Supreme Court grants bail to TMC leader Anubrata Mondal in cattle smuggling case

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing on behalf of Mondal, submitted that four charge sheets have been filed in the case and everybody except the TMC leader is out of jail.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to TMC leader Anubrata Mondal in a money laundering case in connection with alleged cattle smuggling in West Bengal.

A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma considered a submission by his counsel senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi that his trial is not likely to conclude anytime soon.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, opposed the plea, contending Mondal was an influential person and could tamper with the evidence and affect the trial.

The ED's complaint claimed that the accused persons generated huge proceeds of crime through cattle smuggling and Mondal was mainly providing protection and political patronage to the rest accused persons in general and to the kingpin Enamul Haque in particular.

It was alleged several crores of proceeds of crime were allegedly generated and laundered by them.

In the case, the CBI Kolkata had registered an FIR on September 21, 2020, against Satish Kumar, the then BSF Commandant, Mohd Enamul Haque, Mohd Anarul Sk, Mohd Golam Mustafa and other unknown public servants and private persons, who were allegedly involved in cattle smuggling.

Afterwards, the ED registered the case on September 25, 2020 which named 13 accused persons.

Mondal was arrested on November 17, 2022.