Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Anubrata Mondal smoothened the best way for a racket “of procurement and transportation of cattle for smuggling”, whereas his daughter Sukanya laundered the proceeds by buying successful lottery tickets in money, based on the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED’s) chargesheet filed in opposition to them earlier than Delhi’s Rouse Avenue courtroom.
ThePrint has accessed a replica of the 204-page chargesheet, which was filed Thursday in reference to the multi-crore cattle smuggling ‘rip-off’.
Mondal, his daughter Sukanya and chartered accountant Manish Kothari are all lodged in Tihar jail for his or her alleged function within the racket. Whereas Mondal was arrested by the ED in November 2022, Kothari was arrested in March this yr and Sukanya in April. All three have been named within the chargesheet. Mondal was additionally arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting an impartial probe within the alleged rip-off in July final yr.
In the meantime, the Rouse Avenue courtroom issued discover to the ED Saturday on Sukanya’s bail plea. In keeping with media experiences, particular decide Raghubeer Singh issued discover to the central company and listed the matter for listening to on 12 Might. Mondal is to be produced earlier than the courtroom after the expiry of judicial custody that day.
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What the chargesheet says
Through the investigation, the central company examined a number of financial institution accounts of Mondal and his relations which allegedly revealed money deposits amounting to Rs 12.8 crore — all proceeds of crime from cattle smuggling, mentioned the chargesheet.
The company claimed that the money deposits had a selected sample. They have been both of Rs 49,999 or of Rs 49,000 by money deposit machines to keep away from detection by statutory authorities similar to banks and the earnings tax division as a result of based on the banking system, PAN particulars of the depositor are necessary for any deposit above Rs 50,000.
“The sources of those money deposits haven’t been defined by both Anubrata Mondal or his daughter Ms Sukanya Mondal,” it mentioned.
It added that whereas Mondal claimed that this money was his remuneration for brokering land offers and buying and selling enterprise of paddy, “(he) couldn’t provide any documentary proof until date”.
The ED additionally claimed that as a way to launder the proceeds of the crime, Mondal would, by a cope with a lottery company in Bolpur, buy successful lottery tickets
The chargesheet mentioned that based on their association, the lottery company would inform Mondal in regards to the winners of heavy prizes in lieu of some fee. Then, it added, Mondal would contact the winners by his “henchmen and native influencers” to get the successful tickets from them in alternate for big quantities of money.
In keeping with the ED, the investigation has revealed that the father-daughter has thus claimed two successful tickets value Rs 50 lakh every and one amounting to Rs 1 crore.
The central company claimed that Mondal used this modus operandi to launder round Rs 2 crore which, it mentioned, have been proceeds of crime.
The chargesheet additionally mentioned that Mondal paid Rs 28 lakh to accountant Kothari from December 2017 until July 2022 – in smaller sums of Rs 50,000 every – for his help in laundering the ‘proceeds of crime’.
Blame sport
Talking to the media in Malda Friday, TMC minister Firhad Hakim mentioned, “The cows have been coming from BJP-ruled states, cattle smuggling has been occurring since CPM rule in West Bengal.”
He additionally requested why the investigation was solely restricted to publish 2011 (since TMC got here to energy). “Why are the companies not investigating the earlier Left regime and on the lookout for beneficiaries again then first?”
West Bengal BJP chief and MP Dr Sukanta Majumdar responded to Hakim in a press convention later within the day by asking why the TMC, that has been in energy for over a decade within the state, didn’t provoke any investigation in opposition to the Left if it was conscious of its alleged function.
He added, “Anubrata Mondal will stay in jail for the following 4-5 years. He wants to begin adjusting and making himself snug in jail.”
CPM chief Sujan Chakraborty advised ThePrint, “What the ED has said in its chargesheet is already public information. The larger the chief in TMC, the larger the thief they’re. They offered jobs, looted coal, looted cattle. The TMC has looted Bengal.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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