KOLKATA: West Bengal police seized more than Rs 20 crore in cash and gold weighing around 15 kgs from the residence of Meenar Mondal, a government bus driver and stone merchant, in Birbhum district.
Police recovered huge amounts of cash, packed in bundles and stored in multiple bags, along with 14 gold bars weighing one kilogram each and 10 gold biscuits weighing 100 grams each, from Mondal's two-storey residence in Deucha village under Mohammad Bazar police station in Birbhum district. The gold is estimated to be worth around Rs 21.5 crore at current market prices.
Meenar Mondal is a relative of Tulu Mondal alias Mohd Nazibuddin, a stone merchant and alleged sand smuggler.
Tulu is reportedly a close aide of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal alias Kesto, once a trusted lieutenant of former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Birbhum. Anubrata recently joined the rebel Trinamool Congress led by Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee, after the party suffered a crushing defeat to the BJP in the Assembly elections.
Police have not yet issued an official statement on the amount of cash and quantity of gold seized, as the counting of currency notes was still underway.
Acting on a tip-off, Birbhum police conducted a midnight raid at the residence of Meenar Mondal. During the search, police recovered bundles of cash and gold stored inside a room.
Five currency-counting machines have been deployed to count the seized cash, and the process was continuing, police sources said.
Congratulating the police, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari later wrote on X, “Commendable job by our Law Enforcement personnel for the crackdown on Sand Mafia. Following a precise operation based on source based information, Birbhum Police conducted a major raid under Mohammad Bazar PS targeting the hideout of illegal sand mafia Tullu Mondal alias Mohd Nazibuddin. The operation has uncovered staggering amounts of illegally amassed wealth: Cash Recovered So Far: ₹5.5 crore with counting still ongoing. Gold Recovered: 15 kg. I deeply appreciate the @WBPolice DGP, SP @BirbhumPolice and the Birbhum District Police Personnel involved in this operation for their swift, professional and decisive action.”
“West Bengal Govt's ongoing drive against the corrupt will go on with 'Zero Tolerance Policy against Corruption' as our guiding principle. Let it be unequivocally clear: no person with a chequered past who has amassed wealth through the exploitation of public resources and hobnobbing with the then ruling political party will be spared. Public wealth belongs to the people, and those who loot it will face the full might of the law. Vigilance and uncompromising action will continue. Crackdown on mafia syndicates will go on,” Suvendu wrote on X.
Locals have raised questions over how Meenar Mondal, a bus conductor, could possess such a massive amount of cash and gold.
Sources said Meenar was associated with several of Tulu's businesses in the stone crushing industry and alleged cattle and sand smuggling rackets in the district.
Police are investigating whether funds allegedly generated through Tulu's illegal businesses were stored at Meenar Mondal's residence.
In 2022, Tulu was allegedly linked to a cattle smuggling racket and was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate, which conducted raids at his residence and office in Birbhum.
Earlier, the CBI, while probing the teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal, raided the flat of former education minister Partha Chatterjee's close aide and recovered more than Rs 50 crore in cash and five kilograms of gold.
Partha was later arrested by the central investigating agency and subsequently granted bail by the court.
