Cattle smuggling case: ED questions TMC leader Anubrata Mandal in Delhi after midnight hearing at judge's home

KOLKATA: Birbhum Trinamool president Anubrata Mandal was flown to Delhi on Tuesday evening and interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) throughout the day in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling case.
The questioning came after nightlong drama, which ended with a post-midnight hearing at Rouse Avenue Court judge Rakesh Kumar's residence. The central investigating officers reached Delhi at 9pm on Tuesday with Mandal. They first took him to the ED headquarters, from where he was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital before making arrangements for a virtual appearance at the Rouse Avenue Court. He was taken to the judge's Ashok Vihar home after midnight following an objection to a virtual hearing raised by Mandal's lawyer, Mudit Jain.

The judge granted ED Mandal's custody till Friday, March 10, turning down the agency's prayer for 14 days in custody.
The judge ordered the ED to arrange for a videography of the questioning, which delved into the alleged mismatch between Mandal's source of income and assets held by him and his family. The judge, however, debarred Mandal's lawyer from being present during questioning, even as it allowed Mandal to consult him for half an hour every day.
The court ordered a daily medical checkup on Mandal during his stay in ED custody, after Mandal's lawyer complained that the medical examination performed at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on Tuesday was done very quickly, whereas the Calcutta High Court had directed for an examination to be performed by a team of doctors. Following this, ED officers took Mandal to hospital on Wednesday afternoon for another round of checkup.
ED officers had already questioned Mandal about 300 benami accounts in the Birbhum district cooperative bank, where a huge amount of cash was stashed. The investigators asked him where the money had come from. ED sources said Mandal was evading questions.