Firhad Hakim at his business unit shortly after the search on Thursday
Around 12.30 pm, the panel members arrived at Hakim’s business units at 33, Tollygunge Circular Road and continued with the search for about an hour and a half.
“We have found necessary information we had come to collect,” said a member. Three members of a commission on institutional corruption, formed by Bengal BJP govt, carried out the searches at Hakim Polymakers Pvt Ltd, Hakim Chemicals and M/S Marble Point at New Alipore. The high-level judicial panel is headed by former Calcutta High Court Justice Biswajit Basu, alongside senior IPS officer K Jayaraman and other officials.
Kolkata: Former mayor and ex-minister Firhad Hakim’s two polyethylene and chemical manufacturing factories and a marble unit run in his wife’s name were searched on Thursday following a complaint that he had illegally occupied property belonging to Zohra Begum Waqf Estate to operate his businesses.
The unlisted company was incorporated on April 23, 2025, and has Hakim and Samir Ghosh as directors, according to sources. “I have been running my business here since 1985 before I joined politics. Rakhal Pal, owner of Pal Engineering whose business dates back to 1978, next to Hakim’s company, said: “I am the oldest business owner on Ghosh’s land at present.
The website of Hakim Polymakers describes the company profile as “manufacturer and trader of high-quality HDPE Polyethylene Film, LD LLDPE Polyethylene, and much more” and mentions Hakim as its “founder”. Hakim termed the search as “a political conspiracy”. He said the plot was a Waqf property but added that he was a tenant paying rent to Ghosh. There are so many units here, why was I singled out for the raid?” he said.
Gradually, I have expanded the business and taken more space on rent from the land owner. I have the rent slips with me. The search at the former mayor’s company caused a stir in the area. I have heard that the land originally belonged to a Muslim family who later migrated to Bangladesh and CK Ghosh, the present landowner’s grandfather, acquired the property.”