Kolkata, September 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday refused interim protection from arrest to absconding Birbhum stone-quarry owner Tulu Mondal, alias Mohammad Nazibuddin, who had approached the court against coercive police action, including an arrest warrant issued by a district court.
A single-judge bench of Justice Bhattacharya heard Mondal’s plea on Tuesday afternoon. The West Bengal government strongly opposed the petition, pointing out that a lower court had directed Mondal to appear physically before it on September 14.
The state counsel told the court that information obtained through the National Intelligence Grid indicated that Mondal had left India on May 23 and remained absconding. The counsel argued that the allegations against him were serious and that granting interim protection could allow him to commit similar offences.
The state police also submitted a progress report before the court. After examining the report at the request of the government counsel, Justice Bhattacharya dismissed Mondal’s plea for interim protection.
According to the police, assets worth around Rs 220 crore belonging to Mondal have already been confiscated. Investigators, however, believe the seized assets may account for only a part of his total holdings.
Police have also gathered information about nearly 400 bighas of land, equivalent to approximately 125 acres, allegedly held directly or indirectly by Mondal.
Investigators are additionally examining allegations that stone quarries used fake duplicate carbon copies to evade crores of rupees in state taxes during the previous Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee.
Sources said some state government officials allegedly involved as partners in the purported tax evasion process are also under investigation.
Besides the arrest warrant issued by the Birbhum district court, an Interpol Red Corner Notice has also been issued against Mondal.
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