NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to TMC leader Anubrata Mondal in a money laundering case in connection with alleged cattle smuggling in West Bengal.
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma took into account the submission by his counsel senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi that his trial is not likely to conclude anytime soon.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, opposed the plea, contending Mondal was an influential person and could tamper with the evidence and affect the trial.
According to the ED's complaint that the accused persons generated huge proceeds of crime by cattle smuggling and Mondal was mainly providing protection and political patronage to the rest accused persons in general and to the kingpin i.e. accused Enamul Haque in particular.
It was alleged several Crores of proceeds of crime were allegedly generated and laundered by them.
Initially, the CBI Kolkata had registered an FIR in the case on September 21, 2020, against Satish Kumar, the then BSF Commandant, Mohd Enamul Haque, Mohd Anarul Sk, Mohd Golam Mustafa and other unknown public servants and private persons, who were allegedly involved in cattle smuggling.
Subsequently, the ED registered the case on September 25, 2020 which named 13 accused persons.
Mondal was first arrested on November 17, 2022 but he could not be interrogated in custody due pendency of litigations in Calcutta and Delhi High Courts.
