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by IANS |
Kolkata, Nov 25 (IANS) A bank account in a particular branch of a private sector bank in Bolpur, held by one of the close associates of Trinamool Congress strongman and the party's Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal has come under the scanner of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths probing the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal.
Sources said that during the course of investigation, the CBI sleuths tracked this account having a deposit of Rs 10 crore.
What intrigued the CBI sleuths after they checked the details of the bank account was that there were only credit transactions and all were done through huge cash deposits.
For the sake of investigation, the CBI sleuths are keeping the identity of the account holder, known to be a close associate of Mondal, in wraps.
However, the CBI sleuths have questioned the manager of the said branch and questioned him on whether he followed the statutory norms of reporting such huge cash deposits to the bank's headquarter as well as to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
It is learnt that in the face of interrogation the branch manager concerned admitted that he skipped following such statutory norms in many cases because of some external pressure.
The CBI has sent a detailed report on the lapses on part of the branch authorities on this count to both the banks central head-office as well a to RBI.
CBI sources said that in the report the agency has recommended disciplinary action against the erring bank officers on this count.
Sources said that the CBI has secured some call details relating to Mondal's conversation with certain bank officials. The sleuths are currently in the process of analysing the call details.
On Thursday, the CBI sleuths probing the lottery-angle in cattle smuggling scam, questioned a lottery-award winner who said that he was "forced" to sell his high-amount ticket at a throwaway price.
Nur Ali, a resident of Boro-Shimuliya village under Bolpur Police station in Birbhum, came to a temporary camp of CBI and informed the sleuths that in January this year, he won a prize of Rs 1 crore against a lottery ticket purchased by him.
However, soon after the news of his winning the prize became viral, some unknown persons came to his residence and took away the award-winning lottery ticket paying an amount of Rs 7,00,000, Nur Ali told the sleuths.
