Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal Sunday skipped the summons sent by the Bolpur subdivisional police for the second consecutive day. The police summoned him for questioning in connection with an audio clip in which he was purportedly heard using abusive language in a phone call with the Bolpur police station inspector-in-charge (IC), Litan Halder.
Mondal’s counsel, who arrived at the police station after 11 am, stated that he was unwell and thus could not appear before the police.
While leaving the subdivisional police officer (SDPO) office, he told the media, “We have informed everything to the police. Mondal is a victim of a conspiracy. We have full faith in the judiciary and the administration. He is not coming today. We are cooperating with the investigation and will cooperate further.”
Birbhum Superintendent of Police Amandeep had said that an FIR had been lodged against Mondal under several provisions, including non-bailable ones. According to police sources, after Mondal’s legal counsel submitted the medical report from a Bolpur hospital, the police are currently verifying the report. They are also discussing the next steps they will take. Police sources indicate that stringent action will be taken against Mondal.
Local TMC leader Gauranga Sarkar told the media while leaving the police station, “Anubrata Mondal is unwell and he is on bed rest. The call was not made by him, it was made by AI. He apologised because the party asked him to. It is a conspiracy against him.”
The controversy erupted after the four-minute clip went viral. In the tape, a person could be heard hurling abuses and threats, including of physical harm, to the Bolpur IC. The person was also heard abusing and threatening the IC’s wife and mother. Initially denying the authenticity of the clip, Mondal issued an unconditional apology after the TMC leadership set him a four-hour deadline on Friday, acknowledging that he spoke “in anger”.
“I should not have said those things. I am sorry”, Mondal said, but also questioned the circumstances surrounding the leak. He attributed his behaviour to medication and an emotional response to alleged police misconduct against a party worker’s son.
On Saturday, too, Mondal missed the police summons, claiming health reasons. However, later that day, he was spotted at the party office, where he conducted marathon meetings that lasted around four hours. Since he did not appear before the police, a second summons was issued for him to appear before the SDPO.