Kolkata, July 27 (IANS) Calcutta High Court on Monday granted conditional anticipatory bail to Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal in a financial fraud case.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh granted the anticipatory bail application of Mondal, who is the Birbhum district president of the rebel but majority faction of Trinamool Congress led by Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Ritabrata Banerjee.
Earlier, Mondal had sought anticipatory bail in the lower court fearing arrest in the case. However, when that application was rejected, he approached the Calcutta High Court with a similar appeal on July 14.
In the hearing on Monday, Mondal’s lawyer Ayan Bhattacharya argued that the incident took place in 2021, whereas the FIR was filed in 2026. He claimed that the case was filed out of political vendetta after the change of government in the state following the Assembly election.
The High Court observed that the case was filed based on a complaint lodged long ago. In this situation, the court said the investigation will continue, but custodial interrogation was not required. Therefore, the anticipatory bail application was granted.
As a condition, Justice Ghosh directed that Mondal must cooperate in the investigation. He will have to meet the investigating officer within 10 days and appear whenever called for questioning.
Incidentally, a Bolpur resident in Birbhum district, Subhendu Mandal, filed a case against Anubrata Mondal and several Trinamool members on charges of financial fraud. He once complained against the Trinamool leader for not paying him about Rs 30 lakh.
Subhendu claimed that he faced attacks and insults because he was a BJP supporter. At that time, the police did not take action based on his complaint. He has approached the police again after the change of government to take action against Mondal.
–IANS
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