TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to alleged cattle smuggling at the India-Bangladesh border, has filed a petition seeking his transfer from Tihar Central Jail in New Delhi to Asansol Correctional Home in West Bengal. On May 1, a Delhi court reserved its order on the matter and extended Mr. Mondal’s judicial custody till May 4.
Mr. Mondal, who is also the TMC’s Birbhum district president and a close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was produced in the courtroom on a wheelchair by Tihar jail officials. The Enforcement Directorate’s Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana opposed Mr. Mondal’s plea, stating that the West Bengal court, which is examining a related case being probed by the CBI, may call the accused as and when required.
The case against Mr. Mondal is related to an alleged cattle smuggling scam, in which he is accused of receiving funds through hawala transactions for his involvement in the illegal trade. The ED had brought Mr. Mondal to Delhi after his arrest, and he has been in Tihar jail since then.
In addition to Mr. Mondal, the CBI has also arrested his daughter in the same case. The investigation has been ongoing for several months, and it has led to a political controversy in West Bengal, with the opposition accusing the ruling TMC of being involved in the smuggling racket.
The TMC has denied the allegations, and Ms. Banerjee has accused the central government of using the agencies to target her party ahead of the assembly elections in the state earlier this year. The TMC won the elections by a large margin, and Ms. Banerjee is now serving her third term as the chief minister of West Bengal.
In recent years, there have been several cases of cattle smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border, which has led to a crackdown by the authorities. The smuggling of cattle is illegal in both countries, but it remains a lucrative business due to the high demand for beef in Bangladesh. The smuggling has also been linked to other illegal activities, including drug trafficking and human trafficking.