West Bengal: The wedding of a businessman’s daughter in Birbhum raises questions about the source of wealth

In West Bengal’s Birbhum district, a businessman hosted a grand wedding for his daughter, attracting celebrities from the Hindi and Bengali film industries. The extravagant affair has made many compare it to the wedding of Anant Ambani, the son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani.

However, the lavish event sparked political controversy, with questions about the source of the large funds spent on the celebration.

Tulu Mandal, a businessman from Birbhum district in West Bengal, is reportedly a close associate of Trinamool Congress chief in Birbhum, Anubrata Mondal, who was arrested in 2022 in connection with a cattle smuggling case.

Mandal, a stone dealer, also faced allegations of involvement in a cattle smuggling operation. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided his house in August 2022 and later summoned him to Delhi for interrogation.

On December 28, Mandal hosted a lavish wedding reception for his daughter in Suri, Birbhum. The grand event featured a venue modeled after the famous five-star Taj Lake Palace hotel in Udaipur.

The wedding was attended by prominent celebrities, including Bollywood actor and director Arbaaz Khan, actress Zareen Khan and singer Monali Thakur, along with Bengali film stars Ankush Hazra, Sumeet Ganguly and Darshana Banik.

Singer Monali Thakur performed at the extravagant wedding, while actor Ankush Hazra, who was also present, said: “I can’t talk about that…it’s just a professional trip.”

Reports indicate that hotels across Surrey city and Birbhum district were fully booked to accommodate the guests who attended the event.

Meanwhile, the BJP and Left parties strongly criticized the businessman, alleging that he is also a member of the Trinamool Congress.

Birbhum BJP leader Drupa Saha expressed doubts about the event, saying, “I am not aware of the budget, but I am amazed to see Salman Khan’s brother attending a wedding in Birbhum for the first time. It is amazing that such high-profile guests are attending a wedding.” Local and I suspect there may be unaccounted money.”

“We are all aware of Tulu Mondal’s ties with the Trinamool Congress and agencies have raided his house in the past. I also heard that the groom’s family has ties with cattle smuggling,” he further claimed.

CPI(M) district secretary Gautam Ghosh raised concerns over Tulu Mandal’s finances, saying, “I am not concerned about his past actions, but the administration and police must wonder how he can afford such an extravagant wedding.”

“If he is not associated with the Trinamool, how can he spend so lavishly? We cannot deny that the Trinamool leaders have illegal sources of income, which enables them to spend money like this. These leaders need to explain the source,” he added. Of his income, given the huge spending on this wedding.”