West Bengal cattle smuggling case: CBI summons bank officials for details

The CBI on Monday summoned four officials of two public sector banks at Bolpur and Suri in Birbhum district of West Bengal to question them

The CBI, probing the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam, on Monday summoned four officials of two public sector banks at Bolpur and Suri in Birbhum district of West Bengal to question them on the accounts of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal, his relatives and close associates.

Source said that the central agency officials have identified 17 bank accounts in these branches where they doubt proceeds of the cattle smuggling scam was transferred. The officials have been called to the agency's Nizam Palace office in central Kolkata on Monday with the details of these 17 bank accounts.

Already 17 fixed deposits worth Rs 16.94 crore held by Mondal, his deceased wife Chobi Mondal, his daughter Sukanya Mondal and some of his close relatives have been confiscated by CBI. Till now, neither Mondal nor others questioned on this count could give any satisfactory answer about the sources of funds for these fixed deposits, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the authorities of the Special Correctional Home at Asansol in West Burdwan district, where is serving his judicial custody now, has made any appeal to the judge of the special court of CBI, also in Asansol, to allow virtual appearance of the Trinamool Congress Birbhum district president in the next hearing on security grounds.

Every time Mondal was presented in the court, there were slogans and counter-slogans between the supporters of Trinamool Congress and the opposition parties. The correctional home authorities feel that since there are chances of disruption of peace, Mondal could be allowed virtual presence for hearing.

To recall, while former state education minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee was taken to an ESI Hospital at Joka in the southern outskirts of Kolkata, a woman hurled her sleepers towards him.

In the last hearing in the matter of West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment irregularities scam, Chatterjee and his close aide, Arpita Mukherjee made virtual presence.

--IANS

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