Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MP and actor Deepak Adhikari, who is popularly known by his screen name ‘Dev;, appeared before CBI sleuths here Tuesday. Dev had asked to appear before the CBI to face interrogation in connection with the central agency’s probe into a multi-crore cattle smuggling racket operating along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, a source said. After a five-hour grilling, Dev was allowed to go. However, the CBI sleuths said that he may be called again.
Dev’s name had surfaced several times during interrogation of those accused in the case, the source in the CBI said.
“Dev has appeared before our officials at the Nizam Palace office here. He he was summoned in connection with the cattle smuggling case. He is being questioned,” the source said earlier in the day.
Later on in the day, the source informed that Dev had told officials that he doesn’t know anyone by the name of Enamul Haque, the prime accused in the case.
The CBI had earlier interrogated several persons, including Bikash Mishra, brother of Binay Mishra. He is a businessman allegedly involved in the racket and considered close to the West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The agency had also questioned Enamul Haque, the prime accused of the case.
Both Bikash and Haque were taken into CBI custody. The latter was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court. Bikash was also arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from Delhi March 16 last year. The ED is investigating the money laundering aspect of the case.
An arrest warrant was issued against Binay in the cattle smuggling case. He has been absconding and probably is hiding in some other country. Both the central agencies had earlier carried out searches at the residences of Binay and his brother.
It is alleged that cattle smugglers were bribing BSF and Customs officials to keep their illegal business running. The CBI had also apprehended a former commandant of the 36th BSF Battalion for his alleged involvement in the racket. The agency had filed a chargesheet against Haque and the BSF official in the case.