Anubrata Mondal arrest: List of other TMC leaders already under ED, CBI radar

Partha Chatterjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee are few of the ministers who faced CBI, ED questioning

Of late, the country has been witnessing raids by central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In the last couple of months, Trinamool Congress leaders have been at the receiving end of these agencies’ respective probes.

TMC leader Anubrata Mondal was on Thursday arrested by the CBI over the alleged cattle smuggling case. (ANI image)

TMC leader Anubrata Mondal was on Thursday arrested by the CBI over the alleged cattle smuggling case.

We look at other TMC leaders who have either been questioned or arrested by the central agencies.

- In July, former education minister in the West Bengal government Partha Chatterjee was arrested by ED in relation to an alleged teacher recruitment scam wherein a total of ₹52 crore was recovered from his house and close aide Arpita Mukherjee’s flats. TMC stripped him of his ministerial role and said he “embarrassed” and “dishonoured” the party. Apart from the unaccounted cash, the ED also seized four high-end cars, that the duo allegedly used for “partying”, said an official. In fact, two new cars were booked by Chatterjee for two shell companies that had been on the central agency’s radar. TMC boss and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee sacked him as a minister and also suspended him.

- TMC MP and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee also came under the radar of ED who questioned him in an alleged coal scam in the state. The agency lodged the case under the provisions of the PMLA and alleged that a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in the state’s Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol. His wife was also called for questioning by the agency.

- Last year in May, CBI arrested two ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee along with three MLAs in connection with the Narada scam case. The scam dates back to 2014 when a web portal Narada news carried out a sting operation wherein some people resembling TMC ministers, MPs and MLAs were seen receiving money from representatives of a fictitious company in exchange for favours.