Inquiry focuses on alleged illegal occupation of Waqf land and documents linked to a polymer business on Tollygunge Circular Road
Qalam Times News Network
Kolkata, 03.09.2026
Waqf Properties have emerged at the centre of a fresh investigation in Kolkata after a state-appointed inquiry commission conducted a search at a polymer manufacturing facility on Tollygunge Circular Road over allegations that Waqf land was illegally occupied and subsequently used for commercial purposes.
A three-member team of the investigation commission, headed by retired judge Biswajit Basu, carried out the operation on Thursday. The investigators are examining company records and other documents to establish the ownership and legal status of the property and to determine whether land classified or claimed as Waqf Properties was unlawfully occupied or commercially utilised.
The search was conducted at a polymer-related facility associated with former West Bengal minister and former Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim. Investigators are understood to be scrutinising the company’s documentation, property records and other relevant papers as part of the inquiry.
The central issue before the commission is whether the land on which the business is operating belongs to Waqf authorities and, if so, whether it was occupied or acquired without lawful authority. The allegations are still under investigation, and the search operation by itself does not establish that any offence has been committed.
According to the information provided in the report, the commission is also looking into the circumstances under which the property came to be used for commercial activity. Investigators are expected to examine ownership documents, company records and other material that may help establish the history of the land and its present use.
The matter assumes significance because Waqf Properties are governed by a specific legal and administrative framework, and allegations concerning their unauthorised occupation or commercial exploitation can raise questions about property rights, institutional oversight and compliance with applicable law.
The investigation comes amid a broader state-level exercise examining allegations of institutional corruption and irregularities. The commission headed by retired judge Biswajit Basu has been examining complaints and allegations relating to institutional functioning and suspected irregularities.
The latest operation also brings renewed attention to business interests linked to Firhad Hakim. His name has previously featured prominently in West Bengal’s political landscape, and the latest inquiry involving a property allegedly connected with a Waqf institution could have both legal and political implications if investigators find documentary evidence supporting the allegations.
At the Tollygunge Circular Road premises, commission members reportedly examined the available company documents during the search. The purpose of the exercise was to establish the factual position surrounding the property and the business operating there.
The investigators will now have to determine whether the land is, in fact, Waqf property, whether it was occupied or transferred.
