18 Sep 2023 11:46 AM GMT
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice in Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal’s bail application in connection with an alleged cross-border cattle smuggling scam, and sought the response of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to his prayer. Mondal, who is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail, was arrested in August last year by the central agency.
A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela Trivedi was hearing Mondal’s special leave petition against a January 2023 order of the Calcutta High Court refusing to grant him bail.
During the brief courtroom exchange today, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the embattled politician, argued that the period of incarceration had already spanned 14 months, even as other accused were released on bail –
“Five charge sheets have been filed. [Mondal] is the only one in jail, where is has already spent 14 months. The main kingpin was also granted bail by a bench headed by the chief justice.”
In response, the bench promptly said, “We will direct you to file a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation. We want to know the stage of the investigation. We are issuing notice.”
Background
Anubrata Mondal, a prominent leader of West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress and the Birbhum district president of the ruling party, is one of the accused believed to be involved in a multi-crore cattle smuggling ring, which allegedly involved smuggling cattle to Bangladesh through Birbhum.
The TMC leader’s involvement in the alleged cattle smuggling ring is being investigated by both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate. Mondal was arrested by the CBI in August 2022, and by the ED in November.
Earlier this year, in January, the Calcutta High Court refused to grant him bail in the case lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Later, Monday was shifted to Tihar jail in the national capital, where he is currently lodged, from a local correctional home in Asansol.
Case Title
Anubrata Mondal @ Kesto v. Central Bureau of Investigation | Diary No. 33558 of 2023