Legal

Calcutta HC seeks status report on 11 criminal cases against TMC MLA Dilip Mondal

The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the West Bengal government to file a report on 11 criminal cases filed against arrested TMC MLA Dilip Mondal.

A vacation bench of Justice Shampa Dutt (Paul) asked the state government to file the status report before a regular bench after the court reopens following the summer break.

Mondal moved the high court seeking the quashing of the criminal cases filed against him.

The Bishnupur South MLA of the opposition TMC was apprehended from Puri in Odisha and brought to West Bengal in connection with the criminal cases against him.

The state's counsel informed the court that Mondal was under custody in connection with 11 criminal cases against him.

The arrest comes days after a video of Mondal went viral on social media, in which he was heard purportedly issuing threats to workers and supporters of West Bengal BJP and making provocative remarks.

The police had initiated a search operation after a complaint was lodged over the remarks allegedly made during a TMC victory rally on May 11.

A case was registered against him over charges related to provocation and threatening workers of the opponent party, police sources said.

As part of the investigation, the police had earlier conducted searches at two properties linked to Mondal in Pailan, on the southern fringes of Kolkata.

The searches had also triggered a political storm after images of the MLA’s lavish residence surfaced on social media.

The sprawling property, featuring landscaped gardens and a large swimming pool, sparked widespread discussion online, with many comparing it to a luxury resort.

Mondal, a former minister of state between 2016 and 2021, retained the Bishnupur assembly seat in South 24 Parganas in the last election.