Cattle smuggling case: Asansol jail yet to hand over Anubrata to ED

Sources said the central agency since Saturday sent multiple letters to the Asansol jail authorities demanding that the process of handing over the TMC leader to the agency be started but the prison officials put the onus on the police.

Sources said the Asansol Special Correctional Home asked the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate to provide personnel for Mondal’s security so that he can be handed over to the ED.

The Calcutta High Court has directed that doctors from the departments of general medicine, cardiology and general surgery at a central government-run hospital in Kolkata will examine Mondal and issue a medical certificate before he is handed over to the ED.

The ED has sent two letters on Saturday and one on Sunday seeking information as when the TMC leader will be brought to Kolkata, it is learnt.

Earlier, Mondal received a setback when the Delhi High Court refused to hear a petition filed by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal who has been representing the TMC strongman since last year. The Delhi High Court had said that it would hear the petition after it is heard by the Calcutta High Court. “It is absurd that on the same issue, multiple courts have been moved. This is nothing but an attempt to get a favourable order,” ED had told the Calcutta High Court.
The CBI had arrested Anubrata, a close aide to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in connection with the cattle smuggling case in August last year after issuing him summons for questioning.

Mondal was later arrested by the ED on November 17 in connection with alleged money laundering linked to the cattle smuggling case.