Anubrata allegedly procured a huge number of cattle from Illambazar Pashuhat and ensured a safe passage for their transportation to the international border. (PTI)The CBI on Sunday carried out a search at the Bolpur residence of Bidyut Baran Gayen, a close associate of Trinamool Congress’ Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal who was arrested in connection with the cross-border cattle smuggling case. The central agency claimed that Gayen, a Group-D employee in the Bolpur Municipality, owns at least four houses besides having several plots in his name.
Employed in the municipality in 2008 on temporary basis, he was absorbed as a permanent staffer in 2012 and has been working as a driver.
On Sunday, the CBI officials reached Gayen’s house at Bolpur’s Kalikapur around 1.30pm. He wasn’t present at his
residence at the time and his family told the officials that he was in Kolkata.
The agency suspects that Mondal is likely to have brought several properties in the name of Gayen who also holds the post of director in some companies. The CBI also claimed that Gayen has been sick for some time and Anubrata paid Rs 57 lakh for his surgery. The investigators are now trying to reach those working closely with Mondal.
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Cattle were smuggled through Pachundi Pashuhats in Ketugram, East Burdwan and Birbhum Pashuhat road and river routes,
it is learnt. It is alleged that the accused organised and patronised large-scale illegal cattle trade to neighbouring countries and collected huge money.
Anubrata allegedly procured a huge number of cattle from Illambazar Pashuhat and ensured a safe passage for their transportation to the international border. The CBI had filed the first charge-sheet in the case on June 6, 2021, against seven persons followed by three supplementary charge-sheets between February 2021 and August 2022 against more suspects.