Following the Central Bureau of Investigation’s probe into the cow smuggling racket allegedly involving Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal, business in West Bengal’s cattle markets has started to slow down, say sources. As the import of animals has decreased in the markets, many buyers too have stopped turning up.
According to the owners of the animal market in Pachundi village of Ketugram, all the ordinary traders are afraid to buy and sell cows. The local police too are carrying out raids on livestock markets. Cows are being taken away by carriers to other districts, they said.
Sources said that cow smuggling was also controlled from Birbhum to Murshidabad. Saigal Hussain, Anubrata Mandal’s bodyguard, used to assist the TMC leader in this, they alleged.
On the other hand, accused Sheikh Abdul Latif was the accomplice of cattle smuggler Enamul Haque, said officials, adding that evidence of this has come into the hands of the CBI.
Saigal Hussain has purportedly told officials that a property in the name of his mother Latika Khatun was purchased by two sellers. The price shown is allegedly much lower than the actual money paid. In exchange, Enamul bought a large number of cows from the Illambazar market, sources said.
According to Sheikh Abdul Latif and Enamul, Latif participated in 16 auctions at the Jangipur Customs Office, said officials.
Cows are bought for 70 to 80 lakh rupees, sources said; these cows have been smuggled to Bangladesh. One of the accused, Montu Mallick, known as Aftabuddin Mallick, was allegedly in touch with Latif. Sources said that Montu prepared fake receipts in the name of Enamul to show that these cows were sold in the local markets. Officials said that the accused are part of an international cow trafficking group.
According to CBI sources, since the commencement of the investigation of the cow smuggling case, the special team of the agency has done a recce of some cattle shops in Birbhum and East Burdwan. Notable among these are Pachundi Pashuhats in Ketugram, East Burdwan, apart from Birbhum cattle haat. CBI sources say cows were smuggled from Pachundi cattle haat through two routes: road and river.
Sources in the agency said they had also received information that Anubrata’s daughter Sukanya Mondal got a job without passing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). Also, without teaching, she purportedly used to bring the attendance register to her house and sign it there.
Besides the cow smuggling case, the CBI will conduct a protracted investigation to find out whether other corruption rings are linked to it. Anubrata Mondal is scheduled to undergo a routine health check-up at Command Hospital again on August 20, and then he will appear before the Asansol Special CBI Court.
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