Fresh case against Anubrata Mondal: Court approves submission of case documents to ED

Kolkata, Dec 26 (IANS) A lower court at Dubrajpur in Birbhum district of West Bengal on Monday approved Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s approval to get the documents and case diary relating to the fresh attempt to murder case against Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal.

The fresh case started after a complaint was filed on the evening of December 19, just a couple of hours after the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi approved the production warrant allowing ED to take Mondal to the national capital for questioning on his alleged involvement in the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal.

In the complaint, a former Trinamool Congress panchayat member from Birbhum district accused Mondal of trying to choke him before the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2021.

Based on the FIR filed on the basis of the complaint, the same lower court had remanded Mondal to seven-day police custody, which jolted the ED's initiative to take the latter to Delhi.

Meanwhile, ED officers want to have a copy of the details of this fresh attempt to murder case against Mondal, including the case diary. However, the public prosecutor concerned opposed that claiming that the central agency, being a third party, cannot be provided with the details in this case.

A detailed hearing in the matter took place at the lower court at Dubrajpur on Monday, where ED's counsel argued that since the central agency is already conducting a probe against Mondal in the cattle-smuggling scam, for which he was arrested by the CBI and was serving judicial custody, getting the documents related to the fresh case was crucial for the ED.

However, the public prosecutor continued opposing ED's plea on the same grounds. Finally, after a detailed hearing in the matter, the judge of the lower court directed the public prosecutor to furnish the case details to ED.

ED sources said that after getting the case details, its sleuths will consult their legal brains and decide over the next course of action. Now all eyes will be on the next hearing at the lower court in Dubrajpur and it is to be seen whether Mondal's police custody is extended by another seven days or he is remanded to judicial custody.

Once and if he is remanded to judicial custody, the ED will be able to make a fresh appeal in any higher court for taking him into custody.