ED raids TMC MP Nadimul Haque’s Urdu daily over communal disharmony, Dubai funding trail & bitcoin transfers
The Enforcement Directorate searched seven locations linked to Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mohammad Nadimul Haque and his Urdu newspaper Akhbar-e-Mashriq in Delhi, West Bengal and Jharkhand. The probe is looking into promotion of communal disharmony, suspicious funding, illegal transactions and unaccounted cash under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on September 7, carried out searches at seven locations linked to TMC Rajya Sabha MP Mohammad Nadimul Haque as part of a money laundering investigation involving the Urdu newspaper Akhbar-e-Mashriq.
ED raids premises linked to TMC MP Nadimul Haque and his Urdu daily in a money laundering probe, (Image: India TV)
The searches were conducted across Delhi, West Bengal and Jharkhand. The ED action is linked to allegations involving the publication and circulation of material that could promote communal disharmony, along with suspected financial irregularities and funding from questionable sources.
Haque, 56, is a director of Akhbar-E-Mashriq Pvt Ltd, the company that publishes Akhbar-e-Mashriq. He is also a journalist and businessman and has been a TMC Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal since 2012.
ED searches newspaper office, MP’s residence
The ED's Kolkata zonal office team carried out searches at seven premises in Kolkata, Delhi and Ranchi.
In Kolkata, officials searched the Akhbar-e-Mashriq office on Darga Road in Park Circus. Central security forces were deployed around the premises during the operation, and the main entrance was closed while the search was underway.
The agency also searched Haque's government residence in Delhi, which is being used as a temporary TMC office.
The searches began early Monday (September 7) morning and were conducted with the assistance of central security forces and the concerned state police forces.
What is the ED investigating?
According to the allegations, the case involves the publication and distribution of material linked to communal disharmony.
The financial side of the investigation includes allegations of illegal transactions, unaccounted cash dealings and funding from suspicious sources.
The ED is examining documents, financial records and digital evidence to understand the activities of the people and entities named in the case.
ED is also tracking more than 300 high-value Bitcoin transactions involving private or unhosted wallets and an Dubai-linked flow of funds.
The agency's money laundering case has been registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The investigation follows an FIR registered by the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate.
Newspaper has editions across several cities
Akhbar-e-Mashriq is not limited to Kolkata. The newspaper is also published from Delhi, Ranchi, Asansol, Siliguri, Bhopal, Lucknow and Srinagar.
The ED is examining the financial records and other documents connected with the newspaper and the company that publishes it.
The searches are aimed at collecting evidence that could help investigators establish the source and movement of funds and determine whether any financial transactions violated the law.
Who is Nadimul Haque?
Mohammad Nadimul Haque is a TMC Rajya Sabha MP representing West Bengal. Before entering politics, he was associated with journalism and writing.
He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in May 2012 and is currently serving his third term, which runs from 2024 to 2030. During his parliamentary career, he has also served on several parliamentary committees.
Haque holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from St Xavier's College, University of Kolkata.