Ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC) leader and Birbhum district president of the party, Anubrata Mondal skipped the CBI interrogations for fifth time today and got himself admitted to Woodburn Ward of SSKM Hospital showing symptoms of respiratory distress and gastro problems.

Anubrata, a national executive member of the TMC, was scheduled to attend the CBI office at Nizam Palace, around 11 am for interrogations relating to his alleged involvement in the cattle smuggling case. The CBI officials waited with a battery of questionnaires related to the case, but were disappointed after he did not turn up.

Anubrata’s lawyers submitted a letter signed by him to the CBI officials seeking four weeks to appear before the agency. According to the letter, he was willing to face the CBI interrogation today but could not because he fell sick since Tuesday night. Till this one, the central agency had issued him four notices at different times, asking him to appear before it. Everytime, he has managed to avoid grilling by the CBI citing physical illness.

Today, a medical board comprising experts from cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonology, urology, general medicine, ENT and anaesthesiology departments attended to the 60-year-old leader after he landed at the Woodburn directly from his Chinar Park flat where he reached on Tuesday evening from Bolpur and spent the night there. He underwent several clinical investigations like X-ray, ECG and echocardiography, Trop T tests at the sprawling luxurious cabin number, 299.

Doctors advised him admission after considering ailments like cardiac trouble with breathlessness, high blood pressure and diabetes, sleep apnea, gastrointestinal problem and a growth like fistula. A member of the board said that his condition is stable and no abnormal ailments were found in his heart as per the findings in Trop T test. His other parameters like diabetes, blood pressure, sleep apnea are being monitored.

Security arrangements by Kolkata Police were tightened at the Woodburn Block area soon after he was rushed in. On 11 March, a division bench of Justice Rajsekhar Mantha at the Calcutta High Court turned down Anubrata’s plea for legal shield against arrest by the CBI during or after interrogations relating to the case.