Court directs Asansol jail authorities to take Anubrata Mondal to Kolkata

Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Anubrata Mondal, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), is likely to be flown to Delhi by the federal agency on Tuesday after a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court gave the order, officials said.

The court on Monday directed that while the authorities of the Asansol correctional home in West Burdwan district, where the TMC leader is presently lodged, would bring him to Kolkata under the protection of the Asansol Durgapur police, he would be handed over to the ED after a medical check-up, from where the federal agency would take him to the National Capital.

Mondal, a prime suspect in the Bengal cattle smuggling case, moved the high courts in Kolkata and Delhi after the Asansol court, in its last week order, allowed him to be shifted to Delhi’s Tihar jail so that he can be produced before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court by the ED. The petition was rejected by the Calcutta high court on Saturday.

“Confusion cropped up as the police stated that they won’t take the responsibility of taking Mondal to Kolkata from Asansol jail for the check-up as the high court order didn’t mention whose responsibility was it. The ED too refrained from taking responsibility. On Monday, the Asansol jail authorities moved the CBI court for directions,” said a lawyer.