The Special CBI Court Judge in Asansol, Rajesh Chakraborty sent Birbhum district president of Trinamul Congress, Anubrata Mondal to 14 days judicial custody today in the cross-border cattle smuggling case. Anubrata Mondal has been forwarded to Special CBI Court today at 11.46 am and his advocates did not file bail petitions and he will be next produced on 19 January. At the same time the judge of the said court Rajesh Chakraborty allowed the CBI sleuths to interrogate Mondal within the correction home premises anytime between 9 am and 6 pm.

In fact, the CBI made an appeal to the special court for permission to question Mondal within the correctional home premises. Somenath Chattoraj, appearing on behalf of Anubrata Mondal said that they have not been able to collect all information about Bhole Bom Rice Mill in Birbhum and will submit the details during the next hearing of the case. The court granted his appeal. The court has directed his advocates to submit a written request to court for getting the two cell phones seized by the CBI, after which the issue will be looked into. After 28 days Anubrata Mondal has appeared in CBI Special Court.

During the previous date on 22 December Anubrata Mondal could not appear before the court as he was in custody of Dubrajpur Police. The judge also wanted to know the progress of investigations in the past 14 days, after which the investigations officer, Sushanta Bhattacharya submitted a report to the court. The judge waited for the police to take away Anubrata Mondal after which he left the room after today’s hearing was over.

During the last hearing, Anubrata Mondal was seen instructing his party workers from Birbhum district about three-tier gram panchayat elections. He was sent back to Asansol Special Correctional Home. The CBI had arrested Mondal last year in the cattle smuggling case from his house in Bolpur. The Enforcement Directorate has also claimed to arrest him and wanted to take him into their custody. Bodyguard of Anubrata Mondal Sehgal Hussein was also arrested by the CBI first and then taken to New Delhi by the ED.