Who is Anubrata Mondal? TMC leader and Mamata Banerjee’s aide, arrested by CBI in cattle smuggling scam?

TMC leader Anubrata Mondal was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 11 in relation to a cattle smuggling scam. 

Anubrata Mondal, who is a close aide of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, became the second TMC leader to get arrested in recent weeks after Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Bengal SSC scam. 

Mondal was arrested by the CBI for not complying with the investigation in the 2020 cattle smuggling case, after he had refused to turn up for questioning twice in three days, despite CBI sending him summons repeatedly. 

Who is Anubrata Mondal? Anubrata Mondal is a 62-year-old TMC leader, who is the Birbhum district president and member of the party's national working committee. Mondal rose to political fame for his bold and at times controversial statements throughout his career.

Mondal is also affectionately called “Keshto da” in West Bengal and is known to be a strong Mamata Banerjee loyalist. Despite being one of the most senior leaders in the TMC, he has never contested any elections in the state. 

Anubrata Mondal has been a part of many controversies during the three decades of his political career. He has alleged sheltered a lot of goons under his patronage and has also been accused of inciting violence against police, urging TMC workers to ‘hurl bombs’ at them. 

The TMC leader has also been known to threaten several opposition leaders as well, most notably during the Panchayat elections of 2018. Mondal had allegedly said that when opposition leaders file their nominations, goons would wait for them on the roads. 

As per PTI reports, a CBI official associated with the cattle smuggling case said, “We have arrested him for non-cooperation in the investigation into the cattle smuggling case. We have found Mondal's direct involvement in the scam. We will question him today and take the necessary action as per law."