Fresh case against Anubrata Mondal: State police yet to record victim's statement

Even though 48 hours have passed since an FIR was lodged against Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal on charges of attempt to murder on the basis of which the state police took his into custody, the police are yet to record the statements of the victim whose complaint led to the filing of the fresh case against Mondal.

Fresh case against Anubrata Mondal: State police yet to record victim's statement
Source: IANS

Kolkata, Dec 21 (IANS) Even though 48 hours have passed since an FIR was lodged against Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal on charges of attempt to murder on the basis of which the state police took his into custody, the police are yet to record the statements of the victim whose complaint led to the filing of the fresh case against Mondal.

On Wednesday, Shibthakur Mondal, a former Trinamool Congress panchayat member in Birbhum district whose complaint led to the filing of the fresh case, informed a section of the media that the police are yet to formally record his statement on this count.

Birbhum district police, on their part, have maintained total silence in the matter so far.

The new case gained significance during the hearing of an appeal moved by Anubrata Mondal at the Delhi High Court on Wednesday for quashing the production warrant issued against him by the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi, allowing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take the Trinamool leader to the nation capital for questioning in connection with the cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal.

It has been learnt that Mondal's counsel's argument was primarily based on the fact that when his client is already in custody of the West Bengal police, the production warrant for taking him to the national capital cannot be enforced.

The Delhi High Court then directed the ED not to enforce the production warrant till January 9 next year, which will be the next date of hearing on this count.

Meanwhile, Shibthakur Mondal once again claimed on Wednesday that Anubrata Mondal had tried to choke him inside a party office last year before the Assembly polls after getting news that he might quit Trinamool Congress.

He also gave his own explanation as to why it took him so long to file the complaint.

"Since Anubrata Mondal is an influential person in the district, I was in two minds as to whether to file the complaint. But finally on Monday I decided to file the police complaint," he said.

Incidentally, Anubrata Mondal is the party's Birbhum district president.

Shibthakur Mondal filed the police complaint on the evening December 19, just a couple of hours after the Rouse Avenue Court granted ED the production warrant to take Anubrata Mondal to Delhi.

However, Shibthakur Mondal has denied the link between the two incidents.

"I was not even aware of the development in Delhi," he claimed.