The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal's daughter Sukanya Mondal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related to an alleged cattle smuggling racket in West Bengal.
The court granted bail noting that the trial may take a long time. The TMC leader Anubrata Mondal is also in judicial custody in the same case.
A bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna while granting bail to Sukanya, said that as a woman, she is entitled to bail under the proviso to Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The high court also directed Sukanya Mondal to furnish a personal bond of Rs 10 lakh with a surety of the like amount and asked her to not leave the country without prior permission of the court. The court also said that she should not try to influence witnesses or tamper with evidence, while out on bail.
Sukanya has been in custody since April 26, 2023. A trial court had dismissed her plea in June 2023.
Under the Section 45 (1) of the PMLA, a person who is under the age of 16 years or is a woman or is sick or infirm (or is accused either on his own or along with other co-accused of money-laundering a sum of less than 1 crore rupees), may be released on bail.
The CBI alleged that TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, along with other co-accused who were public servants and private persons, was involved in the multi-crore cattle smuggling racket.
Anubrata Mondal is a prominent TMC leader from West Bengal's Birbhum district. He is accused of being involved in a multi-crore cattle smuggling ring, which allegedly smuggled cattle to Bangladesh through Birbhum.
The CBI as well as the Enforcement Directorate is investigating the case against the TMC leader.