CBI to grill Trinamool strongman Anubrata Mandal on April 6

Kolkata, April 3

With the single and division benches of the Calcutta High Court having refused to give legal shield to Trinamool Congress strongman and the party's district president in Birbhum, Anubrata Mandal alias Keshto, there is little chance for him to avoid facing the CBI this week in ongoing probe in cattle and coal smuggling.

The CBI has summoned Mandal to its office at Nizam Palace in central Kolkata on April 6. This is the sixth summon sent to him. Earlier, the central agency had summoned Mandal for questioning five times. However, each time he evaded the interrogation on the pretext of sickness.

Earlier, the Mandal had approached the bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of the Calcutta High Court seeking a legal shield against the arrest by the CBI. However on March 11, the court refused to grant Mandal any relief on grounds that the court cannot intervene in the process of investigation by any probe agency. Later, Mandal approached a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, which also upheld the order of the single bench. The court observed that the accused person can approach for an anticipatory bail against any arrest.

Senior lawyer of the Calcutta High Court, Kaushik Gupta told IANS that both the division and the single bench have taken the right decision by refusing to grant the accused any relief in avoiding probe agency interrogation. "There is hardly any legal avenue for Mandal to avoid the CBI grilling on April 6 now. Of course, he can approach the Supreme Court seeking the same legal shield. But in all probability the apex court too will uphold the orders of the Calcutta High Court. The Supreme Court a number of times has also observed that the court cannot interfere in the process of investigation by any probe agency. So even if Mandal approaches the top court, I find no reason for the court making an exception in the matter," Gupta told IANS.

Meanwhile, another speculation is doing the rounds in West Bengal is whether the CBI would also tag Mandal in the investigation on the carnage of eight people at Bogtui village in Birbhum district of West Bengal on March 21. Already serious differences have cropped up between Mandal and Trinamool Congress legislator from the same district, Asish Banerjee on the massacre.