A team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials, probing the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam have reached the residence of Trinamool Congress strongman and the party’s Birbhum district president, Anubrata Mondal’s residence at Bolpur and have started questioning his daughter, Sukanya Mondal since 11.30 a.m. on Friday.
CBI sources said that the primary issue on which Sukanya Mondal is being questioned is how she was able to purchase huge property including a rice mill from her paltry salary of few thousands rupees as a teacher in a state-run primary school at Bolpur. The Central agency sleuths are also questioning her on the huge cash deposits in her bank accounts and the sources of these funds.
This is the second time that the CBI sleuths have reached Mondal’s Bolpur residence to question Sukanya Mondal. Earlier on August 17 this year, a team of CBI sleuths went there to question her. But on that day, she refused to entertain the investigating officials.
However, on Friday, till the report was filed, her questioning by the CBI officials was on and the investigating officials are recording the entire interrogation process.
Before questioning Sukanya Mondal, the officials also questioned one individual Shyamal Mondal, son of late Haradhan Mondal, the owner of Shree Guru Rice Mill at Bolpur. However, in 2013, that rice mill was reportedly sold and renamed as Bhole Byom Rice Mills. As per records, Mondal’s deceased wife Late Chobi Mondal and daughter Sukanya Mondal are joint owners of the new entity.
“Interestingly, in 2013 when the transfer of ownership of the rice mills took place, the-then market price was around Rs 15 crore. However, as per records of the sale deed, the rice mill was sold at just Rs 5 crore. So, we questioned Shyamal Mondal on the reason why they sold the rice mill at a price much lower than the existing market price,” a CBI official confirmed.
Incidentally, CBI sleuths raided Bhole Byom Rice Mill premises recently and tracked six high-end SUVs there. Later it was learnt that two of the SUVs were given to him by a local businessman, Malay Peet, owner of a private medical college and private polytechnic college in Bolpur.