West Bengal SSC scam: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday recovered approximately Rs 20 crore from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee, who is a close associate of West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, an ED statement said. According to the agency, the amount is suspected to be linked to the SSC scam.
"The search team is taking the assistance of bank officials for the counting of cash through cash counting machines. A total of more than 20 mobile phones have been recovered from the premises of Arpita Mukherjee, the purpose and use of these are being ascertained," said the Enforcement Directorate.
During the raid, a number of other incriminating documents, records, details of dubious companies, electronic devices, foreign currency and gold have also been recovered from the various premises of the persons linked to the scam. It is to be noted that recently, the Calcutta High Court, in a slew of writ petitions, directed the CBI to carry out investigations into the recruitment scam. Apart from raiding Chatterjee's residence, the agency also raided Minister of State for Education Paresh C Adhikary, MLA Manik Bhattacharya's homes.
A team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials raided the residences of Bengal ministers Partha Chatterjee and Paresh Adhikari on Friday as part of its probe into a teacher recruitment scam, a source in the agency said. At least seven to eight ED personnel arrived at Chatterjee's Naktala residence here around 8:30 am, and carried out searches till 11 am with CRPF personnel keeping guard outside, the source said.
Another team of agency officials visited Adhikari’s home at Mekhliganj in Coochbehar district and talked to his family members, he stated.
According to the ED source, officials had also carried out a simultaneous raid at the residence of former chairman of West Bengal Board of Primary Education, Manik Bhattacharya, in Jadavpur area of the city.
The CBI had been looking into the alleged irregularities committed in the recruitment of Group-C, D staff and teachers in government-sponsored and –aided schools on recommendations of the West Bengal School Service Commission, as directed by the high court, and the ED was tracking the money trail in the scam.
