The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a high-profile investigation into a Kolkata-based travel agency, following allegations that it transferred money directly to a Pakistani bank account. The agency’s owner, Masud Alam, was summoned for questioning at the NIA office in Newtown on Monday. The investigation is reportedly part of a wider probe into suspected espionage activities involving Pakistani spy networks operating in India.
Sources within the NIA confirmed that, alongside Alam, two other individuals are also being interrogated in connection with the case. Investigators are trying to determine the origin of the funds and why they were routed through multiple accounts. A key question being probed is whether the financial transactions were part of a conspiracy to pass on sensitive photographs of strategic locations in Kolkata and other parts of India to terrorist groups in Pakistan.
The case took a significant turn after investigators found links to CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Matiram Jat, who was arrested days earlier on suspicion of being a Pakistani spy. Evidence suggests that money from the travel agency was transferred to Matiram’s bank account. This has raised serious concerns about whether intelligence or logistical support was being provided to Pakistani spies from within the city.
Massive NIA crackdown in 15 locations across India
The developments come in the wake of a massive NIA crackdown across 15 locations in the country last Saturday, including key Kolkata neighbourhoods such as Alipur, Mominpur, and Park Circus. During the raids, the agency uncovered details of suspicious transactions between Indian and Pakistani accounts.
One particularly alarming discovery was that ₹22,000 had been deposited into a Pakistani account from Kolkata on March 25 — just weeks before the June 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Investigators have also found evidence of additional deposits in stages — including ₹13,500, ₹15,000, and ₹5,000 — sent from the city. Authorities are now examining nearly 1,000 bank accounts linked to similar cross-border transactions.
Adding to the complexity of the investigation, NIA sources revealed that not only was money sent from India, but funds were also routed back into Indian accounts from Pakistan. These transactions were often carried out in small amounts via various money transfer apps in an apparent attempt to evade detection. Many of the funds ultimately ended up in Matiram Jat’s account, allegedly funneled through individuals with links to Pakistani Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and other espionage operatives.
