Cattle smuggling case: SC seeks CBI response on TMC leader Anubrata Mondal's bail plea

A bench comprising justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi issued notice to the central agency and sought its response in two weeks. In January this year, the Calcutta High Court had rejected Mondal’s bail plea.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a bail plea filed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal, who was arrested in connection with an alleged cattle smuggling case. A bench comprising justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi issued notice to the central agency and sought its response in two weeks. In January this year, the Calcutta High Court had rejected Mondal’s bail plea.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Mondal submitted before the top court that his client has been in jail for 14 months and that five chargesheets have been filed in the case so far. Rohatgi stressed that the prime accused in the case was granted bail following an order from a bench led by the Chief Justice of India. After hearing brief submissions, the bench issued notice on Mondal’s plea.

Mondal moved the apex court challenging the Calcutta High Court's refusal to grant him bail. He was arrested in August last year in connection with a case filed against him for allegedly smuggling cattle to Bangladesh by bribing Border Security Force (BSF) personnel. The High Court had noted that he was an influential person and that he had been accused of intimidating witnesses and while rejecting his bail, the High Court had said that illegal cattle smuggling has a far-reaching impact on the economic and national security of the country.