₹28 crore cash and 15 kg gold found in the house of a relative close to the TMC leader in West Bengal’s Birbhum. Arrest made in the case, investigation is ongoing.
West Bengal Cash Recovery: A huge amount of cash and gold has been recovered during a major police operation in Birbhum district of West Bengal. According to the police, around ₹28 crore in cash and 15 kg of gold were seized from the house of a relative of a close aide of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader. There was so much cash that many note counting machines broke down while counting it. One person has been arrested in this case and investigation into the entire episode is going on.
Only gold worth Rs 21 crore recovered
Police raided Minar Mandal’s house in Birbhum district. About ₹28 crore cash and 15 kg gold were recovered in this action. According to officials, the market value of the recovered gold is said to be around ₹21 crore.
Who are Minar Mandal and Tulu Mandal?
According to sources, Minar Mandal was earlier a bus driver and later got involved in the stone business. He is said to be a relative of Tulu Mandal, a stone businessman and associate of former TMC leader Anubrata Mandal. It is reported that Tulu Mandal had joined the rebel faction of TMC led by Ritabrata Banerjee earlier this month.
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What did the accused say after his arrest?
After the cash and gold were recovered, the police arrested Minar Mandal. According to police, during interrogation he allegedly admitted that the recovered cash and gold were linked to Tulu Mandal and his alleged illegal syndicate. The police is investigating this claim.
Counting of notes went on all night
This action started on Wednesday night. Initially the police had counted around ₹5.5 crore in cash, but by morning the amount had increased to more than ₹28 crore. Police say that Minar Mandal has connections with the stone business and they are also said to be connected to the stone quarries and crushing units of Tulu Mandal. Now the investigation focuses on where such a huge cash came from and what is its actual source.
Heavy police force was deployed during the raid
Many senior police officers and a large number of policemen were present at the spot during the entire operation. However, the police have not yet officially clarified on what specific information the raid was conducted or what alleged illegal financial activities it pertains to.
Statement of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that his government is working on a ‘zero tolerance policy’ against corruption. He wrote on social media platform He said that a huge amount of cash and 15 kg gold has been recovered in the operation. The Chief Minister said that the government is taking a strict stand against corruption and action will be taken as per law against those who have amassed wealth by misusing government resources.
Investigation into sources of income continues
According to sources, Minar Mandal has been an employee in the State Transport Department and has also worked as a bus driver. Later he became involved in the stone business. Now the investigating agencies are probing his source of income and his methods of amassing such huge wealth.
Accusations and counter-allegations intensify between two groups of TMC
After this matter came to light, political rhetoric within the Trinamool Congress has also intensified. Different factions of the party are making serious allegations against each other and raising questions about the alleged links with Anubrata Mandal. TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh said that the political connections of the people from whose houses cash was found should also be investigated. He said that if necessary, the concerned leaders should also be interrogated. Meanwhile, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said that Birbhum has been an area under the influence of a former minister for a long time and the Chief Minister should investigate the depth of the relations between the accused and influential people.
Rs 100 crore wedding in news again
After this recovery, the grand wedding organized by Tulu Mandal for his daughter in the year 2024 has also come into discussion again. This marriage took place in Suri, Birbhum. According to sources, around ₹100 crore was spent on this wedding. Many actors from Bengali film industry and Bollywood attended the ceremony. Names like Ankush Hazra, Darshana Banik, Arbaaz Khan and Zareen Khan were also mentioned among the guests.