Bengal SSC Scam Case: ED Seizes Over Rs 15 Crore Cash, Gold Bars From Minister’s Aide Home in Belgharia

Bengal SSC Scam Case Updates: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) interrogated West Bengal minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Partha Chatterjee and his alleged associate Arpita Mukherjee who were arrested in connection with the school jobs scam and remanded to ED custody till August 3.

The agency also issued summons to Manik Bhattacharya, TMC MLA and former president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE), for questioning in connection with the alleged irregularities in SSC recruitments. Bhattacharya was questioned on Wednesday.

Partha Chatterjee was on Tuesday morning brought to Kolkata from Odisha after a go-ahead from AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday. Chatterjee was taken straightaway  to the ED office at the CGO complex in Kolkata, where he was questioned.

Meanwhile, amid growing opposition demands for the industry minister’s removal from the state cabinet, Chatterjee’s official car, used by him for over 15 years, was on Tuesday deposited in the West Bengal Assembly.

LATEST UPDATES IN WEST BENGAL SSC SCAM PROBE:

Huge amount of cash found from another house of Arpita Mukherjee

Sources said that the ED has recovered a huge amount of cash amounting to Rs 15 crore from Mukherjee’s another residence in Kolkata. Four counting machines were brought to Mukherjee’s flat in Belgharia, indicating that the amount might be bigger than the previous recovery when the agency found Rs 21 crore in cash from one of her residential premises. These machines were brought from SBI Regional HQ in Kolkata.

Sources said besides cash, gold ornaments, gold bars, property deeds and property-related documents have been seized by the ED.

-Property Linked to Arpita Registered Under Wrong Address, Finds ED During Raid

A team of ED officials has also raided a property registered under the name ‘Echhay Entertainment’, deed documents of which were seized from the house of Arpita Mukherjee last week.

Upon reaching the said address at the Rajdanga area of Kasba in South Kolkata, it was found that the property was registered under a false address. The true owner of the said property is currently lodging a complaint with the ED.

-Bengal CM Mamata Slams ‘Media Trial’, Refers to CJI’s ‘Kangaroo Court’ Remark

Referring to the recent remarks by CJI NV Ramana of “kangaroo courts” being propagated by media are affecting justice delivery, Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said: “Right to make blunder is there. If somebody has done mistake, if legally proved, then action will take place”. Mamata slammed ‘media trial’ saying everyone is being made a thief.

She referred to CJI’s remarks and said “media playing kangaroo court”.

Mamata Banerjee reiterated that those proven guilty will face action.

-‘Partha Chatterjee Used My House As Mini Bank’, Says Arpita Mukherjee

Arpita Mukherjee has reporedly claimed that TMC minister Partha Chatterjee used to stash money in her house and treat it like a “mini-bank”.

Arpita Mukherjee has told the Enforcement Directorate that “all the money used to be stashed in one room that only Partha Chatterjee and his people entered,” an NDTV report quoted sources as saying.

The above mentioned sources also said that Arpita Mukherjee has claimed that the minister used to visit her home every week or every 10 days. “Partha used my house and that of another woman as a mini-bank. That other woman is also his close friend,” Arpita Mukherjee said.

Meanwhile, Partha Chattejree and Arpita Mukherjee have been taken to ESI Hospital in Joka in the southern fringes of Kolkata for routine checkup.

-ED Raids Arpita Mukherjee’s Ancestral Property in North 24 Parganas

One of the places ED is raiding today in connection with the SSC scam is Arpita Mukherjee’s ancestral property in the Belghoria area of North 24 Parganas district.

Arpita’s mother stays in this apartment all by herself.

Raids are also being conducted in two flats owned by Arpita Mukherjee in an upscale apartment complex in the Rathtala area of North 24 Parganas’s Belghoria.

-ED To Conduct Fresh Raids in SSC Scam Case Today

The ED will be conducting fresh raids/search ops in Kolkata today in the SSC scam case. Five separate teams have left the agency’s Salt Lake office for the raids.

-TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya Reaches ED Office for Questioning

TMC MLA and Bengal primary education board president Manik Bhattacharya has reached ED office in Salt Lake for questioning in connection with the SSC scam case. Bhattacharya was summoned by the probe agency on Tuesday.

-Partha Chatterjee, Arpita Mukherjee Likely to be Taken for Routine Medical Checkup Today

Both Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee could be taken out of the ED office today for their routine medical check up, as directed by court. However, there are also chanced that the ED may call a medical team to do the job at the office premises as well. Both of them are in ED custody in connection with the SSC scam case till August 3.

-Partha Chatterjee’s Official Car Deposited in Assembly

Amid the growing demands for the removal of arrested West Bengal Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee from the cabinet, his official car, used by him for over 15 years, was on Tuesday deposited in the state Assembly, officials said. Chatterjee, also secretary general of the ruling Trinamool Congress, was allotted the car and a driver by the Assembly as the Leader of the Opposition in 2006.

After the TMC came to power in 2011 and he became a minister, he continued to use the car and the driver until the other day. His driver was verbally asked to return the car to the Assembly,” news agency PTI quoted a senior assembly official as saying.

Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee also confirmed the development but asserted that it does not imply anything”. “The car was taken from the pool of cars owned by the Assembly. The driver is also an employee of the Assembly. As Partha Chatterjee is in custody and is not using it, his driver has deposited it in the Assembly. I think the driver did it on his own, but still, I will check tomorrow,” he said.

-ED Summons TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya in Recruitment Scam Case

The ED on Tuesday summoned TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya in connection with the SSC scam case, sources said. Bhattacharya, who is an MLA from Nadia district and the ex-president of West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, has been asked to depose before the officials of ED at CGO complex at 12 noon on Wednesday. ED has already conducted search operations in Bhattacharya’s residential premises on July 22 along with those of others allegedly involved in the recruitment scam.

-Dial ‘M’ to Get Ghosted? Chatterjee’s 4 Calls to ‘Friend, Philosopher, Guide’ Mamata Went Unanswered

At 2.32 am, 2.33 am, 3.35 am and 9.35 am – This is the log of West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee’s unanswered calls to Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee as he was being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 23 in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) scam. Read more

-ED Grills Partha Chatterjee, His Aide Arpita Mukherjee

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday grilled arrested West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and his alleged associate Arpita Mukherjee who were arrested in connection with the school jobs scam.

While Chatterjee was produced before the special court through the virtual mode as per a Calcutta High Court order, Mukherjee, from whose house crores of rupees was allegedly found during a raid by the ED, was physically produced before it. The high court had on Sunday directed that Chatterjee be taken to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, for a medical check-up by specialists of various departments on Monday.

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