Another embarrassment for Trinamool as Anubrata Mondal sent to judicial custody

A CBI special court judge in West Bengal’s Asansol sent senior Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal to 14 days’ judicial custody.

Mondal, who is Trinamool district chief in Birbhum, was arrested on August 11 by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the cross-border cattle smuggling case. He was in the agency’s custody as per a court directive, as he was an accused in the illegal cross-border cattle trade case.

Although Mondal’s lawyer petitioned for his bail on health grounds, the advocate for the CBI opposed it saying Mondal’s release could jeopardise the ongoing investigation.

Also Read | TMC's Anubrata seeks CBI probe into threat against judge

While party supremo, and West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, had supported Mondal during a party event on August 14, the party itself had maintained that it had “zero tolerance” for corruption. Although Banerjee had indicated the party's dissatisfaction regarding the investigation and related process by central agencies, the party also sought a more “neutral” approach about the inquiry procedures by the central investigation agencies.

Mondal’s judicial custody is one more point of worry for the ruling party as it follows the arrest of former state minister Partha Chatterjee—who was suspended by the party following his arrest.

The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Chatterjee on July 23, he was sent to jail on August 5 following a court directive; the custody was later extended till August 31.

Chatterjee was the party’s secretary general, and a minister in the West Bengal government and Mondal is considered to be a strongman in Birbhum district. While Chatterjee is under investigation for the alleged irregularities in recruitment to positions in state-run schools, Mondal was under scrutiny for cattle smuggling scam.

However, Mondal still could claim party support, which was missing in Chatterjee’s case where the party leadership immediately dissociated from the former minister Chatterjee and maintained that the law will take its own course.