The primary accused in a high-profile cattle smuggling case linked to money laundering, has received a significant reprieve from the Supreme Court, which granted him bail under certain conditions.
Haque was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as part of an investigation into a cross-border cattle smuggling racket valued at several crores, operating along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. He is alleged to have paid bribes to political parties and local officials to facilitate the illegal trade.
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During the court proceedings, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Haque, pointed out that a charge sheet had already been filed in the case. He noted that other defendants, including a Border Security Force (BSF) commandant, had been granted bail, while Haque’s request had previously been denied by the Kolkata High Court. The potential maximum sentence for this offense is seven years.
Investigations have revealed that the former BSF commandant from a battalion in Roshanbagh, West Bengal, accepted bribes from cattle smugglers near the border. He was apprehended at Alleppey railway station in Kerala, where officers recovered Rs 43 lakh from him. This commandant has also since been released on bail. Haque is accused of bribing him in connection with the smuggling activities.