Birbhum police have recovered Rs 15.75 crore in cash and 15 kg of gold during a raid at Mohammadbazar. The search operation, which began early Wednesday morning, targeted the residence of Meenar Mondal, a relative of alleged stone mafia figure Tulu Mondal. Police officials claim this as one of the largest seizures in the district recently.
Cash has been recovered from at least 20 bags, with five currency-counting machines deployed on-site to process the large volume. Alongside the cash, 15 kg of gold has also been seized from the premises. Authorities have begun investigating the source of the assets.
The raid was conducted by a special team led by Additional SP (Headquarters) Nilesh Shrikant Gaikwad, with personnel from multiple police stations participating.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari took to X (formerly Twitter) and expressed gratitude, congratulating the Director General of Police and the Birbhum Superintendent of Police. He reiterated the state government’s “zero-tolerance” stance on corruption.
He also said that the operation was carried out with “speed, professionalism, and firm action” and warned that individuals who amassed illegal wealth by exploiting public resources.
Police sources said Meenar is among those relatives who allegedly prospered under the patronage of Tulu. The latter was considered as an influential figure in Birbhum during TMC’s regime.
Once a bus driver, Tulu is accused of building a vast network of illegal stone quarrying and sand trading operations over the past 15 years.
Investigators claim that he controlled nearly 250 illegal stone quarries across Mohammadbazar, Nalhati, and Deucha-Pachami areas, allegedly running a multi-crore business using fake Daily Collection Receipts (DCRs). Allegations have also surfaced regarding the political and administrative support he had.
BJP MLA Krishnakanta Saha welcomed the crackdown, stating that “the era of mafia rule has ended” and praised the government’s anti-corruption stance.
The case also has a history of scrutiny by central agencies. The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had previously conducted joint raids at properties linked to Tulu in connection with cattle and coal smuggling cases. He had been summoned multiple times for questioning, including appearances at Nizam Palace in Kolkata and before the ED’s office in Delhi.
Police had earlier arrested him in November 2022 following a case registered at Mohammadbazar police station. The arrest came amid wider investigations into alleged links between illegal mining networks and high-profile TMC leaders.
Birbhum Police have not issued an official statement yet. Legal proceedings are expected once the seizure process is completed and the source of the recovered assets is established.
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