Rs 20 crore in cash found at home of Trinamool minister Partha Chatterjee’s aide

Mangalore Today News Network

Kolkata, July 22, 2022: The Enforcement Directorate recovered cash amounting to approximately Rs 20 crores from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee, who is close associate of TMC minister Partha Chatterjee. The cash was recovered as the agency carried out search operations at various premises linked to recruitment scam in the West Bengal School Service Commission and West Bengal Primary Education Board.

During the course of searches, the ED recovered approximately Rs 20 crore cash from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee. The said amount is suspected to be proceeds of crime of said SSC Scam. Photos show Rs 500 and Rs 2000 denomination notes that have been recovered from Arpita Mukherjee’s home.

“The search team is taking the assistance of bank officials for the counting of cash through cash counting machines. A total of more than 20 mobile phones have also been recovered from the premises of Arpita Mukherjee, the purpose and use of which is being ascertained,” said the ED.

The ED has also recovered incriminating documents, records, details of dubious companies, electronic devices, foreign currency and gold from various premises of the persons linked to the scam.

The agency is also searching West Bengal minister and TMC leader Partha Chatterjee in connection with the case. ED officials have also launched a raid on MoS education Paresh Adhikari’s residence in Cooch Behar district. Both ministers have been questioned by the CBI for hours in the SSC recruitment scam case.

Along with the ministers, ED is also searching the premises of PK Bandopadhyay (former officer on special duty of Partha Chatterjee), Sukanta Acharjee (ex-personal secretary of Partha Chatterjee), Chandan Mondal @ Ranjan (agent in selling jobs of teachers), Kalyanmay Bhattacharya (son-in-law of Partha Bhattacharya), Krishna C. Adhikary (relative of Kalyanmay Bhattacharya), Dr SP Sinha (advisor of the West Bengal Central School Service Commission Convenor of the 5-member committee), Kalyanmoy Ganguly (ex-president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education), Saumitra Sarkar (ex-president of the West Bengal Central School Service Commission) and Alok Kumar Sarkar (deputy director, School Education Department).

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “TMC has no link with the money recovered in the raids. Ones whose names have cropped up in the investigation, it is their responsibility or their lawyers to answer questions. Trinamool is watching the development and will respond.”

SSC SCAM CASE

The Calcutta High Court, in a slew of writ petitions, had recently directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to carry out investigations into the recruitment scam of Group ‘C’ & ‘D’ staff, Assistant Teachers of classes IX-XII and primary teachers.

In these cases, involving illegal appointment of non-teaching staff (Group C & D), teaching staff [Assistant teachers (Class IX-XII) and teachers in Primary school, ED is investigating cases under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Courtesy: India Today