Kolkata (The Hawk): Anubrata Mondal was remanded to seven days in judicial prison on Tuesday in connection with an attempted murder case, delaying the Enforcement Directorate's attempts to extradite the Trinamool Congress leader to Delhi in relation to the multi-million dollar cattle smuggling scam.
The murder attempt allegedly occurred in 2021, and the FIR was finally filed on Monday night.
The ED was given a production warrant on Monday afternoon by the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi, allowing them to transport Anubrata Mondal to the capital and question him there about the livestock smuggling scandal.
The public prosecutor requested 14 days of police custody for Mondal on Tuesday after he was brought before the lower court in Dubrajpur, Birbhum district. The public prosecutor argued that it was necessary to place Mondal in police custody for the purpose of an inquiry due to a recent case involving an attempted murder.
However, on Tuesday morning, none of Mondal's attorneys requested bail on his behalf. The judge ordered Mondal to judicial prison for seven days following a brief hearing in the case. Shibthakur Mondal, a former Trinamool Congress panchayat member, filed a complaint at the Dubrajpur Police station on Monday night accusing Anubrata Mondal of attempted murder. This led to Shibthakur Mondal placing Anubrata Mondal in judicial custody.
According to sources, the ED detectives looking into the multi-crore cattle smuggling have taken note of the development. "We informed our higher-ups at our corporate headquarters about the entire development. Our legal team is also debating the issue, and appropriate steps will be taken "ED officials stated.
Anubrata Mondal won't be able to avoid being taken to New Delhi in the long run, according to senior lawyer for the Calcutta High Court Kaushik Gupta, if the new development is to stop the ED from doing so.
"The duration of police custody has a restriction. There are seven days left right now, and another seven days could come later. Mondal may have been able to delay his journey to New Delhi for the time being, but he won't be able to stop it in the long run, in my opinion "said Gupta.
(Inputs from Agencies)