ED Raids TMC MP Nadimul Haque-Linked Premises, Probes Alleged ₹60 Crore Irregularities
The Enforcement Directorate has searched multiple premises linked to Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mohammed Nadimul Haque as part of a money-laundering investigation involving Akhbar-E-Mashriq Pvt Ltd, the company behind the Urdu newspaper Akhbar-E-Mashriq.
The operation began on September 7 and covered locations in Kolkata, Delhi and Ranchi. Officials said the searches continued for more than 24 hours, with investigators examining financial records and digital material as they sought to establish the source and movement of funds under scrutiny.
The case has also opened a fresh political confrontation, with the Trinamool Congress accusing the BJP of using central investigative agencies for political purposes.
Seven Locations Searched Across Three Cities
The ED operation covered seven premises in Kolkata, Delhi and Ranchi linked to Haque and the media company.
Haque, 56, is a journalist and businessman as well as a TMC Rajya Sabha MP. He is a director of Akhbar-E-Mashriq Pvt Ltd.
Among the locations searched were premises connected to the newspaper. Investigators examined banking records, financial documents and digital material during the operation.
Haque had said he was in Ranchi as part of an official visit by the Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances when the searches began.
“I have been traveling with the Parliamentary committee on Government Assurances. We were in Patna yesterday and we were in Ranchi today,” Haque said on Monday.
ED Alleges Irregularities Involving Around ₹60 Crore
A significant development emerged after the searches when ED officials alleged that investigators had identified discrepancies concerning transactions worth around ₹60 crore.
According to officials cited by PTI, investigators could not immediately find satisfactory supporting records for those transactions.
The agency is examining whether they represented legitimate business activity or whether money was moved through informal channels. Investigators are also looking into the possibility that some funds were routed through hawala channels, according to sources cited in media reports.
These remain allegations under investigation. There has been no judicial finding establishing wrongdoing in relation to the ₹60 crore in transactions.
No arrest had been reported in connection with the case at the time of publication.
What Is the Case Against Akhbar-E-Mashriq?
The money-laundering investigation originates from an FIR registered by the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate.
The ED subsequently registered an Enforcement Case Information Report, or ECIR, to investigate the financial aspects of the allegations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
According to the agency's account of the case, the underlying allegations concern the publication or dissemination of material accused of promoting communal disharmony as well as illegal transactions, unaccounted cash dealings and funding allegedly received from suspicious sources.
The existence of these allegations does not by itself establish guilt. The financial transactions and their sources remain under investigation.
Investigators Examine Financial and Digital Records
The focus of the searches appears to extend beyond simply identifying transactions.
Investigators are examining financial records and digital documents in an attempt to reconstruct the flow of money and determine the nature and source of the funds being investigated.
An ED official quoted by PTI said financial and digital records were being examined to establish the transaction trail and determine where the money originated.
Haque was also questioned at his Kolkata residence and office during the search, according to officials cited in reports.
TMC Calls Raids Political Vendetta
The enforcement action quickly developed into a political dispute.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the central government of pursuing political vendetta and claimed the BJP was targeting Mamata Banerjee and TMC MPs.
The BJP rejected the political framing of the investigation. BJP leader Keya Ghosh argued that there was no reason to politicise the searches and said the ED was acting on suspicions concerning money laundering.
Neither political position establishes the merits of the case. Those will depend on the evidence gathered during the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings.
Why the ₹60 Crore Figure Needs Careful Treatment
The reported ₹60 crore figure is one of the most important developments in the investigation, but it requires an important qualification.
Officials have described it as the approximate value of transactions where investigators allegedly found discrepancies or lacked satisfactory supporting documentation at this stage. It should therefore not be presented as ₹60 crore of proven money laundering or illegal funds.
The ED will have to establish the nature, origin and destination of the transactions and determine whether they constitute proceeds of crime under applicable law.
With searches now completed and financial and digital records under examination, the next stage of the investigation is likely to focus on tracing those transactions and determining whether the evidence supports further proceedings.
