Cattle smuggling: ED attaches assets of Anubrata Mondal's close aide

New Delhi: Thirty-two properties worth more than Rs 1.58 crore belonging to a person who is a "close confidant" of TMC leader Anubrata Mondal have been attached in connection with a money laundering probe linked to a cattle smuggling case of West Bengal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said Tuesday.

A provisional order has been issued against Sehegal Hossain and his family members under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), it said in a statement.

The total value of the attached properties is Rs 1,58,47,490, the ED said.

The federal probe agency said Hossain is a "close confidant of Mondal and one of the prominent members of this whole smuggling racket operating across the India-Bangladesh border." Anubrata Mondal and his daughter Sukanya have been questioned by the ED in this case. Mondal was arrested by the CBI and is present in judicial custody.

Hossain, prime accused in the case Enamul Haque and a Border Security Force (BSF) commandant rank officer (of the 36th BSF battalion) Satish Kumar have been arrested by the ED in this case.

All the three are in judicial custody at present.

Satish Kumar, who was posted at Murshidabad and Malda regions of West Bengal as part of the BSF security grid along the international border, was earlier arrested by the CBI in connection with the cattle smuggling case.

The ED filed a criminal case against the accused in September, 2020 taking cognisance of this CBI complaint.

The agency (ED) has filed two charge sheets in this case till now and with this latest attachment, assets worth a total Rs 20.25 crore have been attached by it as part of seven such orders.

Its charge sheet (also known as prosecution complaint), filed before a Delhi court in April, named Haque, TMC leader Vinay Mishra, his brother Vikas Mishra (arrested by the ED in another money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal) and companies related to these individuals -- Hoque Industries Pvt. Ltd., Hoque Mercantile Pvt. Ltd. and Anant Tradecom Pvt. Ltd. -- as accused in the case.

"The total proceeds of crime ascertained in this case, till date, is Rs 29.43 crore," the ED said.