West Bengal: Birbhum businessman's daughter's extravagant wedding ceremony raises questions on wealth source

In West Bengal's Birbhum district, a businessman hosted a grand wedding for his daughter, drawing celebrities from both the Hindi and Bengali film industries. The extravagant affair left many comparing it to the high-profile wedding of Anant Ambani, the son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani.

However, the lavish event has sparked a political controversy, with questions about the source of the substantial funds reportedly spent on the celebration.

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

Mandal, a stone trader, has also faced allegations of involvement in the cattle smuggling racket. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid at his residence in August 2022 and later summoned him to Delhi for questioning.

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

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

Singer Monali Thakur performed at the extravagant wedding, while actor Ankush Hazra, who was also present, remarked, "I can't talk about it... It's just a professional trip."

Reports suggest that hotels across Suri city and the Birbhum district were fully booked to accommodate the guests attending the event.

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

Birbhum BJP leader Dhruba Saha expressed skepticism about the event, stating, "I'm unaware of the budget, but I'm surprised to see Salman Khan's brother attending a wedding in Birbhum for the first time. It's astonishing that such high-profile guests are attending a local wedding. I suspect there may be unaccounted funds at play."

He further alleged, "We're all aware of Tulu Mondal's connections to the Trinamool Congress, and his house has been raided by agencies in the past. I've also heard that the groom's family has ties to cattle smuggling."

CPI(M) district secretary Goutam Ghosh raised concerns about Tulu Mandal's financial resources, stating, "I'm not interested in his past actions, but the administration and police should be questioning how he could afford such an extravagant wedding."

He added, "If he's not associated with the Trinamool, then how can he spend so lavishly? We can't deny that Trinamool leaders have illegal sources of income, which enables them to spend money like this. These leaders need to explain the source of his income, given the massive expenditure on this wedding."