In a development reminiscent of the naxalite era of the 1970s, the special judge of the CBI court hearing Trinamool Congress strongman and party national executive member Anubrata Mondal’s case has received a mail that threatens to implicate him and his family members in false narcotic cases should he not release Mondal on bail.
The leader who besides being close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is also the TMC’s Birbhum district president with additional charges of vast electoral units of areas of neighbouring Burdwan and Murshidabad. The TMC strongman was arrested early this month in connection with cow smuggling cases.
The letter allegedly written by one Bappa Chatterjee asks judge Rajesh Chakrabarty to release Mondal on bail failing which he would be implicated in “Ganja” (narcotic) cases, court officials quoting the Asansol judge said adding he had written a complaint to Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court drawing his attention in the matter.
Curiously Chatterjee has denied that the letter is his. “The letter is fake and the signature is false … this is not my signature,” said Chatterjee demanding thorough investigation into the matter.Mondal, considered the uncrowned king of Birbhum and the neighbouring areas is known for his infamous “ganja case” threats to his opponents. Often he was seen asking police officials to frame his opponents in ganja cases.
Meanwhile in a related incident the police on Tuesday recovered 22 cows from inside a milk van in Purulia after the vehicle overturned on National Highway 60. The vehicle bearing an Uttar Pradesh Number had loaded 22 cows from Dganbad and skidded into a roadside ditch. As the locals opened its doors they discovered the vehicle stuffed with cows apparently being carried to border areas of Bengal for smuggling, sources. said.
The authorities intercepted another vehicle, this one a parcel van with two number plates one on the front side and another in its rear.
Demanding a thorough investigation into the case Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari said “after the arrest of kingpin Enamul Haq and Anubrata Mondal the cow smugglers of TMC have changed their method of smuggling … they are discovering newer ways everyday … this one was the newest when the animals were being smuggled in a milk van.”