CBI arrests TMC leader Anubrata Mondal in cattle smuggling case

The CBI on Thursday (August 11) arrested senior Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal from his residence Kolkata residence for allegedly not cooperating in its probe into a cattle smuggling case, an official said.

Mondal was arrested after almost an hour-long interrogation by a CBI team that arrived at the Birbhum district president’s house early on Thursday, the official said.

“We have arrested him for non-cooperation in the investigation into the cattle smuggling scam,” the official told PTI.

According to reports, Mondal on Wednesday had written to the agency informing about his inability to appear before its officials, citing illness as a reason.

He had also attached copies of two prescriptions along with the letter and requested the CBI for two more weeks to appear for interrogation.

“We have received a communication from Mr Mondal in which he informed us about his inability to appear before our officers at our office here today. In the letter, Mr Mondal has written that he is on total bed rest as per the advice of the doctors and cannot move outside his residence. He has attached two copies of doctors’ prescriptions and requested us to give him two weeks’ time to come to our office,” PTI quoted a CBI official as saying.

The CBI on Tuesday had summoned Mondal to appear before its officials at its office in Kolkata for questioning into the case.

Mondal had skipped the summons on Monday, and instead of going to the agency office had visited the SSKM Hospital for a medical check-up.