Today(on 30th July), The Supreme Court granted bail to TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, who was arrested for allegedly smuggling cattle across the India-Bangladesh border. Mondal’s legal issues began on August 11, 2022, with the CBI investigating the case and the Supreme Court requesting a response from the CBI in September of the previous year.
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NEW DELHI: Today(on 30th July), The Supreme Court granted bail to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal, who was embroiled in a high-profile case involving the smuggling of cattle across the India-Bangladesh border. This decision came after Mondal challenged the Calcutta High Court’s earlier refusal to grant him bail.
Mondal’s legal troubles began on August 11, 2022, when he was arrested in connection with allegations of smuggling cattle to Bangladesh by bribing Border Security Force (BSF) personnel. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was tasked with investigating the case, and the Supreme Court had sought a response from the CBI in September of the previous year.
During a hearing in December last year, the Supreme Court instructed the CBI to provide Mondal with a copy of the chargesheet. However, Mondal claimed that the chargesheet he received was in Bengali and not in English, creating a significant hurdle for his defense.
“You are Bengali, so translate it.”
– Justice Trivedi remarked in response to Mondal’s allegation.
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Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Mondal, retorted-
“No, this is a mockery of justice. I’ve been in jail for 2 years; how can I manage? The chargesheet is over 1 lakh pages long, with more than 10,000 pages in Bengali.”
At this juncture, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the CBI, argued that not all portions of the chargesheet were in Bengali. Despite this, the bail plea became a significant talking point.
Rohatgi emphasized that several co-accused in the case had already been granted bail. When the Court suggested that Mondal was the kingpin and held substantial influence, Rohatgi countered-
“No, the kingpin has been granted bail. What factors are being considered for bail in this case?”
Despite the CBI’s opposition, the Supreme Court showed a willingness to grant bail to Mondal under stringent conditions. The Court mandated that Mondal surrender his passport and cooperate fully during the trial without influencing witnesses.
According to the prosecution, the primary accused, Md Enamul Haque, and his associates conspired with BSF personnel and customs officials to smuggle cattle into Bangladesh. The illegal operation reportedly involved moving cattle through the districts of Birbhum and Murshidabad, facilitated by Mondal’s alleged influence as a powerful political figure.
The CBI accused Mondal of leveraging his position to aid the smuggling activities in exchange for wrongful gains. Previously, a High Court bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Ajay Kumar Gupta had denied Mondal bail, citing his influential status and the severe implications of illegal cattle smuggling on national security and the economy.
However, a Supreme Court Bench, consisting of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma, decided to grant bail to Mondal. The bail came with conditions, including the surrender of his passport and a commitment to cooperate during the trial without attempting to influence any witnesses.