A PMLA court in Kolkata on Wednesday remanded former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and aide Arpita Mukherjee in ED custody till August 5 in connection with the teacher recruitment scam.
After a 10-day custodial interrogation of Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee, the Enforcement Directorate produced the duo before a PMLA court in Kolkata today and prayed for further remand.
Earlier in the day, a team of ED officials raided Apa, the property in Santiniketan jointly purchased by arrested former minister Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee. Sources said that a raid is also likely to happen today at Pingla, West Midnapore at the former education minister’s school.
During the ED custody period, the agency recovered a whopping 27.9 crore rupees in cash and gold worth another 4.3 crores from one of Arpita’s apartments besides property papers and other incriminating evidence allegedly linking the two to the scam and taking the overall recoveries to more than Rs 50 crores. Several other properties have also been searched and evidences were reportedly gathered.
Both Arpita Mukherjee and Partha Chatterjee have claimed that they have no knowledge of the seized cash and valuables. While Chatterjee has alleged being a “victim of conspiracy”, his aide has stated that the cash was placed at her flats without her presence and knowledge.
Meanwhile, CM Mamata Banerjee effected a reshuffle of her cabinet today and redistribute Chatterjee’s portfolios. Eight new ministers, including former BJP MP Babul Supriyo, were inducted.
The new ministers took oath, while adivasi minister Birbaha Hansda took a fresh oath after being promoted to minister with independent charge. Those who took oath were Supriyo, Snehasish Chakroborty, Partha Bhowmick, Udayan Guha and Pradeep Majumdar as ministers in charge; Hansda and Roychoudhury as ministers with independent charge; and Tajmul Hussain and Satyajit Burman as ministers of state.
Here are the updates in the Bengal SSC scam case:
• ED officials are taking Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee to ESI Joka for medical tests and will be taken to court directly from the hospital. Security for both has been tightened at ESI Joka in the aftermath of the chappal throwing incident on Tuesday. A huge police force is reportedly present at ESI.
•A team of ED officials to raid properties belonging to Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee in Santiniketan. Sources said the ED is also likely to visit the former education minister’s school at Pingla, West Midnapore.
• As their 10-day custodial period ends, the ED will produce Chatterjee and Mukherjee before a PMLA court today. The ED is likely to seek extended custody for two more days and will produce evidence of joint financial interest of both. Officials have found a partnership deed during searches which reveal that both accused are 50 percent partners.
• TMC sources told News18 Ballygunge MLA Babul Supriyo, Naihati legislator Partha Bhowmick, Zakir Hussain from Murshidabad, Biplab Roy Chowdhury of West Panskura, Udayan Guha from Dinhata, Satyajit Barman from Hemtabad, Pradeep Majumdar from Durgapur East, and Snehasis Chakraborty from Jangipara are likely to get cabinet berths.
• The ED raided a 3BHK flat owned by Arpita Mukherjee on Tuesday and discovered 3 beds in each room. Officials are yet to find out the reason for having three beds in each of the rooms.
• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote to CM Banerjee expressing concern over the scam. In his letter, Pradhan cited instances of irregularities in the appointment of teachers through the State Level Selection Test (SLST). He also assured Banerjee of the central government’s continuous support and highest consideration to ensure access to quality education for all children in West Bengal.
• A middle-aged woman attempted to throw her shoes at Chatterjee on Tuesday as he was being escorted out ESI Hospital in Joka by ED officials. The woman, Shubra Ghorui, is said to have harboured anger against Chatterjee after the seizure of around Rs 50 crore in cash, along with jewellery, by the Enforcement Directorate from two apartments owned by Arpita Mukherjee.
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