Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested heavyweight West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and her shut pal Arpita Mukherjee from their respective residences in south Kolkata on Saturday within the College Service Fee (SSC) jobs rip-off. After model-turned small-time actor Ms Mukherjee, identify of Monalisa Das, a professor of Bengali at Kazi Nazrul College at Asansol in Burdwan West, has come on ED’s radar due to her suspicious hyperlink with Mr Chatterjee.
Each Mr Chatterjee and Ms Mukherjee have been earlier detained and grilled within the case by the Central company throughout a raid and search at their respective properties since Friday morning. Mr Chatterjee is the state commerce and industries minister. He additionally holds the parliamentary affairs and data know-how portfolios in chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s Cupboard.
Mr Chatterjee can be an in depth aide of the Trinamul Congress supremo and the get together’s secretary common, one of many senior-rank members of the get together accountable for disciplinary issues within the organisation.
Early on Saturday, Mr Chatterjee was booked at his Naktala residence for not cooperating throughout a 27-hour-long questioning by the ED in its cash laundering probe into the allotment of presidency main faculty lecturers’ jobs in trade for a hefty amount of money from the candidates that occurred throughout his tenure because the state schooling minister.
Based on sources, Mr Chatterjee was evasive concerning the seizure of Rs 21.20 crore in money, Rs 79 lakh of jewelry, principally in gold and foreign exchange value Rs 54 lakhs from Ms Mukherjee’s flat at an upscale housing house in Tollygunge. The ED later transported the alleged “ill-gotten wealth”, suspected to be a part of the rip-off, in a truck carrying 40 metal trunks.
The central company additionally discovered the college schooling division’s envelopes used for bringing the money to Ms Mukherjee’s flat, in addition to proof of Mr Chatterjee’s common conversations together with her and his visits to her flat.
Caught on the again foot, the Trinamul Congress rapidly distanced itself from the controversy. Trinamul Congress state common secretary Kunal Ghosh claimed, “Our get together just isn’t concerned within the case anyway as a result of neither the wealth nor its proprietor and tackle of restoration belongs to our get together. Our get together and authorities will take steps in opposition to Mr Chatterjee provided that and when he’s discovered responsible by the judiciary.”
Mr Chatterjee, when requested about any talks between him and the CM, stated hopelessly, “I attempted to contact her however failed.” He was later produced earlier than the chief metropolitan Justice of the Peace of the Bankshall Court docket after a medical check-up at ESI Hospital in Joka.
The legal professionals for Mr Chatterjee prayed for his bail and his hospitalisation on the account of his ailing well being, whereas the ED appealed for his 14 days remand, submitting that the ill-gotten wealth seized from Ms Mukherjee’s flat was linked to him. The decide rejected the minister’s bail plea and remanded him in ED custody for 2 days.
The ED had deliberate to fly Mr Chatterjee to Bhubaneswar for additional interrogation. He was, nonetheless, admitted to SSKM Hospital. Within the night, Ms Mukherjee was arrested. Whereas leaving her flat, she angrily alleged, “I’ve completed nothing incorrect. This can be a large ploy by the BJP. The ED tortured me.”
Meeting Speaker Biman Banerjee stated, “We weren’t prepared for such an incident. Mr Chatterjee’s arrest will have an effect on parliamentary affairs work. It’s the constitutional obligation of the ED to tell me about its steps in opposition to any member of the Home. They need to do it.”
Attacking the TMC, Midnapore BJP MP Dilip Ghosh and Chief of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari known as Mr Chatterjee’s arrest the “tip of the iceberg”. Praising the ED, Mr Ghosh indicated that extra arrests will observe within the case.
Mr Ghosh alleged, “One girl was discovered to have three flats. Round 21 crores have been recovered from her. There’s one other girl whose identify is Monalisa. She additionally has hyperlinks with this case. She teaches at a college, lives in Santiniketan and owns 10 flats.”
