Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the multi-crore monetary rip-off associated to recruitment irregularities within the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on Saturday arrested Arpita Mukherjee, an in depth aide of former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee.

The ED transfer got here hours after Chatterjee, who’s at present the state Commerce and Industries Minister, was arrested by the monetary probe company in the identical case on Saturday morning.

Mukherjee’s arrest from her residence in South Kolkata was formally introduced by the ED at 5.14 p.m. on Saturday, about seven hours after the probe company nabbed Chatterjee.

The ED sleuths stated that because it is not going to be potential to current her at any court docket on Saturday and Sunday, for these two days she can be lodged on the ED’s workplace within the CGO complicated in Salt Lake.

Incidentally, Chatterjee, following an order handed by a decrease court docket, may also be lodged on the identical ED workplace earlier than being produced at a particular PMLA court docket on Monday.

ED officers stated that within the interim interval, company sleuths will combine the duo by putting them head to head.

While the ED sleuths had been taking away Mukherjee from her residence, she stored saying “I am innocent. I am being unnecessarily framed by the BJP”.

It is learnt that the ED has recovered money and different objects price over Rs 40 crore from Mukherjee’s residence, together with money in Indian and foreign exchange, gold ornaments, gross sales deeds of eight flats and two high-end Apple iPhones, amongst others.

According to ED sources, Mukherjee was a small-time actress in Odia films. However, her fortunes modified after she was launched to Chatterjee six years again following which the 2 had been steadily noticed collectively at completely different public programmes.

She was even noticed on the inauguration of a Durga Puja the place Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was additionally current.

Mukherjee reportedly advised the ED sleuths that she was launched to Chatterjee by an actual property promoter.

As per data out there with the ED, she occasion went to a overseas tour with Chatterjee, when the latter was the state Education Minister.

Mukherjee’s late father was a Central authorities officer. After his sudden demise, a job provide was additionally made to Mukherjee on compassionate grounds. However, she refused to simply accept the provide and claimed that she meant to make a profession within the silver display screen.

(IANS)