KOLKATA: Pleading bail for arrested Trinamool Congress heavyweight Partha Chatterjee, his lawyer told the magistrate of PMLA special court in Kolkata on Friday that the suspended politician is considering his resignation from the post of MLA.
While replying to the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) submission opposing Chatterjee’s bail petition saying the accused is an influential person and his release on bail will cause damage to the ongoing probe into the alleged scam in recruitment in schools, Chatterjee’s lawyer Krishna Chandra Das said, "He has been removed from the state cabinet and suspended from the party. He is now like any common man. Besides, he is ready to resign as an MLA.’’
ED’s lawyer Phiroze Edulji mentioned in his submission that at least 50 bank accounts linked to the allegations against Chatterjee are under the scanner of the central agency. ‘’Besides, money was invested through share trading and the investigators found a trust where money was also invested. These investments are suspected to be proceeds of the crime of the alleged recruitment scam’’ said Edulji.
Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita Mukherjee, who was also arrested in the alleged recruitment scam case, were produced before the magistrate of the court on Friday and they were remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. Both of them will be produced in court on August 18. The magistrate allowed ED’s petition seeking permission to interrogate Chatterjee and Arpita during their judicial custody.
In his submission, Edulji also mentioned Arpita’s life threat during judicial custody and the court directed the superintendent of Alipore correctional home for women, where the model and actor was taken, to ensure her security. Chatterjee was taken to Presidency jail from the court lock-up.
When asked about the cash Rs 49.8 crore recovered from her two apartments, Arpita, while being taken out from ESI Hospital, Joka, after a medical check-up, said, "I have given my statement to the ED.’’
Sources in the ED said Chatterjee and Arpita were interrogated face-to-face before being taken for medical check-ups and court production.
"Though we have enough evidence to prove Chatterjee was in a relationship with Arpita for the past 10 years, he told that he had seen her once in a while. When asked about the money recovered from Arpita’s apartments, Chatterjee said he had no knowledge about it,’’ said an official of the investigating agency.
Chatterjee lost three kg weight during his 12-day tenure under ED’s custody. "When he was brought here we days ago, his weight was 111 kg and today his weight was 108 kg,’’ said an official of the hospital where Chatterjee was taken for a medical check-up on Friday.