Cattle smuggling scam: TMC leader Anubrata Mondal summoned by CBI after release from hospital

Kolkata: No sooner was TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal released from hospital on Friday late evening, CBI on Saturday summoned him once again and wanted to quiz him over his alleged involvement in the cattle smuggling scam.

According to CBI sources, a second summon has also been sent to Mondal over the post-poll violence in Bengal.

“He is once again summoned for post-poll violence and is asked to be present before the CBI at Nizam Palace on Sunday morning,” said the CBI sources.

It can be noted that this is the sixth summon CBI had sent to Mondal over his alleged involvement in the cattle smuggling scam.

Mondal’s lawyer citing ill health said that he cannot be present before the CBI but if the officials want they can quiz the TMC Birbhum district president at his house in Chinar Park in Kolkata.

“Doctors have asked Mondal to take bed rest. He is not well for which he didn’t go back to Bolpur in Santiniketan but is staying in Kolkata and if the CBI wants they can quiz him at his residence,” said Mondal’s lawyer.

Mondal had also emailed to the CBI officials that he will cooperate with the interrogation if done at his residence and also that he cannot visit Nizam Palace as doctors had advised him to take bed rest as he has two blockages in arteries and is also suffering from sleep apnea.

It can be recalled that on April 6 after being summoned for the fifth time by the CBI, Mondal got admitted to a state government hospital and after 17 days, he was released on Friday late evening.

It is pertinent to mention that while Mondal was admitted to the hospital, his lawyers claimed that if the doctors permit then the CBI officials could quiz him in the hospital.

It can be recalled that though the Calcutta High Court had given Mondal protection in the post-poll violence incident and said that CBI cannot take strict action against him without court’s permission. However, the court had refused to give protection to the TMC leader in connection with the cattle smuggling scam.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said the CBI summons to Mondal is a "political vendetta". "He was discharged from the hospital last night and doctors advised him to take rest for a month. I don't know Why CBI has called him," she added.

Published on: Saturday, April 23, 2022, 07:25 PM IST