Cattle smuggling case: Enforcement Directorate attaches ₹25.86-crore assets allegedly involving former TMC district president of Birbhum

Enforcement Directorate attaches ₹25.86 crore in cattle smuggling case involving former BSF commandant and TMC district president.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached movable properties valued at ₹25.86 crore in a case of cattle smuggling from India to Bangladesh, allegedly involving a former Border Security Force (BSF) commandant and a former district president of Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Birbhum.

The action has been taken under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The attached properties include 36 bank accounts having total credit balance of ₹25.86 crore in the name of former TMC district president (Birbhum) Anubrata Mondal, his family members, his associated firms and companies, and “benamidars”, said the agency.  

Supreme Court grants bail to TMC leader Anubrata Mondal in cattle smuggling case

A Bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and S.C. Sharma granted the relief to Mr. Mondal after noting that the trial in the matter would take time and he has been in jail for two years.

“The ED investigation revealed that the proceeds of crime (POC) to the tune of ₹48.06 crore were received by Anubrata Mondal for providing patronage to the cattle smuggling nexus in West Bengal. He was the district president The TMC of Birbhum district at the time of commission of the offence and wielded enormous control over local administration of Birbhum and adjacent districts of West Bengal,” the ED said.

The ED initiated investigations on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation against Satish Kumar, then BSF Commandant, one Mohammed Enamul Haque and others for “cattle smuggling” into Bangladesh from India via Western Bengal.      

SC notice to CBI on bail plea of TMC leader Anubrata Mondal in cattle smuggling case