The CBI probing the cross-border cattle smuggling scam on Wednesday
launched fresh raids on some close aides, including a TMC Councillor, of arrested TMC strongman Anubrata Mandal in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, official sources confirmed.
CBI’s simultaneous raids were being conducted at Mondal’s Chartered Accountant Manoj Kothary’s house and office, TMC Councilor Biswajit Banerjee’s office and residence, TMC Activists Sudip Roy and Dolon Kumar Dey’s houses at Bolpur.
Besides the Chartered Accountant, three others are close to incarcerated Mondal, now
in judicial custody after his arrest on August 11 last.
Sources said for now the CBI has detained Biswajit Banerjee, the Councillor of Ward 19 of Bolpur Municipality.
They said the Central Bureau of Investigation officials in separate teams began raiding since 0700 hours, a night after a special federal agency team of officials had quizzed Mondal in the Asansol Correctional Home in West Bardhaman district.
The CBI has uncovered moveable and immoveable assets of Mondal and his family members, including that of his daughter and seized his bank accounts of over Rs 17 crore so far, sources added.
They said the names of three, whose houses and offices were being raided, have come from various sources and that the trio was also involved in the cross-border cattle smuggling to Bangladesh.
