Mamata Banerjee's solidarity talk makes Anubrata Mondal non-cooperative: CBI sources

Kolkata: nAfter Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's expression of solidarity, Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal has gone on a total non-cooperation mode in the multi- crore cattle smuggling scam, which is being probed by the CBI.

Mondal was arrested by the CBI on August 12.

The chief minister at a programme on Sunday gave a clear message that her sympathy and support towards the party's Birbhum district president continues even after his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths in the scam.

On Monday after Mondal was informed about the chief minister's stand by his counsel, following which he heaved a sigh of relief and also informed the mediapersons through his counsel that he was confident that the "supreme leader would be beside him in this moment of crisis".

CBI sources said that since the news of the chief minister's expression of solidarity reached Mondal, who was otherwise quite devastated since his arrest, went on a total non-cooperation mode during the probe.

Source said that the extent of non- cooperation was such that Mondal has even claimed to the investigating officers that his interaction with his erstwhile bodyguard, Sehgal Hossain, also in custody in connection to the same scam, was limited and totally formal.

"Even when our officers presented some documents relating to some jointly owned properties or call lists of frequent conversations between the two, he challenged the authenticity of such documents. Just within 24 hours there had been a sea- change in the behaviour and attitude of Mondal," a CBI official said.

In the supplementary charge sheet that the central agency has submitted to a special court of CBI at Asansol recently, it has been claimed that Sehgal Hossain used to act as the front-man of Mondal in the cattle smuggling chain. The CBI sleuths have also come across call lists relating to mobile conversation between Hossain and cattle smuggling kingpin, Enamul Haque.

Mondal appeared devastated after he was stripped of all his ministerial and party portfolios over his reported involvement in scams. But after the chief minister's expression of solidarity, he seems to have regained his self- confidence, said sources.