. Abhishek, too, has been questioned by ED in the case.“Vinesh, being a founding director and key decision-maker, exercised control over financial and operational affairs of the company and was actively involved in the process of generation of proceeds of crime,” ED has said.The agency accused I-PAC of “splitting receipts between banking channels and unaccounted cash components, which included funds received from political parties”. Among documents seized from I-PAC offices, ED had recovered a note with references to “50% cheque”, which allegedly indicated cash receipts from parties.“These funds were further utilised for election-related expenditure and other purposes, including influencing public perception,” ED said in its remand note, adding that it has found evidence of I-PAC receiving Rs 13.5 crore as “unsecured loans” from Ramasethu Infrastructure, with which it had no substantial business linkages, during 2019-2021.
