Birbhum police raid aides of absconding stone quarry kingpin Tulu Mondal

On Sunday, Birbhum district police in Bengal conducted raids on the residences and offices of several individuals linked to Md Nazibuddin, also known as Tulu Mondal, a fugitive leader in the illegal stone quarry and sand business. The investigation aimed to uncover his tactics which led to significant revenue loss for the state, potentially amounting to hundreds of crores during the Trinamool Congress regime.

Closure notices were issued to eight stone quarries for operating without a valid license. Notably, Mondal's nephew SK Wasim was apprehended in Siliguri on Friday while attempting to escape to Nepal. The police executed search operations over two days, targeting relatives and associates of Mondal. The operation commenced on Wednesday, when they confiscated 15kg of gold bars and ₹28.05 crore from the home of Mondal's cousin, leading to the arrest of his husband, a retired state bus driver.

Subsequently, ₹93 crore was frozen from Mondal's bank accounts, and 242 vehicles, including more than 100 dumpers and several luxury cars, were seized. At least 21 properties were also sealed. Mondal began his career as a laborer in 2010-11, eventually acquiring multiple stone quarries due to his connections with influential politicians.

By 2020, his company collected toll tax from approximately 2000 trucks daily, delivering stones and sand from Birbhum. The police suspect that Mondal invested in properties in Dubai and may have fled there. The West Bengal chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari, accused his predecessor, Mamata Banerjee, of enabling Mondal's wealth accumulation by providing direct support.

Adhikari announced that the state had collected ₹82 crore in the first month of the current regime, significantly higher than the ₹100 crore that reached the state exchequer under the previous administration.