I-PAC raid: Kolkata Police summon Pratik Jains neighbours to know what ED was doing at his residence
The Kolkata Police has summoned residents of the building where Pratik Jain lives and where the ED conducted raids last week. Jain's residence on Loudan Street was raided by the ED on January 8. Visuals of the raid went viral as West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reached the spot and entered the building while the raids were underway. Minutes later she was seen leaving with a green file. The ED has approached the court, saying that the investigations were obstructed.
New Delhi: The recent raid by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on I-PAC Director Pratik Jain's house has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reached the raid site and entered the house without permission, carrying away some important documents. Then the ED approached the Supreme Court, with a complaint against the state government, accusing them of trying to obstruct the investigations. The state government has also filed a caveat.
Kolkata Police summons residents of building
Now a new layer has been added to the entire fiasco. The Kolkata Police have summoned the neighbours of Jain for questioning. They want to know exactly what was the ED looking for during the raids last week.
The ED reached the residence of I-PAC Director Pratik Jain on January 8 at 6 am sharp. As the raids were underway, CM Mamata Banerjee reached the building and entered the premises. She went directly to Jain's home where the raids were underway, and a few minutes later was seen leaving with a green file. Following this there has already been a lot of speculation regarding what was in the green file.
Amidst a national outrage against Mamata's actions and Opposition's attack on her government, the Police have launched this probe. They have summoned residents of the building with regard to the ED raid at Jain's residence.
Reports said that notices have been sent to the residents of the building in Loudan Street and also to Jain's neighbours. The ED reportedly wants to know about the movements of the ED officials after they entered Jain's house and also what all the neighbours heard while the raids were underway.
The residents and neighbours of the I-PAC Director have been summoned in both cases, one filed by Mamata Banerjee against the ED and the other filed suo motu by the Kolkata Police.
Meanwhile, sources claimed that ED officials failed to collect any major evidence from Jain's house. But they have reportedly got evidence about the obstruction caused during the investigation. One shows a policeman pushing a CRPF jawan and the other shows an argument at the house of Jain, during the raids.