Kolkata, Aug 11

A team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials escorted by a huge contingent of central armed forces personnel on Thursday morning reached the Bolpur- residence Trinamool Congress strongman, Anubrata Mandal.

The central agency is investigating the cattle smuggling case in West Bengal.

After the Trinamool Congress's Birbhum district president ignored ten consecutive summons from the CBI, the central agency top brass decided not to wait anymore and instead reached his residence on Thursday morning. A team of CBI officials led by the agency's superintendent (anti- corruption branch), Rajeev Mishra, along with the team of central armed forces personnel had reached Bolpur late Wednesday night.

Around 9.50 a.m., the team of CBI and central armed personnel reached Mandal's residence. First the central armed forces cordoned the entire residential building from all points. Thereafter the CBI officials got divided into two teams. One team entered the residence from the main front gate, while the other entered through the other gate at the back side of the building.

"The decision to reach his doorsteps was taken on Wednesday evening only, after we became definite how desperate Mandal is to avoid the summons for which he even got a bed-rest advice by pressurising a doctor of the Bolpur Sub-divisional Hospital. We even talked to the doctor concerned and he also said that he was forced to give the bed-rest advice in plain paper both from his higher authorities as well as Mandal. So, before he could adopt any further method to duck interrogation, we decided to reach his house," a CBI official said.

Till the latest information available, the CBI sleuths were questing Mandal within his residence only and it is to be seen now whether the central agency sleuths will ultimately arrest him or remain satisfied by questioning him at his residence.

After entering the residence, the CBI first asked the private security personnel posted there to move out of the building and also directed the central armed forces personnel not to allow anyone to enter. The CBI officers have also seized all the mobile phones from everyone present at the building while the raid was conducted.

It is learnt that the CBI team is also carrying a court order with them that empowers them to conduct search operations at Mandal's residence.

Bengal cattle smuggling case: CBI officials reach Anubrata Mandal's Bolpur house