West Bengal SSC Scam: Minister Partha Chatterjee arrested

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• Jul 23, 2022 | Dhupali Das

The arrest comes hours after ₹ 20 crores was recovered from a close aide of the minister...

Digital Desk: The Enforcement Directorate arrested West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee today in connection with a money laundering case involving the state's alleged teacher recruitment scam. The arrest comes hours after ₹ 20 crores was recovered from a close aide of the minister. 

Following the recovery of the cash, the TMC leader was questioned all night. As per official sources, Chatterjee refused to cooperate with the officers throughout the interrogation, which led to his arrest.  

"After an overnight interrogation, Partha Chatterjee was taken into custody. When Chatterjee complained of discomfort during questioning, two doctors that the investigators had brought in checked him. After the doctors gave the all-clear, the questioning continued," an official source told.

The source further claimed that the investigation team would ask for his custody in court to obtain more information regarding the suspected recruitment scam.

Chatterjee, the current industries and commerce minister were in charge of the education portfolio when the alleged scam was carried out.

The Enforcement Directorate recovered 20 crores in cash from the home of Partha Chatterjee's aide Arpita Mukherjee on Friday. 

"The said amount is alleged to be proceeds of crime of the said SSC scam," the probe agency said in a statement. 

More than 20 cell phones were found in Arpita Mukherjee's home.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is also looking into the alleged scam in addition to the Enforcement Directorate. The CBI is looking into suspected irregularities in hiring Group-C and D staff and teachers in state-sponsored and -aided schools while the ED is looking into the money trail in the scheme.

Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress called the raids a "ploy" by the BJP government at the Centre to "harass" its political opponents. However, the BJP has denied involvement in the matter and asserted that the CBI and ED are "progressing on the correct route" and that "more skeletons will fall out of the cupboard."