KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Anubrata Mandal was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for not cooperating in a cattle smuggling scam probe on Thursday. Mandal is likely to be produced in court after his medical check-up as per the law. He is being escorted by eight convoys.
Although the TMC, so far, has not reacted to Mandal’s arrest, the leaders of the governing party of the state are repeatedly saying that the party has never tolerated any wrongdoings.
Reacting strongly to Mandal’s arrest, Dilip Ghosh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national vice-president, told The New Indian, “This (arrest) should have happened much earlier. He was summoned by the CBI 10 times yet he did not appear. If CBI could arrest P Chidambaram from his residence, who is Kesto (Mandal’s nickname)?. It’s not only Mandal, but many more from the TMC and other parties, who have tainted the entire politics and politicians.”
Congress leader Pradeep Bhattacharya told The New Indian, “It is a well-drafted plot and the plot was not drafted by Anubrata Mandal because he is not that much qualified. He managed to avoid the CBI continuously. It is a correct decision taken by the CBI. He is not only a ‘goru chor’ (cow thief) but has also polluted the society. The right place for him is behind bars.”
CPM central committee member Sujan Chakraborty told The New Indian, “Anubrata Mandal’s arrest is quite justified but much delayed. Since the last four-five years, people have been observing that he is being empowered by the Chief Minister and the police. But the pertinent question is: what will happen to those behind Mandal?”
Mandal was arrested in the cattle smuggling case after he did not cooperate with the CBI in their investigation. The CBI reached Bolpur last night and stayed in a hotel before reaching at Mandal’s house early Thursday morning. The CBI arrived at his house with the central forces.
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