Kolkata, September 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has reportedly detected financial irregularities amounting to around Rs 60 crore in the accounts of Akhbar-e-Mashriq, a multi-edition Urdu newspaper owned by Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Nadimul Haque.
The ED’s search operations at the newspaper’s office in Kolkata, which began on Monday morning, continued for several hours before concluding early Tuesday. Sources familiar with the investigation said the agency found transactions that raised questions about the financial dealings of the media entity.
According to the sources, investigators identified doubtful transactions suspected of having possible Hawala links. The probe was reportedly initiated following complaints alleging that Trinamool Congress party funds were being channelled through the media organisation.
During the searches, ED officials examined bank transaction records, paper documents and digital material at the newspaper’s office in the Park Circus area of central Kolkata. The agency also questioned Haque at length in connection with the investigation.
ED officials reportedly said they did not find adequate supporting evidence for transactions involving the identified Rs 60 crore in the documents examined so far. Sources claimed that Haque was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation when questioned about the transactions.
The agency is now examining whether the suspicious transactions involved Hawala channels. Documents in both physical and digital formats have reportedly been seized and will be scrutinised further to identify any additional financial irregularities.
The searches were not limited to the newspaper’s Kolkata office. On Monday, the ED simultaneously conducted searches at six other locations linked to Haque across Kolkata, Delhi and Ranchi, taking the total number of locations covered by the operation to seven.
The locations included Haque’s residence on Darga Road in south Kolkata. ED officials also reportedly visited the residence of his son-in-law.
Akhbar-e-Mashriq publishes editions from several cities, including Delhi, Ranchi, Asansol, Siliguri, Bhopal, Lucknow and Srinagar.
The investigation is continuing, with the ED expected to examine the seized material to trace any further financial irregularities beyond the Rs 60 crore transactions already under scrutiny.
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