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by IANS |
Kolkata, May 5 (IANS) Crucial statements by two co-accused in the alleged multi-crore cattle - smuggling scam in West Bengal had helped the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to build-up a watertight case against Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal and his daughter Sukanya Mondal.
Sources said that the statements given by Mondal's bodyguard Sehgal Hossain and chartered accountant Manish Kothari to the central agency were of great help for the investigating sleuths to get crucial information about how the proceeds of alleged scam were accumulated and diverted through various sources like shell companies as well as investment in rice mills, real estate and land.
Like Anubrata Mondal and Sukanya Mondal, Hossain and Kothari are also currently serving the judicial custody at Tihar Jail in New Delhi.
The ED submitted a supplementary charge sheet at the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi on Thursday, where some of these statements made by the two co-accused have been mentioned, sources said. The details of the call records that Sehgal Hossain made with different individuals involved directly or indirectly with the alleged scam have also been referred to in the supplementary chargesheet.
It is learnt that that in the charge sheet, the ED sleuths had tried to give a detailed picture on how the cattle smuggled from the local cattle market in Birbhum district were transported to the Indo-Bangladesh bordering villages in Murshidabad district taking the different law-enforcement agencies personnel into confidence. The charge sheet, sources said, also has reference of the different law-enforcement agencies personnel who played a role in the entire process on this count.
Sources said that the charge sheet refers to two companies christened Neer Developer Pvt Ltd and ANM Agrochem Foods, where Sukanya Mondal is one of the directors, and Bholebam Rice Mill, where she is a partner.
Though not mentioned in the charge sheet, sources said that the ED has traced multiple cash deposits at frequent intervals in amounts slightly less than Rs 50,000 in the different bank accounts held by Sukanya Mondal.
On Thursday, Anubrata Mondal's wish to return to a prison in West Bengal from the Tihar Jail in the national capital was nipped in the bud after the Rouse Avenue Court turned out his plea on this count.
