Kolkata: The role of Kamalkanta Ghosh, husband of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal’s sister, is currently under the scanner of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the agency’s ongoing probe on the multi- crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal.
The ED has summoned Ghosh to its headquarter at New Delhi on November 11 by 12 noon.
ED sources said that the decision to summon Ghosh for questioning was taken after the agency sleuths tracked the use of his signatures in the crucial documents related to a number of bank accounts that are currently under the scanner of the central agency in its probe on the cattle scam.
“Our sleuths have cross-checked such signatures with handwriting specimens of Ghosh and they matched. In most of these accounts held by various persons, who are either relatives or close associates of Anubrata Mondal, Ghosh’s signature was in the reference column. So, we will question him about his association and knowledge about transactions in the said bank accounts,” an ED official said.
Meanwhile, the banks accounts of Trinamool Congress councillor from ward number 19 of Bolpur Municipality, Bishwajyoti Bandopadhyay, is also under scanner of the ED officials after the central agency sleuths a credit of Rs 46 lakhs in one of his bank accounts. The ED wants to question him on the source of these funds.
ED sources said that as its sleuths are getting deeper into the probe in the cattle smuggling scam, they are coming across a chain of bank accounts which might have been used for transfer of scam proceeds. While some of these accounts were either held individually or jointly by Mondal along with his family members, some were held by his close relatives and associates. The ED sleuths have also traced a couple of bank accounts and fixed deposits held by Mondal’s deceased wife Late Chobi Mondal.
ED sources further said that the role of Monish Kothari, the chartered accountant of Mondal, is especially crucial on this count. During the course of the agency questioning Mondal’s daughter, Sukanya Mondal repeatedly said that Kothari had full knowledge of the accounts and transactions.
(IANS)
