CBI names TMC youth leader in charge-sheet of cattle smuggling case
Earlier this month, CBI in the first charge-sheet in the case had named BSF Commandant Satish Kumar and Murshidabad-based businessman Enamul Haque along with five others for their alleged involvement in cattle smuggling across the India-Bangladesh border.
Trinamool Congress youth leader Vinay Mishra, who is now absconding, has been named in a supplementary charge-sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the multi-crore cattle smuggling case.
The Bharatiya Janata Party had earlier alleged that kickbacks from cattle smuggling used to reach Abhishek Banerjee, TMC MP and chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew through Mishra.
The TMC MP had, however, refuted the charges and publicly said that he would walk to the gallows if any corruption charges were proved against him.
“A supplementary charge-sheet was filed on Wednesday at the CBI’s special court in Asansol. TMC youth leader Vinay Mishra has been named,” said a CBI official.
Earlier this month, CBI in the first charge-sheet in the case had named BSF Commandant Satish Kumar and Murshidabad-based businessman Enamul Haque along with five others for their alleged involvement in cattle smuggling across the India-Bangladesh border.
Both Kumar and Haque have been arrested and are now in custody. CBI took over the case in September 2020.
In two parallel investigations, the CBI is also probing a multi-crore coal smuggling scam. The central agency has already questioned Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira Banerjee.
“Such is their audacity that they are branding mothers and daughters as coal smugglers? They are entering our house and accusing a housewife aged only 22-23 years of being a coal smuggler,” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out on Wednesday.
The Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal is the longest international border in any state across the country. Out of the 4096.7 km long Indo-Bangla border, West Bengal alone shares 2216 km with the neighbouring country. In south Bengal, the border is more than 900 km long out which nearly 60% is riverine.
The Indo-Bangladesh border, particularly in West Bengal, is also one of the most porous borders. Data placed by the Union ministry of home affairs before the Parliament in March 2020 shows that in 2017, 2018 and 2019 security agencies arrested 1175, 1118 and 1351 people along the entire stretch of the Indo-Bangla border in India.