KOLKATA: A day after Trinamool Congress general secretary and West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested in connection with the alleged teacher recruitment scam, the ruling party in the state on Sunday widened its distance from the leader.
The TMC said that action would be taken against Chatterjee if the court approves any evidence submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
“What happened during the course of ED investigation, the TMC is not involved in it. If the agency submits any evidence, which is approved by the court, the party and the state government will take action against any leader,” said TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.
The shift in stance emerged after the TMC came to know that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s name was mentioned in Chatterjee’s arrest memo, said TMC sources.
“When he was asked whom he wanted to contact, he named the CM. He tried to reach her four times over the phone. We stated it in the arrest memo,” said an official. Corroborating ED’s claim, Chatterjee, after routine check-up at Joka ESI Hospital on Saturday, said, “I tried to reach Dalanetri (Mamata), but I could not.”
The party leadership is not happy with Chatterjee’s efforts of trying to contact Mamata.
“It has unnecessarily dragged her name in the controversy,” said a TMC leader. Both CPM and BJP attacked Mamata.
“No one believes that her party is not involved in the scam,’’ said CPM MP Bikash Bhattacharya. BJP’s Sukanta Majumdar said it is not possible that Mamata had no idea about the malpractice.
The Calcutta High Court on Sunday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested in connection with the school jobs scam, to AIIMS Bhubaneswar early on Monday by air ambulance.
The court directed that the minister be produced before a special ED court in Kolkata through virtual mode at 4 PM on Monday.
TMC, on the other hand, demanded a time-bound probe in the ED case against Chatterjee, asserting the party will not interfere politically if any leader has done anything wrong.
ED also produced the senior TMC leader's associate Arpita Mukherjee before a court, which remanded her to one-day custody of the agency.
ED personnel raided several locations in the state on July 22 as part of their probe into the money trail involved in a teacher recruitment scam at government-sponsored and aided schools.
Crores of rupees in cash along with other items were allegedly recovered from Mukherjee's residence, sources said.
PTI could not independently verify the information.
Chatterjee and Mukherjee were arrested as part of ED's investigation into the scam.
After hearing pleadings in a revision application moved by the ED challenging a lower court order sending Chatterjee to state-run SSKM Hospital after his lawyers claimed he was ill, Justice Chaudhuri directed, "The investigating agency is directed to take the accused by air ambulance to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar in the early morning on 25th July, 2022."
He directed that the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar authority will medically examine the accused by a team of specialist doctors of cardiology, nephrology, respiratory medicines and endocrinology.
ED moved the high court challenging Bankshall Court order which directed that Chatterjee, who complained of uneasiness after his arrested, be admitted to SSKM Hospital.
The central agency also claimed that the lower court can direct adequate treatment of a person but cannot specify a particular facility.
The ED moved a revision petition before the high court and sought permission for an urgent hearing during the day.
The lower court on Saturday remanded Chatterjee to two days' ED custody while sending him to the hospital on a prayer by his lawyers that he was unwell and needed medical treatment.
Counsels for the ED claimed that Chatterjee, a senior minister in the state, is an influential person and as such should not be kept in a state-run hospital.
Chatterjee's lawyers opposed the prayer and said his treatment was being done appropriately at SSKM hospital.
The ED suggested that Chatterjee can be treated at an AIIMS hospital which has a very good healthcare infrastructure.
Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the party has no connection with Mukherjee, in whose flat a huge amount of cash was allegedly found.
"The party demands time-bound investigation in the case," he said, maintaining that investigations by central agencies in some cases have been going on for many years.
The CBI has been investigating the multi-crore Saradha chit fund case since 2014, while the Narada tapes case, which unfolded ahead of 2016 elections, was also yet to reach any conclusion.
"Law will take its own course; the Trinamool Congress will not interfere, however big a leader gets involved in it," Ghosh said.
Mukherjee, who was arrested on Saturday after grilling for several hours at her posh apartment block in south Kolkata, was produced before a court.
Metropolitan Magistrate Namrata Singh, in charge of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court, directed that Mukherjee be produced before the designated ED court on Monday.
ED counsels, including Abhijit Bhadra, had prayed for 14 days' custody of Mukherjee.
BJP on Sunday alleged that the Woodburn ward of state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata has become a "resort" for scam-tainted TMC leaders.
West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said the practice of "tainted" ruling party leaders getting admitted to SSKM citing "uneasiness" must stop.
He said they should be treated at any medical establishment which is outside the control of the state government so that they can't influence hospital authorities in reporting their health condition in a way favourable to them.
"These scam-tainted TMC leaders have developed a habit of enjoying state hospitality at SSKM citing uneasiness. There is every possibility of them influencing hospital authorities in reporting their health condition in a way favourable to them. This must stop. Chatterjee should have been treated at a hospital which is not under the state government's control," he said.
Reacting to the allegation, TMC state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said Chatterjee, the state industry and commerce minister, was admitted to SSKM after the court granted his prayer for medical treatment.
"The court and ED will take a call on this. The party has nothing to say on the matter," he said.
In May this year, TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal was in SSKM Hospital for 15 days citing ill-health, skipping several summonses issued by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with its probe into a cattle smuggling case.
Last year, TMC ministers Firhad Hakim and late Subrata Mukherjee, besides MLA Madan Mitra got admitted to SSKM Hospital citing ill-health after being arrested by CBI in connection with its probe into Narada sting operation.
Documents about eight apartments in Kolkata found in Arpita’s name
KOLKATA: The recovery of Rs 21.90 crore in cash and jewellery worth Rs 76 lakh from the house of model-actor Arpita Mukherjee, who is said to be close to Partha Chatterjee, was an onion and more revelations are expected with its peeling, said a lawyer representing the ED in the Bankshall court on Sunday while opposing her bail plea.
Sources said papers related to properties were found from Chatterjee’s residence which were issued in Arpita’s name.
“We came to know about eight apartments in and around Kolkata in her name. She is yet to disclose the source of the money used to buy the properties,’’ said an official.
Mukherjee was arrested by the ED on Saturday after grilling her for several hours at her residence in a posh apartment block in south Kolkata, where crores of rupees in cash and other valuables were allegedly recovered by sleuths of the central agency.
Metropolitan Magistrate Namrata Singh, in charge of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court, directed that Mukherjee be produced before the designated ED court on Monday.
ED counsels, including Abhijit Bhadra, had prayed for 14 days' custody of Mukherjee.
Noting that the investigation is at an initial stage, the court said "custodial interrogation of the accused is necessary for extracting the whole truth of the case".
In his submission, Bhadra likened the investigation in the case to peeling onion petals, as new revelations come to the fore with the peeling of each petal.
He also said the recoveries from Mukherjee's residence were like "discovering Alibaba's treasures in a hidden cave".
Chatterjee, the West Bengal Industry and Commerce Minister, was arrested by the ED on Saturday in connection with its investigation into an alleged school jobs scam.
(With PTI Inputs)