The road accident involving Saigal Hussain, one of the prime witnesses in the Rs 1,000 crore cattle smuggling case, has created a political uproar in West Bengal after the opposition BJP alleged a foul play.
Hussain, a constable of the West Bengal police and a principle security staff member of Trinamool Congress heavyweight Anubrata Mandal, met with the accident when the cars, he and his family members were travelling in, collided with a lorry near Illambazar around 12.30 in the midnight.
Hussain and his family members were in one car while his five-year-old daughter and a friend named Madhab Kaibart were in the second vehicle.
Both the CBI and the ED had questioned Hussain six months ago and sources in the central probe agency had confirmed that they got some crucial pieces of information during the interrogation. A CBI officer said Hussain’s questioning was key to bring Mandal to the interrogation table.
Two months ago, the CBI summoned Mandal for interrogation, but he refused to turn up citing “personal reasons”. Two weeks ago, after the CBI issued an ultimatum and the Calcutta High Court refused to grant relief, Mandal got admitted into state-run SSKM hospital. He was even shifted to the ICU.
Mandal was discharged after 17 days even as the CBI has sought a detailed health report of him from the hospital.
Two days ago, Mandal wrote a letter to the probe agency, where he said: “I am a patient of scrotal sinus infection. Let me tell you that the agony is so exuberating that I don’t desire the same on my foulest antagonist.”
He requested the CBI to interrogate him at his residence in Kolkata.
Mandal could not be contacted as his phone was switched off.
The probe agencies questioned Hussain after they found that he had spoken to Enamul Huq, the main accused in the cattle smuggling case, several times. The CBI has received more than 200 call records between Enamul and Hussain. The ED is also out to trace the money laundering aspect of the case as it has been found that the money received in the scam was transferred out of India through Hawala racket.
The BJP termed Hussain's accident a conspiracy to wipe out evidence.
“It is not at all an accident, but an attempt to finish off the main witness of the case. Anubrata acted through Saigal and everyone knew it,” said Sukanta Majumder, the BJP state president, at a news briefing.
West Bengal police, however, ruled out any foul play. “The cars were at high speed and hit a lorry which was parked on the roadside. The lorry did not clash deliberately. Investigation is going on,” said Nagrendra Tripathy, superintendent of police, Birbhum.
Apart from the cattle smuggling case, Mandal is also wanted by the CBI for interrogation in Rampurhat carnage where 13 people were killed in a non-accidental fire. He is yet to appear for that as well.
