Anubrata Mandal to skip appearance at CBI office on Monday

Kolkata, Aug 7 (IANS) Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mandal will skip the appearance at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office on Monday.

His lawyer has sent an email to the CBI office seeking 15 days for his client to appear and face questioning by the central agency sleuths.

The CBI sleuths had summoned Mandal to appear at the agency’s Nizam Palace office in central Kolkata on Monday afternoon for questioning relating to cattle smuggling in West Bengal. However, on Sunday Mandal’s lawyer sent the email seeking for more time to appear.

Ridiculing the development, BJP state president in West Bengal and party MP, Sukanta Majumdar questioned how long Mandal will be able to avoid the appearance and questioning by the Central agency sleuths. “He should appear to get over his fear of interrogation,” Majumdar said.

Trinamool Congress’ Rajya Sabha member, Santanu Sen said that it was clear that the summoning of Mandal was an expression of political vendetta where the Central agencies are being used.

The fresh CBI summons to Mandal followed the recent raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the Birbhum-based residences of three of Mondal’s close associates — Kerim Khan, Tudu Mondal and Mukti Sheikh.

Kerim Khan is an accused in the case who’s also under the radar of the CBI because of his alleged involvement in a post-poll violence case, in which Mondal has also been questioned by the agency.

According to the CBI, Kerim Khan is believed to be the principal route planner for cattle smuggling via Birbhum to the bordering districts of Malda and Murshidabad, from where the cattle heads were smuggled into neighbouring Bangladesh.

–IANS

src/dpb