Red Corner notice issued against Birbhum quarry owner Tulu Mondal in ₹3,000 crore scam
Synopsis
A Birbhum stone quarry owner accused of siphoning ₹3,000 crore in revenue is now the subject of a Red Corner notice after police found ₹28.5 crore in cash and 15 kg of gold at a relative's home. With a court deadline of 14 August, Tulu Mondal faces proclaimed offender status — and property confiscation — if he remains at large.
Key Takeaways
The Suri court in Birbhum approved a Red Corner notice against absconding quarry owner Tulu Mondal on Tuesday, 12 August .
Mondal has until Friday, 14 August to appear in court or be declared a proclaimed offender, triggering property confiscation.
Police recovered ₹28.5 crore in cash and approximately 15 kg of gold from the home of Mondal's relative Minar Mondal in Deucha village , Birbhum.
Mondal is alleged to have stolen revenue worth ₹3,000 crore over five years through the stone syndicate.
Three associates — Ripon Mondal , Sheikh Riazul Islam , and Sheikh Noor Alam — have been arrested and granted 10 days of police custody.
Defence counsel has argued that administrative officials from the relevant period should also face investigation.
A Red Corner notice has been issued against Birbhum-based stone quarry owner Tulu Mondal, who is accused of large-scale corruption allegedly carried out during the previous All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government era in West Bengal. The Suri court in Birbhum district approved the government's application on Tuesday, 12 August 2025, and police have so far been unable to locate the absconding businessman.
Court Deadline and Proclaimed Offender Risk
Public prosecutor Bibhas Chatterjee confirmed that Mondal has been given a deadline of Friday, 14 August to appear before the court. Should he fail to present himself within the stipulated time, he will be formally declared a proclaimed offender. Once that status is conferred, authorities can initiate the process of confiscating his properties. It has been alleged that Mondal siphoned revenue worth approximately ₹3,000 crore over the last five years through the stone syndicate.
Cash and Gold Haul That Triggered the Crackdown
The investigation gained momentum after police recovered ₹28.5 crore in cash from the residence of Tulu's relative Minar Mondal in Deucha village, Mohammadbazar police station, Birbhum. Separately, approximately 15 kg of gold was also seized during the raid. The recoveries placed Tulu Mondal firmly under the scanner of investigators, who have since been raiding multiple addresses linked to him and visiting the homes of his relatives and close associates.
Arrests and Police Custody
On Monday, 11 August, police arrested Ripon Mondal, a relative of Tulu, following a raid at his residence in Ausgram, East Burdwan district. He was produced before the Suri court on Tuesday. Two other accused — Sheikh Riazul Islam and Sheikh Noor Alam — were also presented in court, with police seeking custody. The judge granted 10 days of police custody for all three. An FIR has already been registered against Tulu Mondal, and investigators are keen to question him directly.
Defence Counsel Raises Accountability Concerns
The accused's lawyer Rafaul Haque argued in court that his clients were being selectively implicated. He contended that officials who held administrative positions during the relevant period should equally be brought under investigation — a line of argument that could complicate the state's prosecution strategy going forward.
What Happens Next
Search operations to trace Tulu Mondal's properties are ongoing, with police conducting raids across multiple locations. If he does not appear by 14 August, the proclaimed offender declaration will open the door to property attachment proceedings. The case is being watched closely as it implicates a sprawling stone quarry syndicate that allegedly operated under political cover during the previous administration.
Point of View
000 crore revenue theft from stone quarries points to a syndicate that could not have operated at this scale without systemic administrative complicity, a point Mondal's own defence lawyer has raised in court. The selective-prosecution argument is legally standard, but it carries political weight in a state where the ruling dispensation is eager to demonstrate a clean break from its predecessor. The real measure of institutional seriousness will be whether the investigation travels up the chain — to the officials and political figures who oversaw the quarry sector — or stops at the businessman currently in the headlines.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Red Corner notice issued against Tulu Mondal?
A Red Corner notice is a court-approved alert that flags an absconding accused and can be used to restrict movement and initiate legal proceedings. The Suri court in Birbhum district approved the notice against stone quarry owner Tulu Mondal on 12 August, after he failed to respond to an FIR registered against him in connection with alleged corruption during the previous TMC government era.
What is Tulu Mondal accused of?
Mondal is accused of stealing revenue worth approximately ₹3,000 crore over five years through a stone quarry syndicate allegedly operating under political cover. The case gained traction after ₹28.5 crore in cash and around 15 kg of gold were recovered from a relative's home in Birbhum.
What happens if Tulu Mondal does not appear in court by 14 August?
If Mondal does not appear before the Suri court by Friday, 14 August, he will be formally declared a proclaimed offender. That status enables authorities to begin the process of confiscating his properties under applicable law.
Who else has been arrested in the Birbhum stone quarry case?
Police have arrested three individuals linked to the syndicate: Ripon Mondal, a relative of Tulu, arrested from Ausgram in East Burdwan district; and Sheikh Riazul Islam and Sheikh Noor Alam. All three were produced in the Suri court and granted 10 days of police custody.
What argument has the defence raised in court?
Lawyer Rafaul Haque, representing the arrested accused, argued that his clients were being selectively implicated and contended that government officials who held administrative positions during the relevant period should also be brought under investigation.
