Vinesh Chandel was arrested by the ED in Delhi just weeks before the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026.
The probe alleges financial irregularities, hawala transactions, and laundering of around ₹50 crore linked to a coal smuggling racket.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee called the arrest politically motivated, raising concerns over a level playing field ahead of the polls.
On Monday, April 13, 2026, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Vinesh Chandel, co-founder and director of Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd (I-PAC), a political consultancy firm. The incident comes just weeks before the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026. He was arrested in Delhi in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.
Chandel, a graduate of the National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal, has previously worked as a journalist and a lawyer in the Supreme Court. He holds a 33% stake in the company. He was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The investigation was initiated based on an FIR registered by the Delhi Police.
Following his arrest, he was produced before Additional Sessions Judge Shefali Barnala Tandon at Patiala House Courts in Delhi. The court granted the ED 10 days of custody. The agency stated that its investigation into I-PAC has uncovered multiple instances of financial irregularities and suspected money laundering.
These include the receipt of both accounted and unaccounted funds, unsecured loans, issuance of bogus invoices, and routing of money through third parties. The agency also alleged the use of domestic and international hawala channels to move cash. It further stated that proceeds of crime amounting to around ₹50 crore have been detected so far.
During the investigation, statements of several individuals connected to the transactions were recorded. Raids were also carried out at multiple locations, where incriminating evidence was found. According to the ED, Vinesh Chandel’s role has come under scrutiny. As part of the probe, the agency conducted raids on April 2, 2026 at locations linked to Chandel in Delhi. Searches were also carried out at other premises, including those associated with I-PAC co-founder Rishi Raj Singh in Bengaluru and former Aam Aadmi Party communications in-charge Vijay Nair in Mumbai.
The case is part of a larger alleged coal smuggling and pilferage racket linked to Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) mines in West Bengal’s Kunustoria and Kajora areas near Asansol. The ED claims that a hawala operator associated with the network helped route large sums of money to I-PAC through a Mumbai-based company, which had earlier been investigated in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.
I-PAC was founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor. The firm is currently managing the Trinamool Congress’s campaign for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting on May 4.
Reacting to the arrest, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee took to X and alleged political interference. “The arrest of Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC, barely 10 days before the Bengal elections, is not just alarming—it shakes the very idea of a level playing field… If you work with the opposition, you could be next. That’s not democracy—that’s intimidation,” he said.
Further investigation in the case is underway.
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