West Bengal cattle smuggling case: Delhi Court dismisses default bail plea of TMC leader Anubrata Mandal
Jan 24, 2023
New Delhi [India], January 24 : The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Tuesday dismissed the default bail plea of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mandal in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case related to the West Bengal Cattle Smuggling matter.
Special Judge Raghubir Singh find no ground to grant relief and dismissed the bail application of the accused.
Anubrata Mondal, Trinamool Congress party's president of Birbhum district Anubrata Mondal and said to be a close aide of chief minister Mamata Banerjee was earlier arrested by the CBI in connection with the same case on July 11.
Recently ED has also arrested him in the alleged multi-crore cattle smuggling scam after questioned him inside the Asansol jail where he was lodged.
In the case the court earlier noted that this case of ED is based upon the Scheduled Offence (CBI case), the proceedings of which are going on there at Asansol, West Bengal in a CBI Court and some accused have been running into Judicial custody in connection with those proceedings of the CBI case.
During Sehegal Hussain's (another accused) hearing, the ED had agitated that sources for funding of immovable and movable assets acquired by the accused are to be ascertained and for that purpose, the accused is required to be confronted with certain other persons including his close relation so as to trace the trails of tainted money which allegedly runs into crores of rupees.
In April last year, the trial court had taken cognizance on a chargesheet filed by ED against other accused naming former Trinamool Congress youth wing leader Vinay Mishra, his brother Vikas Mishra and Mohammad Enamul Haque, the alleged kingpin of a cattle smuggling racket across India-Bangladesh border.
The trial Court noted that the prosecution complaint (Chargesheet) has been filed by the ED under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of MoneyLaundering Act, 2002 for the commission of an offence under Sections 3 and 70 of PMLA punishable under Section 4 of PMLA.
The Trial Court judge while taking cognizance of the ED Chargesheet, said that he had gone through the complaint and the accompanying documents and there was sufficient material to proceed against the accused. Accordingly, the cognizance of the offence under Sections 3 and 70 PMLA punishable under Section 4 PMLA was taken.
