Calcutta HC refuses protection from arrest to TMC leader Anubrata Mondal

In a major setback to Trinamool Congress, party’s Birbhum President Anubrata Mondal was refused protection from arrest by Calcutta High Court on Tuesday. The HC upheld a single bench order, which had also refused protection from arrest in connection with a cattle smuggling case earlier, which is presently probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj said that it finds no ground for interfering in the order of a single bench of the High Court which had refused to grant relief to Mondal.

The CBI had issued notice to Trinamool Birbhum district President Anubrata Mondal several times in last two months in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling case along the Indo-Bangladesh border.


Mondal had moved court and had appealed protection against arrest citing his health condition and multiple ailments. The division bench, however, dismissed Mondal's appeal, challenging the single bench order.

The CBI had earlier interrogated several persons, including Bikash Mishra, his brother of Binay Mishra, a businessman, and Enamul Haque, the prime accused of the case, for their alleged involvement in the cattle smuggling racket. There are allegations that the cattle smugglers have allegedly bribed the BSF and Customs officials to keep their illegal business at bay.

An arrest warrant was issued against Binay Mishra in connection with the cattle smuggling case, but he has been absconding. Bikash Mishra and Enamul Haque were taken to the CBI custody, and the latter was recently granted bail by the SC.

Meanwhile, Abhishek Banerjee did not appear before ED today in connection with coal case. He has communicated through e-mail that he cannot appear before the agency due to personal reasons.