Bank under CBI scanner in Bengal cattle smuggling case catches fire; Files charred

CBI officers visited the bank branch several times in the last two months in connection with the cattle smuggling case

A large number of documents kept at the record room of the Bolpur branch of a nationally known private sector bank were destroyed in a fire in Bengal’s Birbhum district on Wednesday morning, fire brigade officials said.

A number of documents were destroyed in the fire. (PTI)

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers visited the branch several times in the last two months in connection with the cattle smuggling case in which Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Anubrata Mondal, the party’s district unit president, was arrested on August 11.

CBI officials said Mondal and his daughter, Sukanya, who is the director of two companies that are under scanner, have accounts at the bank’s Bolpur branch.

Wednesday’s incident took place around the same time when Sukanya Mondal’s lawyer provided CBI with records of financial transactions of the two companies that the federal agency had asked for.

On September 23, Sukanya Mondal cited illness after CBI officers wanted to see the documents and served her a notice.

“Nobody was injured in the incident but a large number of files and some computer components kept in the record room were destroyed. It is suspected that electrical short circuit caused the fire. Five fire tenders were pressed into service,” a district fire brigade official said on condition of anonymity.

Manoj Jha, the manager of the branch, told media that the damage was being assessed.

After Anubrata Mondal’s arrest, chief minister Mamata Banerjee targeted the Centre, calling him innocent.

A CBI official said on condition of anonymity that money from some foreign bank is suspected to have been transferred to the accounts of Sukanya’s companies, Neer Developer Pvt Ltd and ANM Agrochem Foods Pvt Ltd.

A notice was sent to Sukanya Mondal, a primary school teacher, by CBI officers stationed at the agency’s camp office in Bolpur where the family lives. Anubrata Mondal is lodged at Asansol correctional home in the adjoining West Burdwan district.

Sukanya Mondal told CBI on September 23 that she cannot provide the records because of her illness and sought time.

Two banks in Bolpur, including the one that caught fire, were also asked to provide details about certain transactions.

HT reported on August 28 that Neer Developer and ANM Agrochem Foods received ₹27.73 crore between 2018-22 as deposit from either from their own directors or from another company.

Sukanya Mondal, who averted questioning in August, was questioned for about an hour on September 16 at her Bolpur residence. CBI officials asked her about the source of funds of her companies since she is a primary school teacher and her companies never declared to have taken any bank loan. She could not give any satisfactory reply, said a CBI officer who did not want to be named.

CBI also questioned Mondal’s chartered accountant, Manish Kothari, for the fourth time on September 16. CBI suspects that Kothari has complete knowledge about Mondal’s properties and the two companies.

No political party made any statement on the fire till Wednesday afternoon.