Relief washed over the faces of approximately 450 employees of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in Kolkata on Friday, as their office returned to a semblance of normalcy less than 24 hours after a high-tension search operation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The eleventh-floor office at Godrej Waterside in Sector V, which found itself at the centre of a political storm, saw near 100% attendance as staff reported back for duty, following instructions from management.
From Tension to Normalcy: A Swift Turnaround
The dramatic shift began on Thursday evening with the intervention of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Before departing the I-PAC office premises, which the ED had been searching since early morning, Banerjee enquired with the organisation's director, Pratik Jain, about plans to resume work. The management, which had initially advised staff to work from home, then decided to call employees back to the Salt Lake office from Friday to restore normal operations swiftly.
"There was an apprehension that ED would seal our office premises. We were relieved that it did not happen," recounted one employee. Many had waited anxiously outside the building throughout Thursday. The day had begun unusually early, with ED officers arriving at 6:05 am, finding only a couple of employees and a security guard present. The situation was so intense that the staff reportedly skipped breakfast, a fact the Chief Minister later noticed and kindly inquired about.
Visible Changes and Quiet Resolve
Despite the return to work, some visible changes marked the post-ED search environment. The most notable was an added police posting on the 11th floor, and ID checks became more frequent. Employees largely stayed within the office, with many opting to order food in, including bonding over a joint order of biryani from a popular outlet.
Interestingly, while a major meeting took place on Friday evening, director Pratik Jain was reportedly not in the office. The work, however, continued unabated. "Our work has not stopped. Some of us who stayed back at night with colleagues as a show of solidarity even worked late into the night to ensure uninterrupted coverage of Trinamool protests on Friday," an employee shared.
Contrasting Scenes and a Message of Assurance
The scene outside the Godrej Waterside building on Friday stood in stark contrast to the previous day. The large crowds of commoners and Trinamool supporters had vanished, replaced by the usual bumper-to-bumper parking and the tech hub working at its own pace.
The impact of the raid was primarily confined to the headquarters staff. A large number of I-PAC employees spread across various districts continued their usual fieldwork even on Thursday. Only those at the Salt Lake office were instructed to work from home. Employees who had expressed concern about the future on Thursday appeared more composed on Friday, having received a reassuring 'message' from the company's seniors. The collective sigh of relief was palpable as the consultancy firm's nerve centre swung back into its routine, the tense hours of Thursday firmly in the past.
