Enforcement Directorate traces multiple deposits of below Rs 50K in Sukanya Mondal's accounts

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has traced multiple cash deposits at frequent intervals in amounts slightly less than Rs 50,000 in the different bank accounts held by Sukanya Mondal, the daughter of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal, who is presently in ED custody for her alleged involvement in the cattle-smuggling scam in West Bengal.

Sources said the investigating officers believe that the transactions in amounts ranging from Rs 45,000 to Rs 49,500 were made deliberately to avoid mentioning the Permanent Account Number (PAN) in the deposit slips.

As per banking rules, mention of the PAN in the deposit slips is mandatory in case of cash deposits of Rs 50,000 and above.

Sukanya Mondal is in ED custody after she was arrested by the central agency on April 26 in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam.

Sources said that the ED is currently questioning her on the details of such multiple cash deposits. However, she has denied knowledge about such deposits, the sources said.

The sources also said that the persons employed at the residence of Mondal, such as the cook or the driver, were used for depositing cash in amounts slightly less than Rs 50,000 into Sukanya Mondal's accounts.

As per the sources, Sukanya Mondal is sticking to her "denial of knowledge" strategy with regard to the sources of funds found in the companies where she is the director, or the rice mills where she is a partner, or the huge property in Birbhum district in her name.

The two companies with Sukanya Mondal as the director are Neer Developer Pvt Ltd and ANM Agrochem Foods Pvt Ltd, which have their offices in the same address as Bholebam Rice Mill in Birbhum's Bolpur town, which is also owned by her.

As per the records accumulated by both the ED and the CBI, which is conducting a parallel probe into the cattle-smuggling scam, there is also a personal bank fixed deposit of Rs 16 crore in her name.