Cattle smuggling case: CBI finds 'involvement' of Anubrata's bodyguard as Trinamool leader skips questioning
KOLKATA: The CBI on Monday submitted its fourth charge sheet in the cattle smuggling case at a court in Asansol, naming 11 people as accused, including Saigal Hossain, the bodyguard of TMC leader Anubrata Mondal.
In the 40-page charge sheet, the CBI alleged that Hossain played a vital role in moving money from cattle smugglers to Mondal, who is the TMC's Birbhum president.
Hossain, a policeman deputed to guard Mondal, amassed properties worth crores of rupees.
The investigators have found deeds of 49 properties in his possession, a CBI officer said.
"Call records of Hossain's mobile phone showed that he was in direct touch with smugglers and cattle owners," he said.
Saigal on Monday completed 60 days in CBI custody, and the agency had to submit its preliminary charge sheet by 5 pm as per the law.
Mondal was summoned by the CBI during the day to cross-verify certain information "obtained by interrogating Saigal", the officer said.
However, he skipped it citing his health.
The CBI had questioned Mondal twice as a part of its investigation in the multi-crore cattle smuggling racket operating along the India-Bangladesh border.
In the latest charge sheet, the CBI has also named Bikash Mishra, the brother of absconding TMC leader Binay Mishra.
Doctors at the city's state-run SSKM Hospital on Monday found Trinamool Congress heavyweight Anubrata Mondal, who was summoned by CBI during the day in connection with its investigation into the cattle smuggling case, to be "okay".
There is no requirement for him to be hospitalised at the moment, a senior doctor who tested him told PTI.
Mondal, who earlier in the day skipped appearance before the CBI sleuths citing health issues and instead went to SSKM Hospital, after the health check-ups first went to his flat in Chinar Park and then left for his Birbhum residence.
"Mr Mondal's health condition is fine and he does not require hospitalisation. He can come back for further check-ups at the outpatient department (OPD)," the doctor said.
While coming out after the medical check-up, Mondal was booed with cries of "goru chor" (cattle lifter) by several people who had accompanied patients to the hospital.
"The CBI has summoned him in the cattle smuggling scam. He has been allegedly involved in cattle smuggling and that's why I called him as cattle lifter," said a man, a resident of Howrah district, who was among those who jeered him.
Mondal had earlier informed CBI that he would be unable to appear before it on Monday, an agency source said.
The TMC Birbhum district president is understood to have sent an email expressing his inability to appear before the central probe agency due to a medical check-up.
CBI officials confirmed receiving Mondal's email.
The probe agency had summoned Mondal, TMC's Birbhum district president, on August 5 to appear before it on Monday.
Mondal has earlier been questioned twice by CBI as part of its investigation.
The CBI has in the recent past conducted raids at various locations in the district in connection with the case.
Mondal's bodyguard Saigal Hossain has also been arrested by the probe agency.