The Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned Trinamool Congress MP and actor Deepak Adhikari, who is popularly known by his screen name Dev, in connection with its probe into a multi-crore cattle smuggling racket operating along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, a source in the agency said.
The anti-corruption branch of the CBI asked the actor-turned-politician to appear before officials of the central agency on February 15 at its Nizam Palace office here, the source said.
“Dev’s name had surfaced several times during interrogation of those accused in the case,” the agency source said.
The CBI had earlier questioned several persons, including Bikash Mishra, brother of Binay Mishra, a businessman allegedly involved in the cattle smuggling racket, and considered close to the West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress.
The agency had also interrogated Enamul Haque, the prime accused of the case.
Both Bikash Mishra and Haque were taken to CBI custody, and the latter was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court.
Bikash Mishra was also arrested by another central agency Enforcement Directorate from Delhi on March 16 last year. The ED is investigating the money laundering aspect of the case.
An arrest warrant was issued against Binay Mishra in the cattle smuggling case as he has been absconding. Both the central agencies had earlier carried out searches at the residences of Mishra and his brother.
It is alleged that cattle smugglers were bribing BSF and Customs officials to keep their illegal business running. The CBI had also apprehended a former commandant of the 36 BSF Battalion for his alleged involvement in the racket.
The agency had filed a chargesheet against Haque and the BSF official in the case.
