A Delhi court on Monday sent Manish Kothari — a chartered accountant and close aide of jailed Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal — to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the West Bengal cattle smuggling case.

The Enforcement Directorate arrested him recently after questioning him at length for several hours.

A Special Judge of the Rouse Avenue Court while sending Kothari to judicial custody, noted that the central agency doesn’t seek extension of his custody.

On March 10, the court extended Mondal’s ED custody by 11 days in connection with the ongoing probe into West Bengal’s multi-crore cattle smuggling scam.

Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana for ED had argued that interrogation is necessary to confront him (Mondal) with several accused and witnesses in the case.

Representing Mondal, advocate Mudit Jain had submitted that the investigations conducted are closed door investigations without any sight visit, which makes them lazy and unenterprising.

Enamul Hoque, who is the kingpin in the case, and Saigal Hussain, Mondal’s bodyguard, are lodged in the national capital’s Tihar jail and the ED plans to question them as well.

(This article has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline)