Former Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee’s close aide Arpita Mukherjee on Tuesday said that money seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at her properties were kept without her notice.
“This is not my money. The money was kept in my absence and without my knowledge,” Ms. Mukherjee told media persons outside a health facility where she was taken for medical check-up. On Sunday, former Minister Partha Chatterjee had also said that the money seized by the ED was not his money.
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On July 22 and July 28, the ED seized ₹50 crore in cash and several kilograms of gold from two different properties of Ms. Mukherjee in connection with the investigation in the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam. The former Minister and his aide were arrested by ED on July 23. Both of them will be produced in the Court on Wednesday. The Trinamool Congress leadership stripped Mr. Chatterjee of his ministerial and party responsibilities on July 28.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will reshuffle the cabinet on Wednesday.
Woman throws shoe at Partha
Meanwhile, during the day when the former State’s Education Minister was taken to a city hospital for medical check-up a woman hurled shoes at him. The shoe however missed Mr. Chatterjee . The woman who told media persons that her name was Shubra Ghorui, a resident of Amtala had come to hospital for medical check-up. The visibly angry woman did not pick up her shoes and left the hospital barefoot.
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“I have come here to hit him with my shoes. I cannot think that he has built apartment after apartment, and accumulated so much cash when people are roaming on the roads without any job. After cheating people he is travelling in AC cars. He must be dragged with a rope…,” the woman shouted.
ED conducts raids at more properties
During the day, the ED conducted search operations at two flats and another shop allegedly linked to Arpita Mukherjee. The flats searched are located in South Kolkata along with a beauty parlour in northern fringes of the city. Officials of the ED tried to open the beauty parlour located in Patuli with the help of a locksmith. ED officials also questioned a local Trinamool Congress Councilor and spoke to him about the properties of Arpita Mukherjee. So far several properties of Ms. Mukherjee have been searched by ED over the past few days.
