Rs 20 Crore & More: ED’s Second Cash Haul from Bengal Minister Aide's Belgharia Home

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday seized over Rs 20 crore in cash, gold ornaments, gold bars, property deeds and property-related documents during a raid at West Bengal teacher recruitment scam accused Arpita Mukherjee’s another residence in Kolkata suburb, Belgharia.

This comes days after the agency seized Rs 21 crore cash from one of the several residential premises of Mukherjee’s, which it said was suspected to be the proceeds of the SSC scam.

Sources said four counting machines were brought by the ED to Mukherjee’s flat in Belgharia to count the money seized. These machines were brought from SBI Regional HQ in Kolkata.

ED sources said that the seized gold bars and jewellery have so far been valued at Rs 2 crore, but the valuation may increase.

Mukherjee is Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee’s aide, both of whom were arrested last Saturday for their alleged involvement in the scam. They were remanded in ED custody till August 3.

Following the latest seizure, Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar slammed the TMC, saying that “this is just a tip of iceberg”.

Earlier in the day, reports stated that Mukherjee claimed before the ED that Chatterjee used to stash money in her house and treat it like a “mini-bank”. Mukherjee reportedly has told the Enforcement Directorate that “all the money used to be stashed in one room where only Partha Chatterjee and his people entered.

The reports also stated that 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,” Mukherjee said.

Meanwhile, Chatterjee — who held the education portfolio — on Wednesday countered repeated queries by the media on whether he would resign in view of his arrest by retorting why he should do so. He was approached by the media outside the ESI hospital at Joka in the city where he was taken this morning along with Arpita Mukherjee for a routine medical check-up before being interrogated by the ED.

To repeated questions by reporters on whether he is considering resigning from the post of a minister, a visibly irritated Chatterjee shot back “What is the reason (to tender the resignation)?”

During his interrogation, Chatterjee, as reported by News18.com, replied with “I don’t know”, “I can’t say” and “I can’t remember”. These were his standard responses to the ED.

A group of investigating officers said the minister has been quizzed repeatedly on the school jobs scam since Friday. However, for the first time on Tuesday, Chatterjee said he wanted to cooperate with the ED officials, according to an ED source. Asked who gave the recommendations for job appointments, the minister’s reply was that “recommendations came from all levels”, said the source.

(With PTI inputs)

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