Bengal Police seal Tulu Mondal's house after ₹28 crore cash, 15 kg gold seized
Synopsis
West Bengal Police sealed the Suri home of absconding stone quarry owner Tulu Mondal — a key TMC-era figure in Birbhum — after his relative confessed to stashing ₹28 crore in cash and 15 kg of gold on his behalf. The gold was allegedly sourced illegally from Dubai, and the seizure revives scrutiny of the same political network implicated in the cattle smuggling case that jailed Anubrata Mondal in 2022.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal Police sealed the Suri residence of Tulu Mondal on 31 July after an overnight raid. ₹28 crore in unaccounted cash and 15 kg of gold (valued at ~ ₹22 crore ) were recovered from the home of his relative, Minar Mondal .
Minar reportedly confessed during interrogation that the assets belonged to Tulu, and that gold biscuits were illegally sourced from Dubai .
Tulu Mondal was a close associate of Anubrata Mondal , the former TMC Birbhum district president jailed by the CBI in August 2022 in the cattle smuggling case.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had previously raided Tulu's home and office in 2022 over illegal stone mining allegations.
Tulu Mondal remains absconding; central agencies including the ED and CBI may seek to join the investigation.
West Bengal Police on Friday, 31 July sealed the Suri residence of Birbhum-based stone quarry owner Tulu Mondal, a day after Birbhum District Police recovered ₹28 crore in unaccounted cash and 15 kilograms of gold — valued at approximately ₹22 crore — from the home of his close relative, Minar Mondal. Tulu Mondal, accused of corruption during the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, had reportedly absconded since Thursday's seizure.
Key Developments
A large contingent of Birbhum District Police descended on Tulu Mondal's residence in Suri on Thursday night and conducted an overnight raid. When officers found only a caretaker and domestic staff on the premises — no family members were present — they brought them out early Friday morning and sealed the main entrance. Police remained tight-lipped about what, if anything, was recovered during the nightlong search at Tulu's house.
What Minar Mondal Confessed
During interrogation, Minar Mondal — a bus driver with a state-run transport corporation who locals say was deeply involved in Tulu's stone-quarry operations — reportedly confessed that the seized cash and gold were owned by Tulu Mondal, and that he had merely been storing them at his residence. He also allegedly admitted that the gold biscuits were illegally sourced from Dubai. Following the confession, Minar was taken into custody while Tulu remained at large.
Who Is Tulu Mondal
During the previous Mamata Banerjee-led TMC regime, Tulu Mondal was widely regarded as a close confidant of Anubrata Mondal, the erstwhile TMC Birbhum district president. Tulu's name surfaced in the high-profile cattle smuggling case that led to Anubrata Mondal's arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in August 2022 — an incarceration that lasted several months. Separately, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided Tulu's home and office in 2022, accusing him of illegal stone mining.
Broader Pattern of Corruption Allegations
This is not the first time Birbhum district has been at the centre of a large-scale cash and asset seizure linked to political networks. The cattle smuggling case, the school jobs scam, and now this cash-and-gold haul point to a pattern of alleged systemic corruption during the previous TMC administration in the district. Notably, the combined value of the seized assets — over ₹50 crore — makes this one of the larger single-location recoveries in recent West Bengal history. With Tulu Mondal still absconding, investigators are expected to widen their net.
What Happens Next
Police have sealed Tulu Mondal's residence pending further investigation. Given the ED's prior interest in Tulu and the CBI's involvement in the linked cattle smuggling case, central agencies may seek to join the probe. The confession linking the gold to an illegal Dubai supply chain could also attract scrutiny from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). Authorities are yet to formally announce charges or confirm whether an arrest warrant has been issued for Tulu Mondal.
Point of View
The same political network, and the same central agencies keep reappearing — from cattle smuggling to illegal mining to now a Dubai gold pipeline. What is striking is the scale: ₹50 crore in combined assets held by a bus driver acting as a proxy. The real question is how far up the chain investigators will go this time, and whether state police — operating under a changed political dispensation — will cooperate fully with the ED and CBI or treat this as a contained local matter.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was found at Minar Mondal's house in Birbhum?
Birbhum District Police recovered ₹28 crore in unaccounted cash and 15 kilograms of gold valued at approximately ₹22 crore from the residence of Minar Mondal, a close relative of stone quarry owner Tulu Mondal. Minar reportedly confessed during interrogation that the assets belonged to Tulu and that the gold biscuits were illegally sourced from Dubai.
Why did police seal Tulu Mondal's house?
West Bengal Police sealed Tulu Mondal's Suri residence on 31 July after an overnight raid, following Minar Mondal's confession that the seized cash and gold were owned by Tulu. Tulu had reportedly absconded after Thursday's seizure at his relative's home.
Who is Tulu Mondal and what is his political connection?
Tulu Mondal is a Birbhum-based stone quarry owner who was a close associate of Anubrata Mondal, the former TMC Birbhum district president. His name surfaced in the cattle smuggling case that led to Anubrata Mondal's CBI arrest in August 2022, and the Enforcement Directorate raided his properties in 2022 over illegal stone mining allegations.
Who is Minar Mondal?
Minar Mondal is a close relative of Tulu Mondal who worked as a bus driver in a state-run transport corporation. Locals reportedly say he was also involved in Tulu's stone-quarry business. He was taken into custody after allegedly confessing to storing Tulu's cash and gold at his residence.
Which central agencies could get involved in the Tulu Mondal case?
Given the Enforcement Directorate's prior interest in Tulu Mondal and the CBI's involvement in the linked cattle smuggling case, both agencies may seek to join the investigation. The alleged Dubai connection in the gold supply chain could also draw scrutiny from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
