Anubrata Mondal requests to reopen two bank accounts of rice mill to pay workers' wages

Court also asked Mondal to appear on June 7 for further hearing of his case

Abhijeet Chatterjee Durgapur Published 12.05.23 : Birbhum district Trinamul president Anubrata Mondal, who currently is lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail, on Thursday urged the special court of CBI in Asansol to reopen two bank accounts of his rice mill to pay workers' wages during a virtual hearing of the cattle smuggling case against him.

Mondal told CBI judge Rajesh Chakraborty with folded hands that the machinery of his Bhole Bom Rice Mill in Birbhum was being stolen and damaged in his absence. He pointed out that as the two bank accounts of the rice mill had been frozen by the CBI after his arrest last August, the salaries of his 200 workers could not be paid. He urged the judge to reopen both the bank accounts.

"Sir, my workers are not getting their salaries as the two bank accounts are frozen now. The machinery is also being either stolen or damaged regularly in my absence. Sir, kindly reopen the accounts so that my workers get their salaries," Mondal told the court.

Judge Chakraborty told Mondal to put up the matter in court through his lawyers as the bank accounts could not be reopened without proper legal process. The judge also told Mondal that he needed to listen to both the CBI lawyers and the defense counsel on this matter.

Earlier, Mondal's appeal to return to Asansol jail was rejected by the special court of the CBI last week.

On Thursday, the judge told Mondal that the latter looked very tired and wanted to know how his health was. Mondal told the judge that he was feeling unwell and was going through many medical difficulties in Tihar jail.

The judge wanted to know if the doctors regularly examined him in jail. Mondal said he was staying at the medical ward of the jail and doctors were regularly examining him. The judge said that he would instruct Tihar jail authorities by email to arrange all necessary medical aid to Mondal.

During Thursday's virtual hearing, Mondal's former bodyguard Saigal Hossain, who is also an accused in the cattle smuggling case, was present.

The judge asked Saigal's lawyers to submit the full details of his gold jewellery assets before the court soon as it was pending for long. His lawyers told the court that a report would be submitted at the next hearing.

The court also asked Mondal to appear on June 7 for a further hearing of his case.