The CBI on Saturday summoned Anubrata Mondal in connection with its probe into post-poll violence in Bengal and asked the Birbhum Trinamul president to appear for questioning on Sunday.

Two officers of the central investigating agency turned up at Anubrata’s Chinar Park apartment in New Town on Saturday and served him the notice, the summons timed a few hours before the 5.30pm deadline that CBI had set for the Trinamul leader to appear for a round of questioning in the alleged multi-crore cattle smuggling case on Saturday.

Anubrata, who was released from the SSKM Hospital on Friday, did not turn up at Nizam Palace on Saturday. He informed the CBI that if the officers wanted they could question him at his New Town residence.

Sources in the CBI said that a few minutes ahead of the 5.30pm deadline for Anubrata to meet the CBI officers, the Trinamul’s Birbhum president sent a mail stating doctors have advised him bed rest for four weeks and he was unable to turn up at the CBI’s office.

“The mail states that Anubrata has two blockages in his arteries and is a patient of sleep apnea. He can’t walk,” said a senior CBI official. “This is the sixth time that he has made himself unavailable for questioning in the cattle smuggling case. We will consult our legal team for the next course of action.”

Some Trinamul leaders wondered why the CBI was so eager to question Anubrata when he is known to be ailing.

“It is not clear why the CBI is so eager to question a man who has been just released from hospital,” said Chandrima Bhattacharya, Trinamul leader and state's finance minister.

She, however, added: “The matter is between him and the CBI.”

Opposition leaders of the BJP and the CPM slammed the Trinamul Birbhum president for trying to evade the CBI interrogators time and again.

“Why is Anubrata not facing the interrogators? What is the fear? Let him live like a leader and not a criminal who is trying to evade police,” said Sujan Chakrabarty, the CPM leader.

Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumder said Anubrata fears would go away once he met the CBI officers. “Let him come clean before the CBI. I'm sure if he visits one, he will feel like visiting the officers over and over again.”

31 Covid cases in Bengal

Bengal on Saturday reported 31 new Covid-19 infections, 35 recoveries and one death.

At present, there are 246 active cases in the state: 219 in home isolation and 27 in hospitals, according to the state bulletin. The state’s recovery rate on Saturday was 98.94 per cent, while the mortality rate was 1.05 per cent. The positive confirmation rate — samples which tested positive — was 0.33 per cent.