TMC's Anubrata Mondal arrested by CBI in cattle smuggling case

For the second time in three weeks, the Trinamool Congress were left embarrassed after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Anubrata Mondal, who heads Birbhum as the party’s district president.

The party’s secretary general, and a minister in the state government, Partha Chatterjee was arrested on July 23 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). This forced the party to do damage control—suspending Chatterjee from all party positions and sacking him from the cabinet.

Mondal, considered a political strongman in his district, had consistently avoided the central agency’s summons for a long period; he also refused to cooperate in the investigation of a case of illegal cross-border trade of cattle, in which he is an accused.

Mondal, who was called to appear before CBI on Monday, went to a government hospital instead for a health check-up. The doctors, after examining him, told him he didn’t need to be hospitalised for issues that were chronic in nature, and that he should just continue with the prescribed medication.

The CBI had then summoned him for an appearance on Tuesday, which he didn’t answer; and on Wednesday, Mondal’s lawyer conveyed to the investigative agency that he was unwell and wanted two weeks to recuperate.

Earlier in April, too, Mondal skipped the agency’s summons by getting hospitalised.

On Thursday morning, however, CBI officials arrived at Mondal’s residence in Bolpur and arrested him after some preliminary investigation.

The Trinamool leader was remanded to CBI custody till August 20, after being produced in court.

These developments further added to the Trinamool’s woes in West Bengal. The party, on Thursday, reiterated it had “zero-tolerance” for corruption and demanded unbiased investigation in the case.

However, Trinamool also alleged that the ruling party at the Centre was using central agencies to corner members of the parties in Opposition, ignoring the accused leaders within itself, alluding to the involvement of the Bharatiya Janata Party.