Heaps of skeletons may just have started tumbling off the Trinamool Congress' Birbhum cupboard.
Days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested party strong man and TMC national executive member Anubrata Mondal in cattle smuggling case the investigators have started wondering whether a part of his ill-gotten wealth has been used for funding a newly founded medical college.
Suspicions that Mondal might have invested in the medical college intensified after CBI officials stumbled upon two swanky vehicles inside the Bhole Bam Rice Mills owned by Mondal's daughter Sukanya.
The vehicles belong to the stated private medical college an estimated Rs 500 crore property. Maloy Pit the chief of Swadhin Trust the owner of the newly formed private medical college has conceded to have links with Mondal considered the 'uncrowned king' of Birbhum.
Though he said that the medical college was set up with public money — "with donations from common people" — he denied claims that Mondal's black money had been used in the medical college. Pit who had a very humble beginning even a few years ago — and who is known for his proximity to Mondal — however said that the TMC leader would often get many of his works done.
"He would often get our works done in the government circles in Kolkata," Pit said though sources in the stated medical college said Mondal had 'benami links' with the College.
"Not only this college, there are polytechnic colleges, ITIs and other institutes where Anubrata Mondal and other influential persons had parked their illegal money," said a staff.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has often relied heavily on Mondal considered to be a "terror of Birbhum" who held sway even in neighbouring districts of Burdwan and Murshidabad for his organisational prowess. Not a leaf moved without his consent.
"Anubrata Mondal is the name of a new political culture that combines mafiosi, corruption, politics and police Raj ... He and the likes of him run a parallel administration throughout Bengal indulging in money-for-jobs and other kinds of bribery racket that may run into thousands of crores," said CPIM State secretary Md Salim.
Meanwhile in new development the management of Bole Bam Rice Mills have failed to produce ownership documents pertaining to the said mill to the CBI, sources said adding the officials have come accross a number of other rice mills where Mondal might have invested his money.