Kolkata, Sep 4 — Sleuths from the Birbhum district police in West Bengal have launched raids and search operations at a second property linked to absconding stone quarry owner Tulu Mondal alias Mohammad Nazibuddin in Suri town, officials said.
The operation began on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday and was continuing when this report was filed.
According to a district police officer, the search is focused on tracing unaccounted assets allegedly linked to Mondal, popularly known as the “Stone Baron” of Birbhum. The officer said Mondal owns the property, although his manager, Choton, is believed to have been residing there. Choton is also absconding, and police are attempting to locate him during the search.
Mondal came under the scanner of the Birbhum district police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after the recovery of cash worth Rs 28 crore and 15 kg of gold, valued at around Rs 22 crore, from the residence of his close relative, Minar Mondal, earlier this month.
During questioning, Minar reportedly admitted that the seized cash and gold belonged to Tulu Mondal and that he had merely been entrusted with keeping them in his custody.
With Mondal remaining absconding, police last week obtained a warrant from a Birbhum court and subsequently initiated the process for issuing a Red Corner Notice against him.
Despite remaining underground, Mondal sought legal protection from the Calcutta High Court through separate petitions before the benches of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya and Justice Kaushik Chanda. However, Justice Chanda recused himself from hearing the matter as a related case was already pending before another bench.
Apart from the arrest warrant, an Interpol Red Corner Notice has also been issued against him. The court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Suri directed Mondal to appear within a stipulated period, failing which he would be declared a proclaimed offender.
The businessman had earlier attempted to secure legal protection against arrest, but the Calcutta High Court dismissed his plea.