Asansol judge gets ‘threat’ letter: ‘Release TMC leader or face drugs case’

With the CBI opposing his bail plea, describing him as a “highly influential person”, judge Rajesh Chakraborty had extended Mondal’s CBI custody till August 24.

Notably, the judge allegedly received the threat letter on August 20, the PTI reported. He has reportedly forwarded the letter to police and district administration for follow-up action. Chakraborty has also written to the district judge of Paschim Bardhaman, requesting him to take note of the “threat” and bring it to the notice of the registrar, Judicial Service, Appellate Side of the Calcutta High Court.

“With great anxiety, I do hereby forward to you a letter by one Bappa Chatterjee being addressed to the officer-in-charge of this court threatening that if Anubrata Mondal is not released, my family members would be implicated in the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act case with commercial quantity,” the judge’s letter read, according to the PTI.

Meanwhile, Bappa Chatterjee, who allegedly sent the threat letter, has been identified as the head clerk of Executive Magistrate Court of Burdwan.

Bappa Chatterjee denied that he had sent any letter to the judge. “I have no clue about it (threat letter). I came to know about it through the media. I suspect someone used my name to malign me,” Chatterjee told mediapersons.

Meanwhile, a CBI team visited the additional district sub-registrar’s office in Birbhum on Tuesday to inquire about the properties owned by Anubrata Mondal and his relatives.

Sources in the CBI said they suspect that Anubrata Mondal bought properties in the name of others close to him. “Properties were transferred to others. Our team has seized documents and papers and are tallying them with the records available at the registrar office,” said a CBI official. —With PTI