Cattle smuggling scam: CBI raids rice mill 'owned by' arrested TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, finds THIS

Bolpur: In more trouble for arrested Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday raided a rice mill in Birbhum district allegedly owned by him as a part of its ongoing probe into the alleged cattle smuggling scam. According to reports, the CBI officials found several high-end vehicles parked inside the premises of the mill during the raid. The central probe agency is now trying to determine the ownership of those vehicles.

When quizzed by reporters as to why the CBI raided the rice mill, a central probe agency officer that it was trying to find out how the Trinamool Congress' Birbhum district president got the money to purchase it.

"The rice mill was purchased by Mondal in 2017. The rice mill has been mentioned as the address of several other offices belonging to him, his daughter and his late wife. We are trying to find out certain other things which may have links to the cattle scam," the officer was quoted as saying by PTI.

The CBI sleuths, who were made to wait outside the rice mill for over half an hour by the security guards, are likely to conduct raids in different places in the district in connection with their ongoing probe.

Today’s raids by the CBI came days after the central agency confiscated fixed deposits worth Rs 16.97 crore held by Mondal, his daughter and some of his close relatives in connection with the case. 

Two companies with Sukanya Mondal as one of the two directors are also under the scanner of the central agencies. It may be recalled that TMC strongman Mondal was arrested by the CBI on August 11 in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling case.

Mondal’s arrest by the CBI has come as a big setback for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is already on the backfoot since the arrest of senior TMC leader and minister Partha Chatterjee in the WBSSC scam. Meanwhile, emboldened by CM Mamata’s support for him, Mondal has reportedly refused to cooperate with the CBI officers in their investigation.