TMC leader Anubrata Mandal accused of 48 crore rupees fraud and lottery scam in ED charge sheet

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mandal in connection with a case of cow smuggling in Bengal.

The charge sheet alleges a fraud of Rs 48 crore and accuses Mandal of laundering black money through the sale of lottery tickets. Mandal and his daughter, Sukanya Mandal, have won the lottery ten to twelve times, according to the charge sheet. The ED claims that the lottery winnings were used to launder the black money generated from cow smuggling.

The ED has filed a supplementary charge sheet in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court in the same case, naming Mandal and his daughter as well as Chartered Accountant Manish Kothari. The ED alleges that Mandal received at least Rs 48 crore in "protection money" from the cow smuggling business. The charge sheet mentions two rice mills - Bhole Byom Rice Mill and Shiv Shambhu Rice Mill - owned by Sukanya Mandal, and the ED claims that Mandal and his daughter assigned all responsibility for transferring money to Kothari, from opening a new company.

Sources say that the ED claims Mandal adopted several strategies to evade surveillance by banks and the Income Tax Department. Mandal deposited Rs 49,999 instead of Rs 50,000 and Rs 99,999 instead of Rs 1 lakh, to ensure that the amount did not appear suspicious. The ED alleges that Mandal also used new technology to deposit cow smuggling money in bank accounts. Instead of going to a bank branch, Mandal allegedly deposited a large amount of money in a "Cash Deposit Machine."

The ED's chargesheet also mentions the lottery scam, claiming that Mandal's multiple lottery wins were used to launder black money. Mandal and his daughter have won the lottery ten to twelve times, winning a total of Rs 2 crore. The ED believes that this amount is high and has included the lottery scam in its charge sheet.

The TMC leader is a powerful political figure in the state, and the allegations against him have raised political tensions in the region. The ED's investigation into Mandal's activities is ongoing, and further developments in the case are expected.