Cattle Smuggling Case: CBI Arrests TMC Strongman Anubrata Mondal

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested powerful Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal in the cattle smuggling case.

The investigative agency had issued 10 summons to Anubrata, but he skipped eight of those citing health issues.

TMC’s Birbhum district president was finally picked up from his Bolpur residence for not cooperating with the agency in the probe. He has been produced in a special CBI court in Asansol.

Even today, Anubrata put up a resistance and refused to sign the arrest memo, locking himself in the room.

Two months ago, CBI arrested Anubrata’s personal bodyguard Saigal Hossain in connection with the case.

Saigal, a constable with West Bengal Police, could not provide satisfactory explanation for the huge assets that he owned.

“He gets a fixed monthly salary. We found disparities in Hossain’s versions,” PTI quoted a CBI officer as saying.

It has been alleged that Anubrata’s bodygyard has three flats in Kolkata, owns two houses in Murshidabad and an astounding amount of gold among other assets.

The cattle smuggling case was first taken up by Enforcement Directorate. When the CBI filed a case, Anubrata’s name cropped up.

Describing Anubrata as a “criminal”, BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya said that chief minister Mamata Banerjee had been protecting him till now.

“Mamata Banerjee patronises criminals like Anubroto Mondal. As Chief Minister and Home Minister of West Bengal, she gives state protection to those who operate crime and extortion syndicates under her watch. Partha Chatterjee or Anubroto Mondal, the buck stops at Mamata Banerjee,” he said in a tweet.