Calcutta High Court on Friday rejected Trinamool Congress (TMC) Birbhum district president Anubrata Mandal’s plea for protection from arrest in cattle smuggling probe.
Mandal has been asked to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation on March 14. On March 8, CBI sent a notice to the TMC leader asking him to appear in person before the agency on March 14 at 11 am. This is the fourth time that Mandal has been summoned in a cattle smuggling case.
On Monday, CBI had once again summoned Mandal in cattle smuggling scam and have asked him to be present before them on March 14.
This is the third time that the central agency had summoned him after he failed to appear before the CBI at their headquarters at Nizam Palace twice. Mandal’s lawyer, citing health issues, had twice asked for more time from the CBI.
On February 9, the investigation agency had sent notice to Mandal and had asked him to be present before them on February 14. After he failed to attend the quizzing, the CBI in their second summon had asked Mandal to visit Nizam Palace on February 25.
Similarly, in January, the CBI had sent notice to Mandal over his alleged involvement in post-poll violence and also that CBI had evidence against Mandal being instrumental in killing BJP cadre Gaurav Sarkar in Birbhum’s Illambazar.
Apart from Mandal, actor-turned-politician and TMC MP Dev (Deepak Adhikari) was also summoned by CBI in cattle smuggling case and had asked him to be present at the office on February 15.