On Monday, the Supreme Court took action by issuing a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in response to a bail plea submitted by Anubrata Mondal, a prominent member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) who stands accused in a case related to alleged cattle smuggling.
In a concise court session presided over by a bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi, the notice was served to the investigative agency, calling for their response to the plea.
During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Anubrata Mondal, conveyed to the bench, "Five chargesheets have been filed, and I am the only one incarcerated. I have endured 14 months in confinement. Moreover, the principal instigator was also granted bail."
Subsequently, in response to Rohatgi's arguments, the bench inquired with the CBI's legal counsel, expressing their interest in understanding the current status of the investigation.
It's noteworthy that Anubrata Mondal had previously sought bail from the Calcutta High Court in January, but his plea was turned down.
The legal entanglement of the TMC leader commenced when he was apprehended by the CBI in August 2022 and subsequently detained by the Enforcement Directorate in November 2022. These actions were taken in connection with allegations of cattle smuggling activities transpiring along the Indo-Bangladesh border. Presently, Anubrata Mondal remains incarcerated in Tihar jail.
The roots of this case trace back to the year 2020 when the CBI registered an FIR. According to the CBI's assertions, between 2015 and 2017, more than 20,000 heads of cattle were seized by the Border Security Force while being illicitly transported across the border.
