West Bengal: CBI summons TMC's Anubrata Mondal in cattle smuggling case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sent a notice on August 5 to Birbhum TMC chief and a close aide of CM Mamata Banerjee Anubrata Mondal, in connection with the cattle smuggling case, sources said. 

Mondal has been summoned to appear before the CBI office at the Nizam’s palace in Kolkata on Monday, August 8. Notably, thousands of cattle were allegedly smuggled from West Bengal across the India - Bangladesh border, wherein politicians, BSF personnel, and customs officials allegedly colluded to perpetrate the crime.

Mondal came under scanner after the arrest of a BSF commandant

Anubrata Mondal’s name emerged in the cattle smuggling case after a Border Security Force (BSF) commandant was arrested in the case, revealed sources. The CBI on September 21, 2020, arrested a BSF commandant during the investigation of the case regarding cattle smuggling across the India - Bangladesh border. 

Earlier on June 9, CBI had arrested Birbhum TMC Chief Mondal’s security guard Saigal Hossain in the cattle smuggling case. “Hossain was arrested after he reportedly failed to explain some documents related to his acquisition of property and his associations with a few of the accused in the case, including Enamul Haque,” the action was taken after CBI raided Hossain’s residence, during which multiple documents were allegedly seized pertaining to his unaccounted income. Moreover, he also dodged questions regarding the cattle smuggling scam. 

Earlier in February, ED arrested BSF official Satish Kumar under the PMLA 2002, in the cattle smuggling case, wherein the agency attached four immovable properties and four Mutual Funds having a total value of Rs 2.87 crore in the name of Tanya Sanyal (wife of Satish Kumar, then BSF Commandant) and Bhaskar Bhuvan (son of Satish Kumar).

Cattle smuggling case

The case involves the collusion of BSF officials, politicians, excise personnel and racketeers to smuggle thousands of cattle from Bangladesh across the 2,216 km India - Bangladesh border. Significantly, BJP has accused the involvement of the TMC in the scam as the names of a number of TMC politicians have emerged in the case. 

Summons issued amid arrest of Partha Chatterjee

The CBI summons has been issued to Anubrata Mondal when central agencies are already investigating a case related to another Mamata confidante Partha Chatterjee, who has been arrested in the SSC recruitment scam along with aide Arpita Mukherjee. Chatterjee was later suspended from all party positions including from the primary membership of TMC.

IMAGE: BANGLAR GORBO MAMATA / MAMATA BANERJEE - FACEBOOK