Raid At Bengal Ex-Bus Driver's Home Unearths Rs 5 Crore Cash, 15-kg Gold, And Politics

Piles of cash, gold bars and currency counting machines - an apparently normal-looking two-storey building of Birbhum's Mohammad Bazar has been grabbing eyeballs since late Tuesday night.

As of Wednesday evening, money was still being counted at the residence of a relative of Tulu Mondal - a stone trader and close associate of former Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal, who joined the rebel camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee earlier this month.

The raid began late at night at the house of Minar Mondal and police said over Rs 5.5 crore in cash and 15 kg gold were recovered. Minar Mondal, they added, is involved in the stone trade and is linked to several stone quarries and crushing units owned by Tulu Mondal.

Several senior police officials, leading a large contingent of personnel, were present at the scene throughout the operation. However, the police have not yet officially disclosed the exact reason for the raid or whether it is connected to any alleged illegal financial transactions or other unlawful activities.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Wednesday that his government's drive against corruption will continue with a "zero-tolerance policy".

"Commendable job by our Law Enforcement personnel for the crackdown on Sand Mafia. Following a precise operation based on source-based information, Birbhum Police conducted a major raid under Mohammad Bazar PS targeting the hideout of illegal sand mafia Tullu Mondal alias Mohd Nazibuddin. The operation has uncovered staggering amounts of illegally amassed wealth: Cash Recovered So Far: Rs 5.5 crore, with counting still ongoing. Gold Recovered: 15 kg," Adhikari wrote in a post on X.

Commendable job by our Law Enforcement personnel for the crackdown on Sand Mafia.

Following a precise operation based on source based information, Birbhum Police conducted a major raid under Mohammad Bazar PS targeting the hideout of illegal sand mafia Tullu Mondal alias Mohd… pic.twitter.com/Ln4XJCWKKY

— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) July 29, 2026

"West Bengal Govt's ongoing drive against the corrupt will go on with 'Zero Tolerance Policy against Corruption' as our guiding principle. Let it be unequivocally clear: no person with a chequered past who has amassed wealth through the exploitation of public resources and hobnobbing with the then ruling political party will be spared. Public wealth belongs to the people, and those who loot it will face the full might of the law. Vigilance and uncompromising action will continue. Crackdown on mafia syndicates will go on," he added.

Sources said Minar was a former state transport department employee and used to work as a bus driver before entering the stone business. They noted it remains unclear how he amassed such a large sum of money and the sources of his income are being investigated.

Trinamool vs Trinamool

Political mudslinging has followed, with both factions of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) levelling serious allegations against each other over Anubrata Mondal's alleged closeness to the accused.

"That is why questions are being raised about certain leaders who have become 'good Trinamool' - seemingly just to stash away this hidden wealth. I hear that the individuals from whose homes the cash was recovered are close associates of such 'model' leaders. The truth must be brought to light. If necessary, the police should interrogate those leaders," TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh told NDTV.

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said, "Birbhum has always been regarded as the exclusive turf of some former Trinamool minister and the 'Tiger of Birbhum'; no one else could gain a foothold there. The chief minister should now investigate and uncover the extent of the connection between the accused and these influential figures".

TMC MLA Prasun Banerjee, who is aligned with the Ritabrata faction, appeared to point fingers at the other group.

"The police should be credited for such a huge cash recovery based on inputs. Police should also investigate whose money this is and who were involved in it," he said.

Big Fat Wedding

The seizure has also brought the spotlight back on a lavish wedding Tulu Mondal had organised for his daughter, inviting Bengali and Bollywood actors, in Birbhum's Suri in 2024.

Sources said the total expenditure for the wedding amounted to Rs 100 crore and the guest list included actors such as Ankush Hazra, Darshana Banik, Arbaaz Khan and Zareen Khan.