The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday moved an application in Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi, seeking the issuance of a production warrant against Anubrata Mondal who was arrested by ED on Thursday in West Bengal for his alleged involvement in the cattle smuggling case.
Anubrata Mondal, Trinamool Congress party's president of Birbhum district, and said to be a close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was earlier arrested by the CBI in connection with the same case on July 11.
On Thursday, ED arrested him in the alleged multi-crore cattle smuggling scam after questioning him for more than five hours inside the Asansol jail where he is currently lodged.
The Special Judge Raghubir Singh on Friday, after going through the submissions made by the Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana who appeared for ED, issued notice to Anubrata Mondal and fixed the matter for November 22, 2022 for detailed arguements.
Advocate Mudit Jain appeared for TMC Heavyweight leader Anubrata Mondal and opposed the ED application on maintainability grounds and sought the supply of application moved by ED, which after court intervention supplied him accordingly.
As the matter is posted for November 22, 2022, the TMC leader Anubrata Mondal will remain in West Bengal Jail till then.
The Court on Friday also extended the Judicial Custody by another 14 days of Sehgal Hossain, the former bodyguard of Anubrata Mondal, who was arrested earlier by ED in the same cattle smuggling case.
In the case, the court earlier noted that this case of ED is based upon the Scheduled Offence (CBI case), the proceedings of which are going on there at Asansol, West Bengal in a CBI Court and some accused have been running into Judicial custody in connection with those proceedings of the CBI case.
During the Sehgal Hussain hearing, the ED had agitated that sources for funding of immovable and movable assets acquired by the accused are to be ascertained and for that purpose, the accused is required to be confronted with certain other persons including his close relation so as to trace the trails of tainted money which allegedly runs into crores of rupees.
The same Court earlier directed, Jail Superintendent, Asansol Correctional Home, Asansol, Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal to produce accused Sehegal Hossain before this Court in Delhi.
In April, the trial court had taken cognizance of a chargesheet filed by ED against other accused naming former Trinamool Congress youth wing leader Vinay Mishra, his brother Vikas Mishra and Mohammad Enamul Haque, the alleged kingpin of a cattle smuggling racket across India-Bangladesh border.
The trial Court noted that the prosecution complaint (Chargesheet) has been filed by the ED under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of MoneyLaundering Act, 2002 for the commission of an offence under Sections 3 and 70 of PMLA punishable under Section 4 of PMLA.
The Trial Court judge while taking cognizance of the ED chargesheet, said that he had gone through the complaint and the accompanying documents and there was sufficient material to proceed against the accused. Accordingly, the cognizance of the offence under Sections 3 and 70 PMLA punishable under Section 4 PMLA was taken.
( With inputs from ANI )
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