CBI gets custody of TMC leader Anubrata Mondal in cattle smuggling case

Arrested TMC leader Anubrata Mondal was sent to 10-day CBI custody till August 20 by a special CBI court of Asansol in connection with a cattle smuggling case

Arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal was on Thursday sent to 10-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody till August 20 by a special CBI court of Asansol in connection with cattle smuggling case.

He reached CBI Office Nizam Palace, Kolkata from Asansol Special Court.

When Mondal was taken to the court, the crowd shouted 'Chor-Chor' (thief-thief) and showed shoes to him outside the court.

CBI on Thursday arrested the TMC Birbhum district president who is known to be a close aide of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in connection with the cattle smuggling case.

Earlier today, a team of CBI arrived at Mondal's residence in Birbhum's Bolpur.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 5 had sent a notice to Mondal for interrogation in connection with a cattle smuggling case, sources said.

Mondal was asked to appear in the CBI office at Nizam's Palace in Kolkata on August 8.

The CBI on September 21, 2020, had arrested a former Border Security Force (BSF) Commandant, in connection with illegal cattle smuggling across the India-Bangladesh border. Anubrata Mondal's name came under the scanner during the investigation of the case, the sources added.

The latest development comes in the backdrop of a bitter BJP-TMC fight over a case being investigated by central agencies.

Former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee was earlier arrested by the ED following which the TMC government removed him from the cabinet.

The court had sent Partha Chatterjee to judicial custody till August 18 in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam.

The ED sleuths have recovered around Rs 50 crore in cash, along with jewellery, from Arpita Mukherjee's two flats in southwest Kolkata and Belghoria.

The arrest of Partha Chatterjee followed after Rs 21 crore in cash and jewellery worth above Rs 1 crore were recovered from the Kolkata residence of Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of the former education minister.

The ED raided Arpita Mukerjee's house in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam. Earlier, Rs 20 crore was recovered from her residence in South Kolkata.

ED officials also conducted a raid at the residence of businessman Manoj Jain in Ballygunge. Jain is reportedly an aide of state minister Partha Chatterjee.

While the BJP has attacked the TMC government accusing it of corruption, the TMC has claimed that there was an attempt to tarnish the party's image.