Cattle smuggling scam: Sehgal Hossain sent to 7-day ED custody

New Delhi/Kolkata, Oct 22

A special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Saturday has remanded Sehgal Hossain, bodyguard of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal to seven days of Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in connection with the agency's ongoing investigation into the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal.

Hossain was brought to Delhi from West Bengal on Saturday afternoon. He was escorted by a team of seven security personnel from Asansol Special Correctional Home.

Getting the court permission to take Sehgal Hossain to Delhi was not that easy for ED.

After failing to get permission from the Calcutta High Court, the central agency approached a special court of PMLA at Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi, which on October 17 approved the plea.

However, Hossain's counsel challenged that order of the special court of PMLA at Delhi High Court which too cleared the ED approval.

Finally, the matter reached the Supreme Court that also gave a go ahead to ED on this count.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting a parallel probe into the cattle-smuggling scam, has recently submitted a fresh chargesheet at a special court in Asansol, where the agency has named Mondal as the direct beneficiary of the coal smuggling scam.

The CBI has also underlined the details of the huge assets and property of Mondal and his family members in the charge sheet.