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TMC leader Anubrata Mondal arrested by CBI; BJP says time for Mamata to speak
CBI said Anubrata Mondal was arrested for not cooperating with the investigation into the cattle smuggling case. “We have found Mr Mondal’s direct involvement in the scam,” a CBI officer said
KOLKATA: Anubrata Mondal, an influential Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader known to be close to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, was arrested by a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that turned up at his Birbhum house 150km north of Kolkata early on Thursday after he cited a doctor’s advice to skip the agency’s summons.
Mondal, who is the TMC’s Birbhum district president and the only district leader to be a member of the TMC national working committee, was arrested in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling case after being questioned for about an hour in a room on the second floor of his house.
“We have arrested him for non-cooperation in the investigation into the cattle smuggling case. We have found Mr Mondal’s direct involvement in the scam. We will question him today and take the necessary action as per law,” a CBI officer said.
A special CBI court at West Burdwan district’s Asansol later remanded Mondal in CBI custody till August 20. Mondal’s lawyers sought his release on bail, saying he was unwell but the request was rejected. CBI officers said Mondal will be brought to Kolkata on Thursday evening.
Mondal, 62, had earlier skipped the agency’s summon at least 10 times citing health conditions. On Wednesday, he cited advice from local government doctors to skip his appearance before the CBI team again. This time, CBI sent a team of eight officers accompanied by central police personnel to the Birbhum district president’s house at about 10 am, and conducted a search operation as well.
The CBI officer cited above said the Bolpur hospital doctors who prescribed Anubrata Mondal bed rest for 14 days will also be questioned. Four doctors from a government-run hospital at Bolpur in Birbhum were sent to his home to examine him. One of them, Dr Chandranath Adhikary alleged before a TV channel that Mondal was not ill to the extent that he can’t face the CBI.
The officer said the CBI also carried out searches at locations linked to his close associates and some more people may be arrested.
Mondal’s arrest comes weeks after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested another Mamata Bannerjee aide, former Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, in connection with irregularities in recruitment for schools.
The ruling TMC said appropriate action will be taken at the right time. “The party will take an appropriate decision at the right time. But, we want to make it clear that TMC will not compromise on any instance of corruption,” said party MP Santanu Sen.
West Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya added that the ED and CBI are free to take action against anyone if the allegations are genuine but the agencies should be impartial.
“Our party follows a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to corruption. We are not defending anyone but the agencies should treat all suspects equally. No move has been made against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in the Saradha and Narada cases although he is an accused,” Bhattacharya said.
Opposition BJP alleged that Mondal’s arrest established that the ruling party was neck-deep in corruption, and demanded a statement from Mamata Banerjee.
“It is time the CM comes out with a statement on the arrest of Mondal. We all know he was close to the top TMC leadership,” BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said.
“The arrest of Chatterjee and now Mondal is an example of the much-hyped Bengal development model,” BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar added.
CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said Mondal considered himself to be above the law in Birbhum district and the TMC leadership “turned a blind eye to his misdeeds.” Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary said Mondal’s arrest shows how deep-rooted corruption is in the TMC.
