Kolkata, Oct 10 Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths, probing the multi- crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal, is keen to get Sehgal Hossain, the bodyguard of Trinamool Congress strongman, in their custody as early as possible to track the hawala angle in the entire scam.
Under scanner of the central agency, according to sources, is one individual Manoj Sana, a West Bengal-based hawala operator and a close associate of the cattle smuggling kingpin, Enamul Haque. In fact, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting a parallel probe in this scam in its fresh charge sheet filed on October 7 has mentioned about the involvement of Manoj Sana in the entire scam but without detailing the modus operandi of his operations.
Sources said the ED sleuths having better expertise in tracking this hawala money trail involved in any sort of financial embezzlement crimes are now all set to drive its probe on these lines and for that purpose getting Sehgal Hossain in their custody has become important.
On Sunday, the ED made an appeal to a special vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court for the transit remand for taking Sehgal Hossian to New Delhi and grill him at the agency's headquarter there. Although in its appeal the ED counsel stressed on an emergency basis hearing even on the evening of Sunday, it was not granted by the Calcutta High Court. The matter will come up for hearing on October 11.
The decision to approach the high court was taken after a special vacation court at Asansol in West Burdwan district on October 7 rejected the ED's similar plea on grounds of technical error and time constraints.
ED sources said that in a scam like cattle smuggling, which involves a cross- border involvement, hawala links are inevitable for the purpose of channelising a part of the crime proceeds elsewhere outside the country. "Manoj Sana might be one of the many hawala operators involved in the game," an ED official said.
In the fresh charge sheet filed by CBI at a special court at Asansol, Anubrata Mandal's name appeared for the first time as the beneficiary of the scam. The CBI has also underlined the details of the huge assets and property of Mondal and his family members in the charge sheet.
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