Over a month after taking TMC leader Anubrata Mondal into its custody in connection with a case of cattle smuggling through the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested his daughter Sukanya Mondal on money laundering charges in the same case. Last month, the ED arrested Anubrata's chartered accountant, Manish Kothari. An official said Sukanya was summoned on Wednesday, and after several hours of questioning, she was taken into custody under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). “During questioning, she (Sukanya) was informed that there were huge cash transactions in her bank accounts and several properties were found to be registered in her name disproportionate to her income. But she gave no explanation. She always claimed that her father and his chartered accountant were aware of them,” a source in the ED said, adding she was questioned by the ED a few times in the past as well. A primary school teacher in Birbhum district, Sukanya will be produced before a Delhi court on Thursday. Sources said that the investigation officer will seek her further custody. The CBI had first arrested Anubrata in the cattle smuggling case in August last year. He was arrested by the ED on November 17 in a money-laundering case linked to the cattle smuggling case. Popularly called “Kestoda”, Anubrata is considered among the most trusted aides of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Last December, the ED had attached 32 properties - worth over Rs 1.58 crore - belonging to his former bodyguard Sehegal Hossain. “Hossain was a close confidant of Anubrata and one of the prominent members of this whole smuggling racket operating across the India-Bangladesh border. Hossain, the prime accused in the case, Enamul Haque and a Border Security Force (BSF) commandant rank officer Satish Kumar were also arrested by the ED in this case,” an official said. Satish Kumar, who was posted in Murshidabad and Malda regions of West Bengal, was earlier arrested by the CBI in connection with the cattle smuggling case. The ED filed a criminal case against the accused in September 2020, taking cognisance of the CBI complaint. Till now, the ED has filed two chargesheets in this case, and attached assets worth Rs 20.25 crore. “In a chargesheet filed before a Delhi court in April, the ED named Haque, TMC leader Vinay Mishra, his brother Vikas Mishra (arrested by the ED in another money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal) and companies related to these individuals – Hoque Industries Pvt Ltd, Hoque Mercantile Pvt Ltd, and Anant Tradecom Pvt Ltd – as accused in the case,” the official said.
