CBI sending summons to Trinamool congress leader Anubrata Mondal in connection with cattle smuggling scam

Anubrata Mondal, who had skipped meeting CBI officers on August 8 citing health reasons and went to a government hospital, will be asked to appear before the Central agency's sleuths on August 10, an official said.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is sending its officers to serve summons to senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal at his residence in Bolpur on August 9 to appear before it in the city in connection with the ongoing probe into the cattle smuggling scam, an official of the agency said.

Mr. Mondal, who had skipped meeting CBI officers on Monday citing health reasons and went to a government hospital, will be asked to appear before the Central agency's sleuths on August 10, he said.

CBI officers are going to his Bolpur residence to serve the notice to ensure that Mr. Mondal has received the summons personally and cannot say that he did not receive the communication, the official told PTI.

“The necessary notice will be served to Anubrata Mondal today. We have asked him to come to our Nizam Palace office in the city on Wednesday morning at around 11 a.m.,” the official told PTI. This will be the 10th time that the TMC Birbhum president is being summoned by CBI in connection with the scam.

Last time, the Central probe agency had summoned Mr. Mondal, TMC's Birbhum district president, on August 5 to appear before it on August 8. But he had sent an e-mail on Sunday expressing his inability to appear it due to a medical check-up.

After doctors at the State-run SSKM Hospital said that he did not require hospitalisation and suffers from some chronic diseases, Mr. Mondal left for his Bolpur residence on Monday evening itself. Two CBI officers had gone to Mr. Mondal's Chinar Park residence in the city on Monday evening, but the TMC leader left for Bolpur by then.

Mr. Mondal has been questioned twice by the Central agency, which in the recent past conducted raids at various locations in the district in connection with the case. His bodyguard Saigal Hossain has been arrested by the probe agency.