Mamata’s leader falls ill, once again, as CBI summons him

West Bengal’s Birbhum district Trinamool Congress (TMC) president Anubrata Mandal, a politician considered to be a part of the inner circle of Mamata Banerjee, who had earlier been summoned four times by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a cattle smuggling case, has written to the CBI to come to the hospital where he is admitted now and interrogate him as he cannot go to them, for the fifth time. His lawyer sent the letter to the CBI on Wednesday. Mandal has been sitting in a hospital ever since the CBI asked him to appear in front of it.

Earlier, the CBI had summoned Mandal four times in a cattle smuggling case, but all four times, Mandal could not appear before the CBI because of his illness. According to CBI sources, a special medical team was also kept ready for him, keeping in mind the record of his persistent illness. But Mandal could not go there even after that, for the fifth time.

Anubrata Mandal had reached Kolkata from Birbhum on Tuesday night. But was admitted to SSKM’s Woodburn ward on Wednesday due to his alleged physical illness. After that, Mandal’s lawyer sent a letter to CBI, saying that it would not be possible for him to go to the CBI office, and the agency should come to the hospital and interrogate him.

The CBI had asked Mandal to appear at the Nizam Palace in Kolkata for questioning in the cattle smuggling case. At night, he was at his home in Chinar Park. Mandal’s close relatives claimed that he was scheduled to leave for Nizam’s Palace on Wednesday morning. But at the last minute, the situation changed. On Wednesday morning, an abrupt chest pain started. As a result, his car left his Chinar Park residence, but reached SSKM hospital instead of Nizam

Palace, Mandal claimed in the letter to the CBI, adding that he had wanted to appear before the CBI in person, but it was not possible as he was admitted in hospital due to illness.

Mandal reached SSKM on Wednesday at 11:20 am. After his physical examination there, a special medical team from SSKM decided to admit him. Mandal has been kept in cabin number 211 in Woodburn block. His blood tests as well as ECG have been done.

About Mandal’s sudden illness, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “I can’t comment on Anubrata’s illness. That is what the doctors and his lawyers can say. I would have gone if the CBI had called me. Abhishek Banerjee also appeared before the CBI.”