Trinamool strongman Anubrata Mondal out on bail in cattle smuggling case

The controversial leader’s release after two years in prison is seen as a blow to the CBI investigation.

TMC leader Anubrata Mondal is escorted to a special CBI court for a hearing in the cattle smuggling case, Asansol, October 29, 2022. | Photo Credit: PTI

After languishing for more than two years in prison in connection with a multi-crore cattle-smuggling case, Anubrata Mondal, one of the most powerful and controversial leaders in Trinamool Congress, will finally step out of Tihar jail. He was granted bail on September 20 by the Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi in the case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2022. Earlier, on July 30, Mondal was granted bail in the same case of smuggling cattle into Bangladesh across the porous Bengal-Bangladesh border, filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The new bail was granted on several conditions, including not trying to influence the case and submitting a bail bond of Rs.10 lakh. Mondal’s daughter, Sukanya, who was also jailed in the cattle-smuggling case in April 2023, was granted bail nine days earlier on September 12 by the Delhi High Court.

Mondal’s bail plea reportedly stated, “The prosecuting agency has been delaying the trial by not providing the accused persons with the complete set of documents along with the chargesheet, which is making it impossible for the counsel for the accused persons to prepare and argue on the point of charge.” In July, the Supreme Court, in its order granting bail to Mondal, stated, “...from the voluminous record of the charge-sheet, it appears that the trial will take a long time. It is also not disputed that the other co-accused, more particularly, the accused no.2 Md. Enamul Haque, has been released on bail by this Court vide Order dated 24.01.2022.”

Haque was one of the three cattle traders—the other two being Anarul Sheikh and Mohammad Golam Mustafa—who were arrested along with Border Security Force (BSF) commandant Satish Kumar by the CBI in 2020. In June 2022, Mondal’s personal bodyguard, Saigal Hossein, was arrested by the CBI. He allegedly played the role of the middleman between the cattle trader and Mondal. In March 2023, Mondal’s chartered accountant, Manish Kothari, was arrested for allegedly helping Mondal siphon off funds through shell companies.

Mondal’s bail is seen as a major failure of the CBI to close the case against him, while the Trinamool camp celebrates. The party has long alleged that central investigating agencies are being used as political weapons by the BJP-ruled Centre. According to psephologist Biswanath Chakraborty, this represents a failure of both the CBI and the country’s judicial process. “The delay in the judicial process allowed Mondal to get out of prison. This sends the wrong signal to the public, who will see that after misappropriating crores of funds, one just needs to spend a couple of years in jail before being released on bail. This will embolden the corrupt,” Chakraborty said.

On August 11, 2022, the CBI arrested Mondal in connection with the cattle-smuggling scam and incarcerated him in Asansol jail. In November, the ED arrested him and took him to Delhi. In 2023, he was shifted to Tihar jail. Mondal, popularly known as Kesto, was Trinamool’s unquestioned supremo in Birbhum district until his arrest. He also wielded considerable influence in the neighbouring districts of Murshidabad and Bardhaman. Known for his organizational skills that helped secure Trinamool’s electoral victories since 2011, he was also notorious for his autocratic methods to retain political control in Birbhum.

Contrary to predictions, the Trinamool organisation in Birbhum and surrounding regions did not collapse after Mondal’s arrest. The party swept both the Panchayat and Lok Sabha elections in the region, led by Kajal Sheikh, head of the Birbhum Zilla Parishad and once Mondal’s bitter rival within the party. Political observers suggest Mondal’s release may spark tension in the region through inner-party clashes over political control. While Sheikh was seen distributing sweets celebrating Mondal’s bail, it remains uncertain if the two leaders can reconcile. “He is our leader. In his absence, we fought two elections with the organisation he built. The people of Birbhum eagerly await his return,” Sheikh said. Even after his arrest, Mondal remained the party’s organisational head in Birbhum.

Responding to Trinamool’s celebrations, State BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya said that bail does not equate to acquittal. “There is no need for celebration. It doesn’t mean he is not guilty. He will have to return to prison,” Bhattacharya said.