Kolkata: What looked like an ordinary two-storey house in Birbhum's Mohammad Bazar in West Bengal turned into a spectacle late Tuesday night, as police unearthed piles of cash, gold bars and even currency-counting machines.
By Wednesday evening, officers were still tallying the haul, over Rs 5.5 crore in cash and 15 kg of gold seized from the residence of Minar Mondal, a relative of stone trader Tulu Mondal.
Minar, once a bus driver with the state transport department, is now linked to multiple stone quarries and crushing units. His sudden wealth has raised eyebrows, especially given Tulu Mondal's proximity to former Trinamool strongman Anubrata Mondal, who recently joined Ritabrata Banerjee's rebel camp.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari hailed the raid as part of his government's "zero-tolerance" drive against corruption, calling it a precise strike on the "sand mafia." Senior police officials led the operation, though the exact trigger for the raid remains undisclosed.
Political mudslinging has followed, with rival TMC factions trading charges over Anubrata's alleged closeness to the accused. The seizure has also revived memories of Tulu Mondal's extravagant Rs 100-crore wedding in 2024, attended by Bengali and Bollywood stars.
For now, Birbhum is buzzing with one question: how did a former bus driver amass such staggering wealth? Investigations continue.