The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began interrogating Trinamool Congress (TMC) Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal today as part of its inquiry into episodes of violence in West Bengal following assembly elections last year. According to reports, Mondal arrived in Kolkata yesterday night and headed to the CBI office this morning.
Mondal had requested 15 days to appear before the CBI for interrogation, citing doctors’ prescriptions for complete rest. He did, though, appear before the investigating agency’s officials on the tenth day after filing his request.
It should be noted that Mondal was previously interrogated in connection with a cattle smuggling case. Mondal returned to his hometown of Bolpur in Birbhum district on May 21 after staying for one-and-a-half months in Kolkata to testify before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an investigation into the cattle smuggling case.
It was during his stay at his residence that he was admitted to the state-run SSKM hospital around 2 weeks ahead of appearing before the CBI.
Informing about the present investigation, a senior officer of the agency aware of the matter said, “He is being questioned in connection with incidents of post-poll violence in the state.”
According to sources, Anubrata Mondal has been called multiple times by the CBI in cases of cattle smuggling and post-poll violence, but he never showed up to the agency until recently.
Post-poll violence in West Bengal
Following the Assembly elections in May 2021, West Bengal saw unprecedented unrest and bloodshed. During the Trinamool Congress-sponsored carnage, numerous BJP activists were assaulted, intimidated, and killed. Party goons attacked BJP members across the state after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha elections, party goons attacked BJP members across the state.
TMC hoodlums targeted BJP volunteers and leaders on a routine basis, not just after the results of the 2021 assembly election, but also before and throughout the run-up to the 2019 national elections. Throwing petrol bombs, attacking people, and even deaths have become the norm in West Bengal under the TMC’s rule.
