The Birbhum Money Trail: Major Cash and Gold Seizure
Indiadailyupdate.com – The Birbhum money trail has taken a dramatic turn as West Bengal’s Birbhum District Police uncovered a massive cache of unaccounted wealth from the residence of Minar Mondal. Minar, who serves as the brother-in-law of Tullu Mondal—an influential stone quarry proprietor and businessman currently at large—was found hiding substantial assets. The investigation team completed their meticulous count on Thursday morning, confirming that the total cash recovered surpassed ₹28 crore. Alongside the currency notes, officers confiscated 15 kilograms of gold bullion valued at more than ₹21 crore in the open market, marking one of the largest seizures in the district’s recent history.
Arrest and Investigation Details
Minar Mondal was taken into custody on Thursday morning while police personnel transported heavy trunks filled with the seized assets from his residence. He is scheduled to appear before a district court in Suri later that same day for further proceedings. According to Bidit Raj Bundesh, the Superintendent of Police for Birbhum, Minar initially refused to explain the origin of the money and gold during preliminary questioning. However, he subsequently conceded that these substantial assets were connected to a syndicate-driven criminal organization operating in the region.
This significant discovery occurs within a broader law enforcement push targeting suspected illegal mining operations and financial irregularities across Birbhum district. The area has faced persistent scrutiny regarding allegations of unauthorized quarrying and organized crime tied to the thriving stone industry. Authorities received crucial intelligence about the hidden wealth while interrogating seven suspected dacoits who were apprehended the previous week. Following this valuable lead, a comprehensive search was initiated at Minar’s house on Wednesday afternoon and extended through Thursday morning, ultimately revealing the hidden fortune.
Reports indicate that Minar previously worked as a driver for the North Bengal State Transport Corporation before departing the position several years ago to enter the lucrative stone business managed by Tullu Mondal. A source informed PTI that Minar allegedly oversaw one of seven toll gates in the region, collecting payments from trucks transporting stone from quarries. “He is likely to have diverted a large amount of cash meant for government coffers, and this is a portion of that wealth that the police have now recovered,” the source stated confidently.
He is likely to have diverted a large amount of cash meant for government coffers, and this is a portion of that wealth that the police have now recovered.
Investigators are now expected to explore whether Tullu Mondal maintained any direct connection to the cash and gold found at Minar’s residence. Tullu is a close associate of Anubrata Mondal, the former Trinamool Congress district president in Birbhum, who recently aligned with the rebel faction headed by Ritabrata Banerjee. Tullu’s name had previously emerged in relation to a cattle smuggling case within the state. In August 2022, an agency conducted searches at multiple properties belonging to him, including his office and storage facility located in the Mohammad Bazar area. He was subsequently arrested by Birbhum Police concerning a murder case filed in October 2022. A police source noted that after obtaining bail, Tullu went into hiding following the announcement of state election results in May of this year.
The seizure has been compared to the recovery of nearly ₹50 crore in unaccounted cash, alongside gold ornaments and foreign currency, from properties associated with Arpita Mukherjee—a close aide of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee. That discovery took place during Enforcement Directorate raids in July 2022, connected to the state’s school jobs recruitment scandal. This parallel has strengthened the belief that the Birbhum money trail may reveal deeper connections within the state’s political and business networks, potentially leading to further arrests and revelations in the coming weeks.
