The Supreme Court has granted bail to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal, who has been incarcerated in connection with the cattle smuggling case. The court has mandated that Mandal surrender his passport and refrain from tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses while out on bail.
Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, representing Mondal, emphasized that his client has already spent two years in jail, while others involved in the case have been granted bail. Rohatgi argued that suggesting Mondal could influence witnesses after being granted bail is unfounded.
However, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), opposed the bail, citing ongoing investigations. Raju contended that Mandal’s influential position poses a risk; if released, he might disrupt the investigation or threaten witnesses. Therefore, Raju argued that granting bail at this stage would be inappropriate.
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The Supreme Court’s division bench, consisting of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, granted bail to Mondal in the CBI case. During the previous hearing, Rohatgi highlighted that five charge sheets had been filed in this case, and Mandal was the only one still in jail.
Mondal was initially arrested by the CBI in August of last year in the cattle smuggling case and was subsequently transferred to Asansol Jail. He later faced additional charges from the state police related to attempted murder. After his arrest, Mondal was moved between Rampurhat and Asansol jails, and the ED took him into custody for questioning in Delhi. Mondal was then transferred to Tihar Jail, where his daughter, Sukanya Mandal, and accountant, Manish Kothari, are also imprisoned.
This development marks a significant turn in the high-profile case as Mandal secures bail, subject to the conditions set by the Supreme Court.