Anubrata Mondal finally faces CBI quiz : He was questioned for around four hours at the CBI’s office in Nizam Palace

Anubrata Mondal leaves the CBI office in Calcutta on Thursday.: Pradip Sanyal

TT Special Correspondent   |   Calcutta   |    20.05.22  : Trinamul's Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal appeared before the CBI in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling case on Thursday.

Anubrata, who has skipped appearances before the CBI interrogation for at least six times in the past in connection with two separate cases, was questioned for around four hours at the CBI’s office in Nizam Palace in Calcutta.

The Trinamul leader reached the CBI office around 9.50am and left at 1.55pm.

After the interrogation, Anubrata headed straight for the SSKM hospital, sources close to him saying that he went for a check-up relating to his ailments for which he had been hospitalised last month.

CBI officers said he had been re-summoned at the CBI office in connection with the same case next week.

Anubrata has also been summoned earlier by the central agency in connection with a case on the post-poll violence in Bengal.

“His name has emerged during the investigation of the cow-smuggling case. We have sought certain details from him. Now we have to verify the information that he shared with us,” said an officer of the anti-corruption unit of the central agency.

The arrest of Enamul Haque, the alleged kingpin of cattle smuggling across the India-Bangladesh border led the CBI sleuths to the name of Trinamul heavyweight Anubrata Anubrata as one of the alleged beneficiaries of cattle smuggling.

His lawyer Anirban Guha Thakurta said: “This was just a compliance of the notice issued. Initially he was severely ill, which is why he could not come. Being a law-abiding person, he had always wanted to comply with the order. Today (on Thursday) he was feeling a little better and so he came.”

Medical board members who were in charge of Anubrata’s treatment during his stay at SSKM hospital examined him and his reports before releasing him.

An official in the hospital said Anubrata did not need immediate hospitalisation and has been asked to revisit the hospital for a review in the next three weeks.