Partha Chatterjee got into trouble after finding Rs 20 crore notes from her close aide Arpita Mukherjee’s residence.
Kolkata, First Published Jul 24, 2022, 6:51 AM IST
Kolkata: The questioning of West Bengal Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee, who was arrested by the ED in the teacher recruitment scam case, will continue. The proceedings are extended in the case of seeking treatment due to physical discomfort. The ED has decided to question him if he leaves the hospital. The court has granted two days to the ED for interrogation. ED’s contention is that the document recovered from the house of minister Partha Chatterjee’s aide Arpita Chatterjee contains documents clarifying the minister’s role. At the same time, the Trinamool Congress is repeating that it is a politically motivated move.
Partha Chatterjee was caught in the trap of finding Rs 20 crore notes from her close follower Arpita Mukherjee’s residence. After this, ED raided the house and arrested Partha.
20 crore rupees were recovered from Arpita’s house during the search conducted last day. The ED suspects that this amount is the proceeds of the recruitment scam in the West Bengal School Service Commission and the West Bengal Primary Education Board. Partha Chatterjee was the former education minister of Bengal. Therefore, ED suspects that he is involved in corruption. The incident has ignited a big controversy in Bengal politics. The money was found in 2000 and 500 notes from Arpita’s house. The counting was done with the help of a note counting machine.
Who is Arpita Mukherjee?
ED describes that Partha Chatterjee’s close friend is also a follower. Arpita Mukherjee is an actress who has played small roles in a few Bengali, Odia and Tamil films. He acted in two films with Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee. In 2019 and 2020, he spearheaded the promotional campaigns of Partha Chatterjee’s Durga Puja Committee’s Naktala Udayan Sangh. Partha Chatterjee’s committee is one of the largest Durga Puja committees in Kolkata.
Sources said Partha Chatterjee used to visit Arpita Mukherjee’s residence frequently. The ED is probing the illegal recruitment of non-teaching staff, teaching staff and primary teachers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The money was recovered when the ED conducted searches at various places related to the recruitment scam in West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board. The ED suspects that the amount recovered is the proceeds of the said scam.
More than 20 mobile phones have also been recovered from Arpita Mukherjee’s house. The ED has also recovered documents, documents, details of suspected companies, electronic devices, foreign currency and gold from various places of persons involved in the scam. The ED is also probing West Bengal Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee in connection with the case. ED officials have also raided the residence of Minister of State for Education Paresh Adhikari in Cooch Bihar district.
Last Updated Jul 24, 2022, 6:51 AM IST
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