Anubrata gets bail in cattle smuggling case of CBI

MP,31 July 2024, Kolkata: The Supreme Court on Tuesday is learnt to have granted bail to Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal in the cattle smuggling case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). 

A Bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma is learnt to have granted bail to the TMC leader subject to conditions such as surrender of passport. He has been directed to cooperate during the trial and not attempt to influence witnesses. 

Mondal was arrested on August 11, 2022, in connection with the case against him for smuggling cattle to Bangladesh by bribing Border Security Force (BSF) personnel. The Apex Court was hearing an appeal by Mondal challenging the Calcutta High Court’s refusal to grant him bail. 

The Calcutta High Court Bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta had denied the bail, noting that the TMC leader was an influential person who was accused of intimidating witnesses. 

The court had reasoned that cattle smuggling has a far-reaching impact on the economic and national security of the country. The CBI had claimed that Mondal used his influence to facilitate the crime and received wrongful gains for his patronage. 

However, it was learnt that even as the bail was granted in the case by CBI, Mondal is not leaving Tihar jail, as he is yet to get bail in the money laundering case against him by the ED. The case is pending at the Delhi High Court. 

During Tuesday’s bail hearing at the Apex Court, Mondal’s counsel is learnt to have said that other accused persons in the cattle smuggling case such as Enamul Haque also got bail but why is his client (Mondal) not being granted bail. He said if there is any complaint against Anubrata then let trial begin on the matter. 

The CBI counsel is learnt to have informed the court that trial will begin soon. Bengal Cabinet minister and TMC MLA Bolpur Chandranath Sinha is learnt to have told the media that now only the matter relating to ED is pending and hopefully Mondal will also be granted bail in that case. 

Mondal was removed by the party from the post of Birbhum district president following his arrest.