Police on Sunday arrested Tulu Mondal, a businessman with interests in stone quarries across Birbhum district in connection with a murder case in Mohammed Bazar, which dates back to October 3.
Tulu’s arrest came within 48 hours of the Enforcement Directorate questioning him in New Delhi in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling case. The Opposition in Bengal wondered if the arrest was made to prevent him disclosing information to the central agency.
“Tulu has been arrested in connection with a murder case last month. He was produced before the Suri court and taken in five days of police custody,” said a police officer.
Police said his involvement in a murder in Mohammedbazar's Charicha on October 3 was revealed during investigation.
Tulu Mondal a.k.a. Nijamuddin is known to handle a large part of the stone trade in Birbhum and was one of the close associates of Anubrata Mondal, the Birbhum Trinamul chief arrested in the cattle smuggling case by the CBI.
Tulu was summoned by the ED on Friday and quizzed by the central agency sleuths for hours in its New Delhi office in connection with cattle trade and Mondal’s link.
Tulu came under ED's scanner after the central agency went through his income tax records to unearth that his business turnover was of a few hundreds of crores, sources in the agency said.
‘Tulu was responsible for ensuring the vehicle carrying cattle reached their destination safely. There are adequate leads to suggest his involvement in the cattle smuggling case,” an ED official said.
In August this year, a joint team of CBI and ED raided Tulu's three houses and a petrol pump in Mohammed Bazar, owned by him.
The arrest is significant at a time the ED has summoned many close associates of Mondal’s and his daughter Sukanya in connection with the cattle smuggling case. Sukanya was interrogated for three consecutive days. Associates like Trinamul leader Rajib Bhattacharya and accountant Manish Kothari were also quizzed in Delhi.
Sources said Tulu was interrogated by the ED on Friday, returned from Delhi on Saturday night and was arrested early Sunday morning.
The BJP and CPM said the arrest was either made to prevent him from disclosing information to the central agencies or he had revealed something that went against Trinamul heavyweights.
"The arrest was made to prevent the stone trader from disclosing information to the central agency against Trinamul heavyweights. It may be that he has already released something against them and that led the cops to arrest him in an old case," said Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
CPM veteran Sujan Chakraborty also echoed Chowdhury and expressed his surprise at the arrest as soon as he returned facing ED's quiz.
"Trinamul and its police may attempt to prevent Tulu from disclosing information to the ED. But it would not be possible for long and the truth will come out," said BJP Birbhum president Dhurba Saha.
