Hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Nizamuddin Mandal, an aide of TMC leader Anubrata Mandal, in the ongoing probe in the cattle smuggling case, Birbhum Police arrested him in a murder case on Saturday night.
Nizamuddin Mandal, also known as Tulu Mandal, was produced at a Siuri court on Sunday and was sent to police custody for four days.
Police said that Nizamuddin has been booked for murder and criminal intimidation among others. Sources in the police said that Nizamuddin alias Tulu was involved in a clash at Mohammad Bazaar area on October 3 in which one person was injured. Initially, a case of murder attempt was filed against Tulu.
Recently, the injured person, who was admitted in a hospital, died, that led to the police invoking murder charge against Tulu.
However, after his arrest, the Opposition parties slammed the state police and alleged that Tulu Mandal was arrested to save Anubrata and other TMC leaders.
BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya said, “Everybody knows who Tulu Mandal is. Any truck driver, if asked, will answer that Tulu used to extort on behalf of Anubrata. The ED or CBI should have arrested him earlier.”
Congress state president Adhir Chowdhury said, “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expelled Partha Chatterjee after he was arrested in the school jobs scam, but she stood beside Anubrata Mandal. I think she is afraid that if she does not support him, he will say everything to the CBI or ED.”
CPIM leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “Basically police are now working to save the ruling party leaders. That is why they arrested Tulu Mandal. The murder charge against Tulu is not new. But police arrested him just after ED questioned him.”
TMC, meanwhile, denied the charge. “The duty of the police is to arrest the accused. Here police did exactly that. So, what is their fault! Basically, the Opposition has nothing to say. That is why they are saying all these things,” TMC leader Jayprakash Majumder said.
