‘TMC will not shield anyone accused in corruption’

Kolkata: In the wake of the arrest of (Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal’s daughter Sukanya Mondal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the cattle smuggling case in the state, the ruling party in Bengal has clarified that it will maintain its stance of not shielding anyone involved in corruption.

Sukanya has been arrested by the ED eight months after her father was arrested in August, last year. The ED had repeatedly summoned her to its Delhi headquarters for questioning. However, Sukanya kept skipping the summons.

The Central probe agency, which is tracing the money trail in the smuggling case, is of the opinion that Sukanya is the director of the companies in whose accounts the alleged proceeds of the scam were deposited.

However, Sukanya has denied any knowledge relating to the claim and has maintained that it is her father who used to deal with these accounts.

Even as the news of the arrest broke, the TMC has not reacted officially on the matter except that its spokesperson Kunal Ghosh clarified that the stance of the party in such matters is clear which is not to shield anyone involved in corruption.

However, Kunal questioned whether the ED couldn’t have interrogated her without taking her into custody since she has lost her mother recently while her father has been put inside Tihar Jail.

He questioned whether such a brutal step was necessary. He said that it is apparent that Central agencies are working at the behest of the BJP government at the Centre. He alleged that the ED is mostly being allowed to probe cases against the Opposition parties in non-BJP states.

Meanwhile, Sukanya Mondal, on Thursday, was remanded to three-day ED custody by the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi.

After Sukanya was taken into custody by the ED, she was taken to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for a health check-up.