Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested heavyweight West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and his shut pal Arpita Mukherjee from their respective residences in south Kolkata on Saturday within the School Service Commission (SSC) jobs rip-off. After model-turned small-time actor Ms Mukherjee, identify of Monalisa Das, a professor of Bengali at Kazi Nazrul University at Asansol in Burdwan West, has come on ED’s radar due to her suspicious hyperlink with Mr Chatterjee.

Both 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 Cabinet. 

Mr Chatterjee can be an in depth aide of the Trinamul Congress supremo and the get together’s secretary basic, 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 major faculty academics’ jobs in alternate for a hefty amount of money from the candidates that came about throughout his tenure because the state training minister.

According to sources, Mr Chatterjee was evasive in regards to the seizure of Rs 21.20 crore in money, Rs 79 lakh of jewelry, largely in gold and foreign exchange value Rs 54 lakhs from Ms Mukherjee’s flat at an upscale housing residence 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 training 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 shortly distanced itself from the controversy. Trinamul Congress state basic secretary Kunal Ghosh claimed, “Our party is not involved in the case anyway because neither the wealth nor its owner and address of recovery belongs to our party. Our party and government will take steps against Mr Chatterjee only if and when he is found guilty by the judiciary.”

Mr Chatterjee, when requested about any talks between him and the CM, mentioned hopelessly, “I tried to contact her but failed.” He was later produced earlier than the chief metropolitan Justice of the Peace of the Bankshall Court 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. In the night, Ms Mukherjee was arrested. While leaving her flat, she angrily alleged, “I have done nothing wrong. This is a big ploy by the BJP. The ED tortured me.”

Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee mentioned, “We were not ready for such an incident. Mr Chatterjee’s arrest will affect parliamentary affairs work. It is the constitutional obligation of the ED to inform me about its steps against any member of the House. They should do it.”

Attacking the TMC, Midnapore BJP MP Dilip Ghosh and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari referred to as Mr Chatterjee’s arrest the “tip of the iceberg”. Praising the ED, Mr Ghosh indicated that extra arrests will comply with within the case. 

Mr Ghosh alleged, “One woman was found to have three flats. Around 21 crores were recovered from her. There is another woman whose name is Monalisa. She also has links with this case. She teaches at a university, lives in Santiniketan and owns 10 flats.”

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