Latest news with #AnubrataMondal


NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Trinamool Leader Anubrata Mondal Gets Bail In Police Officer Abuse Case
Bolpur: A court in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Monday granted bail to TMC leader Anubrata Mondal after he surrendered in the court and moved an anticipatory relief petition in connection with the case of alleged use of abusive and derogatory language during a telephonic conversation with a police officer. Mondal's plea on health grounds was accepted by Judicial Magistrate Banikbrata Dutta of Bolpur Subdivision Court on a surety of Rs 1,000 and on condition that he will continue to cooperate with the probe and meet the investigating officer (IO) when summoned, court officials said. In a leaked four-minute telephonic conversation between Mondal and Bolpur police station inspector-in-charge Litan Halder on May 29 this year, the authenticity of which PTI couldn't independently verify, the Birbhum Trinamool Congress leader was heard hurling invectives at the police officer and threatening his wife and mother. Left red-faced by the audio-clip, the party issued him a four-hour apology deadline and a suo motu FIR was lodged against him by the police. Mondal was issued police summons and his security details withdrawn. Faced with party annoyance, Mondal tendered written apologies to both the police officer and the TMC state president Subrata Bakshi but avoided responding to the initial summons from Bolpur Police. On June 6, seven days after the purported audio clip surfaced, Mondal appeared before the Bolpur SDPO where his cell phone was reportedly inspected. Mondal arrived at the Bolpur Subdivision Court around 10.40 am on Monday for his voluntary surrender and his bail hearing was taken up post 2 pm. "The court granted him bail considering his age and the physical ailments he suffers from. There are no pre-conditions to his bail," said Nupur Dutta Banerjee, Mondal's counsel. "I had submitted before the court that the IO in this case did not duly comply with the notice served to Mondal under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which outlines the procedure for police to issue a notice to individuals in cognisable offenses where arrest isn't immediately necessary," said Phiroj Pal, government lawyer, confirming that he opposed the bail prayer. "Secondly, we are still not privy to the police's case diary (CD) and have no idea how far the investigations in this case have so far progressed. We wanted the court to wait till we had the CD in our hand," he added. Pal said that the court was prima facie satisfied with the petitioner's submission that Mondal has cooperated with the police and that there has been no progress in the probe for a formidable period. In September 2024, Mondal was granted bail in the multi-crore cattle smuggling case when he stepped out of the Tihar Jail after remaining imprisoned for over two years.


Indian Express
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘No medicine for jealousy': Mamata Banerjee attacks BJP over ‘conspiracy to exclude voters' from electoral rolls in West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday accused the BJP of a conspiracy to exclude voters' names from electoral rolls, reiterating her long-standing allegations. Speaking at a government service distribution programme in Ilambazar, Birbhum, she issued a direct order to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Anubrata Mondal and Kajal Sheikh to 'hit the ground' and meticulously verify voter lists to ensure no genuine voter is omitted. During the event, which included the inauguration of the Jaydev Bridge and other development projects, Banerjee broadened her address to cover a range of critical issues, from voter list integrity to alleged 'torture' of people from Bengal and 'deprivation' experienced by the state at the hands of the Centre. She said, 'In all the double-engine governments, that is BJP-ruled states, including Assam, Odisha, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bengalis are being oppressed on the orders of the home ministry.' She attributed this alleged oppression to 'talent and hard work' and said there is 'no medicine for jealousy'. 'Those who work in those states have been working there for 20-25 years. They have all the legal documents. Despite this, they are being kept in detention camps and being taken to police stations,' She said, urging people working in other states to return to Bengal, offering state government assistance for their travel. 'Let them return, we will take care of their travel expense too.' Banerjee linked the alleged voter exclusion efforts to the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC). 'Everyone should register their names in the new voter list. The names of genuine people should not be left out. This is how the conspiracy to implement NRC is going on. It has happened in Assam and they are trying in Bengal, too. But as long as we live, we will not let NRC happen, we will stop it.' She encouraged citizens whose names are omitted to protest and inform booth-level officers (BLOs), who assist the Election Commission in preparing and updating voters' lists, emphasising that it is their 'constitutional right'. The West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in 2026. Banerjee specifically appealed to minorities working outside the state to ensure their names are registered in the voter list. Following her address, she instructed all district leaders, including Anubrata Mondal, Kajal Sheikh, and MP Shatabdi Roy, to maintain a vigilant eye on their respective areas concerning voter list updates. She also alleged that the Centre was withholding funds meant for Bengal. 'For five years, we ranked first in village road construction and similarly for the 100-day work scheme, so they stopped the money,' she said. Banerjee accused the BJP of hypocrisy, questioning the deployment of Central commissions to Bengal for even 'even at a lizard's bite', while according to her, similar commissions were absent when 'girls and women are tortured and burnt alive in Odisha, Rajasthan, etc'. She also provided an update on housing initiatives, saying that her government had already delivered 45 lakh permanent houses. She added that funds have been released this year for 12 lakh mud houses to be converted into permanent structures. 'By December, another 16 lakh mud houses will receive their first instalment for building permanent houses, and the second instalment will be released in May,' she said. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More


Hindustan Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘You are acting as if you are monitoring the probe': Cal HC judge to NCW
KOLKATA: The Calcutta high court on Friday questioned how the National Commission for Women (NCW) could tell the West Bengal police to add specific sections in a first information report (FIR) registered in connection with Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal's abusive remarks during a phone call with a police officer. Calcutta High Court (Samir Jana/HT Photo) 'How can you ask the police in what manner the investigation is to be done and what sections need to be added? This is interference with the investigation. You do your investigation. I have got nothing to say. Who can interfere in an investigation that is being done by a police officer?' the bench of justice Tirthankar Ghosh observed. The high court was hearing a petition by the Birbhum superintendent of police (SP) challenging the summons issued by NCW that required him to appear in person before the panel in Delhi. The officer said he had asked NCW to let him appear virtually but the request was denied. The court was told that NCW directed the police to add certain sections to the FIR and had sought some documents related to the case from the police. 'I am not trying to demean the power of the commission. Where from are you getting the power that you may direct the police or recommend to add certain sections. Tomorrow, the human rights commission may make recommendations. There are thousands of such commissions and they may make recommendations and interfere with the police investigation. Even a higher court of law is reluctant to interfere with the police investigation,' the bench said. Rajdeep Majumder, deputy solicitor general appearing for the NCW, said the commission had only recommended addition of certain sections and that the commission had the authority under the National Commission for Women Act to summon an officer. 'You are acting as if you are monitoring the investigation. You see the language you have used in your letters (to the Birbhum police). The language is very offensive. Have an approach of a statutory authority. Public servants must respect another public servant,' the court observed. The court told the Birbhum SP to virtually appear before the NCW at 12 noon on July 14 and have a designated officer appear in person at a later date to answer the queries. It also directed the police to send available documents related to the case, which were sought by the NCW, to be sent digitally. 'The SP will appear virtually on July 14 at 12 noon and all the documents under the category referred be sent to the commission electronically. A next date be fixed by the commission with a designated officer to be deputed by the SP who will appear for answering the necessary query' 'The SP or the designated officer would send the available documents amongst six categories of documents digitally which have been sought for. In case, there is reservation of the investigating authorities in sharing any information, the same may be canvassed before this court on a subsequent date,' the bench said in its order.


Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Birbhum SP moves Calcutta HC against NCW summons in Anubrata Mondal case
The Superintendent of Police (SP) of Birbhum district on Tuesday moved the Calcutta High Court, challenging a summons issued to him by the National Commission for Women (NCW). The summons is linked to a case involving TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, who was allegedly heard hurling 'unspeakably abusive language' at a police officer in a viral audio clip. According to the counsel for SP Amandeep, the Commission is 'interfering with the investigation' by directing the addition of specific IPC sections and seeking the production of the case diary. The NCW had also summoned the officer to appear in person at its Delhi office. The matter was mentioned before Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, who granted permission for it to be listed. It is likely to be heard on Wednesday. Speaking to The Indian Express, NCW member Archana Majumdar said: 'It is the Commission's mandate to intervene in cases involving violations of women's modesty or rights. We found that our advisory was not complied with in the action taken report sent to us. The SP was expected to appear in person to clarify the situation. As he had earlier cited prior engagements, we had rescheduled the date. Now that the matter is before the High Court, we will act as per the court's directive.' The SP was initially directed to appear before the Commission on July 1. However, he responded to the notice on June 28, stating that due to law-and-order duties through the first week of July, he would be unable to travel and requested to attend the hearing virtually. Following this, the NCW issued a second notice on July 2, directing him to appear in person on July 14 at 12 noon at its New Delhi headquarters. In its letter, the NCW termed the allegations 'grave' and said the matter required the 'highest level of institutional accountability and transparency'. The Commission said that no further extensions would be granted. If the SP is unable to attend due to documented law-and-order exigencies, either the Additional SP or the SDPO of Bolpur must appear with all relevant documents and records, it said.


Time of India
01-07-2025
- Time of India
Birbhum police chief skips NCW summons
Kolkata: Birbhum police superintendent Amandeep did not appear before the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday, which had sought his appearance in connection with alleged "reluctance and negligence" in investigating a criminal case against Trinamool strongman Anubrata Mondal. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Amandeep, sources said, responded to the commission saying that he was preoccupied with "Hul Day" programmes, and added that he was also engaged on 4 and 5 July with certain other events. NCW officials met Union minister for women and child development Annapurna Devi on Tuesday and briefed her about the episode. NCW member Archana Majumdar said: "There is reluctance and negligence on the part of the police in conducting this investigation." "We will issue a fresh summons to the Birbhum SP on Wednesday and ask him to appear before the commission after July 6. An official may have prior engagements and responsibilities to discharge," she added.