Kolkata: Enforcement Directorate (ED) after ending all the complications on Tuesday, took arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal to the national capital by flight to further the probe of the cattle smuggling scam.
According to ED sources, after reaching the national capital, the arrested TMC leader will again go through a health checkup either at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital or Safdarjung Hospital.
As per the special CBI court orders, authorities of the Asansol jail in West Burdwan district, where Mondal was kept for so long in connection to the scam, brought him to Kolkata and took him to ESI hospital for a checkup.
After the checkup, amidst chants of ‘Goru Chor’ (cow thief) by some people, the ED authorities with full protection took Mondal to the airport and along with three ED officials and a doctor, the arrested TMC leader was taken to Delhi.
Before reaching Kolkata, sparking speculation Mondal was seen talking to a TMC leader of Birbhum Kripamoy Ghosh during breakfast at a joint Saktigarh.
Even though the production warrant was issued in December last year, the Rouse Avenue court questioned the central agency why he was not brought to Rouse Avenue court in New Delhi.
Mondal was arrested by CBI on August 11 last year and ED again arrested him in November over the money laundering involved in the cattle smuggling scam.
Mondal citing ‘ill health’ had moved the Calcutta High Court challenging the production warrant issued by the special CBI court but last Saturday the High Court had set aside the petition which paved the way for the central agency to take Mondal to the national capital.
TMC minister Firhad Hakim, however, claimed that he has full faith in the judiciary.
“The truth will soon come out and justice will be done as we have full faith in the judiciary,” said Hakim quoting Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
BJP leader Anupam Hazra said that Mondal should help in the probe so that others involved in the scam also get punished.
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