Cattle smuggling case: TMC leader Anubrata Mondal sent to 14-day judicial custody

Kolkata: The CBI special court on Wednesday granted 14 days' judicial custody to TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal. According to the CBI lawyer, they had prayed for judicial custody and appealed for rejection of bail.

"There are multiple grounds for which we have prayed for JC. Mainly due to the gravity of the case at large and the chances of tampering with the evidence, we had prayed for judicial custody.

"Mondal will be next produced before the court on September 7," said the CBI lawyer. Mondal’s lawyer, Anirban Guha Thakurta, said that though they had appealed for bail due to Mondal’s "health issue," the court had given JC 14 days.

"The CBI lawyers also wanted to quiz Mondal in jail, and the court said that the sleuths can quiz him during jail custody but will also have to provide all medical assistance to Mondal. The CBI wanted a forensic examination of Mondal’s two mobile phones, and the hearing regarding this is on September 1," added Guha Thakurta.

Following the court’s order, Mondal was taken to Asansol Correctional Home.

According to court sources, the CBI lawyer asked for JC, stating that Mondal is an "influential" person, countering which Mondal’s lawyer had suggested that Mondal will "cooperate" with the proceedings even if bail is granted.

Earlier this day, while Mondal was being taken to Asansol court, he had said that his health was good and also mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had done "enough" for him.

Mondal also stated that he will ask for a CBI inquiry about the threat letter sent to the special CBI court judge Rajesh Chakraborty.

It can be recalled that on Tuesday that if Mondal is not ‘released’ then he and his family ‘would be framed in the NDPS case’.

According to Chakraborty's letter to the District Judge and High Court, one Bappa Chatterjee allegedly wrote a letter to the officer-in-charge of Asansol court stating that if Mondal is not released, he and his family will be framed in the NDPS case.

According to court sources, while Mondal mentioned this incident in court, the judge said that this incident has "nothing" to do with the ongoing proceedings in the case against Mondal.

Published on: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 03:08 PM IST