Bengal's Birbhum district police seized around ₹28.5 crore in cash and 15 kg gold bars worth about ₹2 crore on Wednesday evening from a retired government bus driver's home in Deucha village after a 20-hour search, officials aware of the matter said.
Retired bus driver questioned after raid
"The house owner, Minar Mondal, is being interrogated. He said during preliminary interrogation that the money and the gold were kept at his home by his brother-in-law Tulu Mondal alias Mohd Nazibuddin who was arrested in a murder case by the local police in 2022 and interrogated by federal agencies several times for his suspected connection with illegal stone, sand and coal trades," a Birbhum district police official said, requesting anonymity.
"Tulu Mondal was released on bail in the murder case. He has been absconding since May. He used to operate a few hundred dumper trucks to transport illegally quarried stone and sand. He also operated several toll-tax booths. Minar was in charge of one of the booths," the officer said.
"Minar Mondal, known to be a peaceful person in Deucha village, worked for the North Bengal State Transport Corporation until his voluntary retirement in 2017. He draws a pension of around ₹35,000," the officer added.
{{/usCountry}}"Minar Mondal, known to be a peaceful person in Deucha village, worked for the North Bengal State Transport Corporation until his voluntary retirement in 2017. He draws a pension of around ₹35,000," the officer added.
{{/usCountry}}CM hails seizure, vows crackdown
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari congratulated the police while they were still counting the cash at Minar Mondal's home.
"Following a precise operation based on source based information, Birbhum Police conducted a major raid under Mohammad Bazar PS targeting the hideout of illegal sand mafia Tullu Mondal alias Mohd Nazibuddin. The operation has uncovered staggering amounts of illegally amassed wealth: Cash Recovered So Far: ₹5.5 crore with counting still ongoing. Gold Recovered: 15 kg. West Bengal Govt's ongoing drive against the corrupt will go on with 'Zero Tolerance Policy against Corruption' as our guiding principle," Adhikari wrote on X.
"Let it be unequivocally clear: no person with a chequered past who has amassed wealth through the exploitation of public resources and hobnobbing with the then ruling political party will be spared. Public wealth belongs to the people, and those who loot it will face the full might of the law. Vigilance and uncompromising action will continue. Crackdown on mafia syndicates will go on," Adhikari added.
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Recovery fuels political controversy
The recovery fanned the political row triggered by Anubrata Mondal, one of Mamata Banerjee's oldest followers who joined the rebel Trinamool Congress camp in early-July. Tulu Mondal was known to be an aide of Anubrata Mondal until he went into hiding after May 4, when the assembly poll results were declared.
Anubrata Mondal, who spent two years in judicial custody at Delhi's Tihar jail as a prime accused in the cattle smuggling case, made a serious allegation on July 15 about TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
"I went to jail because of Abhishek. The government's revenue earnings from the stone quarries in Birbhum came down from ₹3.5 crore to ₹65 lakh a day. She (Mamata) called me four times after the assembly polls. I told her 'you see with your ears, not your eyes.' Mamata is ruined because of him. Nobody will stay."
On July 17, chief minister Adhikari said, "Only around ₹110 crore a year used to come from Birbhum during the last regime whereas the actual collection was at east ₹1200 crore. This theft of revenue will be stopped."
Birbhum superintendent of police Vidit Raj Bhundesh did not make any statement on the operation till 7 pm.
Also read: TMC’s Anubrata Mondal gets anticipatory bail in case for abusing cop’s family
The Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel TMC camp which welcomed Anubrata Mondal, did not comment on the recovery. However, TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh, a Mamata Banerjee loyalist, said the state should take strong action against those who benefited from the illegal earnings.
"People who hoarded this ill-gotten wealth were closely linked to leaders who now pose as so-called good TMC members. I request the government to identify those leaders and take strong action," Ghosh said.