Ritu Sarin, the executive editor of investigations at The Indian Express, won the International Press Institute’s India Award for Excellence in Journalism on Tuesday. She was chosen by the institute’s Indian National Committee.

Sarin received the award for her “sustained work in investigation of crimes, political assassinations, terrorism cases frauds and economic offences” throughout her career, The Indian Express said. The International Press Institute said her “work of investigation into national and international crimes” made her the committee’s unanimous choice.

The institute said Sarin’s work was “marked by due diligence, excellent fact-checking, documentary corroboration, meticulous follow-up of event chains, and connecting the dots supported by thorough knowledge of criminal as well as financial laws and regulations”.

Sarin was chosen for the award for leading an Indian Express investigation into the Indian accounts and account-holders mentioned in the Panama Papers, the institute said. The journalist and her team spent eight months investigating 500 Indian names in the papers, the daily reported.

Former Attorney General for India Soli Sorabjee headed the jury for the awards this year.