Police in West Bengal’s Birbhum district recovered nearly ₹28.5 crore in cash and 15 kg of gold bars worth around ₹2 crore from a house in Deucha village after a search that lasted close to 20 hours, as reported
by Hindustan Times.
Officials said the house belongs to Minar Mondal, a retired government bus driver, who is now being questioned.
A police officer said Mondal claimed during initial questioning that the cash and gold did not belong to him. He told investigators that his brother-in-law, Tulu Mondal alias Mohd Nazibuddin, had stored the valuables at his home.
Link To Absconding Accused
“Tulu Mondal alias Mohd Nazibuddin was arrested in a murder case by the local police in 2022 and interrogated by federal agencies several times for his suspected connection with illegal stone, sand and coal trades,” a Birbhum police officer said, requesting anonymity.
The officer added that Tulu Mondal later secured bail but has been missing since May. He allegedly ran a large network of dumper trucks used in illegal mining operations and managed several toll booths. Minar Mondal was reportedly in charge of one such booth.
Police said Minar Mondal had earlier worked with the North Bengal State Transport Corporation and opted for voluntary retirement in 2017. He currently receives a monthly pension of about ₹35,000.
Political Row Deepens
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari praised the raid even as officials continued to count the seized cash.
“Following a precise operation based on source based information, Birbhum Police conducted a major raid under Mohammad Bazar PS targeting the hideout of illegal sand mafia Tullu Mondal alias Mohd Nazibuddin. The operation has uncovered staggering amounts of illegally amassed wealth: Cash Recovered So Far: ₹5.5 crore with counting still ongoing. Gold Recovered: 15 kg. West Bengal Govt’s ongoing drive against the corrupt will go on with ‘Zero Tolerance Policy against Corruption’ as our guiding principle,” Adhikari wrote on X.
“Let it be unequivocally clear: no person with a chequered past who has amassed wealth through the exploitation of public resources and hobnobbing with the then ruling political party will be spared. Public wealth belongs to the people, and those who loot it will face the full might of the law. Vigilance and uncompromising action will continue. Crackdown on mafia syndicates will go on,” he added.
The recovery has intensified an ongoing political dispute in the State. Tulu Mondal is known to have been close to Anubrata Mondal, a senior political figure who recently joined a rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress.
Anubrata Mondal, who spent two years in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in connection with a cattle smuggling case, had earlier made serious allegations against TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
“I went to jail because of Abhishek. The government’s revenue earnings from the stone quarries in Birbhum came down from ₹3.5 crore to ₹65 lakh a day. She (Mamata) called me four times after the assembly polls. I told her ‘you see with your ears, not your eyes.’ Mamata is ruined because of him. Nobody will stay.”
On July 17, Adhikari said, “Only around ₹110 crore a year used to come from Birbhum during the last regime whereas the actual collection was at least ₹1200 crore. This theft of revenue will be stopped.”
Birbhum Superintendent of Police Vidit Raj Bhundesh had not issued an official statement on the raid till 7 pm.
The rebel TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee did not respond to the development. However, TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh urged strict action against those linked to illegal wealth.
“People who hoarded this ill-gotten wealth were closely linked to leaders who now pose as so-called good TMC members. I request the government to identify those leaders and take strong action,” Ghosh said.
