KOLKATA: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested TMC strongman Anubrata Mondal after interrogating him in Asansol jail for over five hours in connection with laundering money which is suspected to be proceeds of cattle smuggling.
Earlier, Mondal was arrested by the CBI in connection with the cattle smuggling case and he was presently in judicial custody.
"Mondal will spend Thursday night in the jail. We will seek his custodial interrogation before the magistrate of the Asansol court on Friday. We will petition to take him to Delhi for interrogation,’’ said an ED official.
Sources in the central agency said Mondal was arrested on the basis of the statements provided by her daughter Sukanya. "We found a huge sum deposited in the name of Mondal’s daughter. Besides, there were several properties recorded in the name of Sukanya. During the course of the interrogation, she failed to explain the origin of the money. We suspect Mondal diverted the proceeds of cattle smuggling in her daughter’s name,’’ said the ED official.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stood beside Mondal after the CBI arrested him. Unlike former minister Partha Chatterjee, who was arrested in a case related to irregularities in recruitment in schools, Mamata announced that the party was beside Mondal. But the party suspended Chatterjee saying he would be inducted in the TMC once he will prove himself not guilty in a court of law.
Elaborating on Mondal’s money laundering, another ED official said, "The CBI found 18 lakhs fixed deposit in the name of Sukanya and a rice mill in her name. Besides, there are several properties recorded in her name. We need to know the source of the money and this is why Mondal’s interrogation in our custody is required.’’