Days after recovering cash worth more than Rs 21 crore from a flat of Bengali actor Arpita Mukherjee, ‘close aide’ of West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, the Enforcement Directorate has recovered more cash from a flat belonging to her.
According to reports, the ED today raided two flats in an apartment in Belgharia in Kolkata, which belongs to Arpita Mukherjee. The probe agency has again found huge quantity of banknotes in one of the flats. Cash counting machine and even truck was called in to ferry the huge amount of cash recovered from her flat.
ED had reached Rathtala area in Belghjaria on Wednesday morning to search the flats in a luxury apartment building, but as they were closed, they could not enter. As the watchmen in the building didn’t have duplicate keys, the ED team brought in a locksmith to get duplicate keys made. But as that attempt was unsuccessful due to high end locks installed at the flat, the ED team broke into the flats. The flats are located in Block 2 and Block 5 in the building.
After searching one of the flats, the ED found a huge stash of cash in two wardrobes in that flat. The other flat has been sealed and will be searched later, as the search team is concentrating on one flat at present where the cash has been found.
ED has brought in cash counting machines and personnel from a bank to count the cash. Reportedly, ED has brought in 5 cash counting machines. Apart from banknotes, ED has also found gold and jewellery in the flat. Local media reports that ED also brought in a huge quantity of rubber bands, giving an indication of the amount of cash recovered by them.
According to reports, cash amounting to Rs 29 crore has been recovered. 10 trucks were filled to ferry the cash to authorities.
WB SSC recruitment scam | North 24-Parganas: ED officials leave the Belgharia residence of Arpita Mukherjee, close aide of WB Minister Partha Chatterjee, after filling 10 trunks with cash amounting to approx Rs 29cr found there; a total of Rs 40cr found from her premises so far. pic.twitter.com/t9gEIHyb08
— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2022
A total of Rs 40 crore have been recovered from her premises so far.
Earlier on July 22, ED had recovered cash worth over Rs 21 crore, jewellery and foreign exchange from the residence of Arpita Mukherjee in Tollygunge. Reportedly, that flat had been ‘gifted’ to her by arrested TMC leader Partha Chatterjee. It is believed that the recovered money is proceeds of SSC teacher recruitment scam during the time when Partha Chatterjee was the education minister in West Bengal. The Calcutta High Court has ordered a probe in this scam, following which CBI and ED are conducing searches and investigations.
Both Mukherjee and Chatterjee are currently under ED custody following their arrest in the case. Partha Chatterjee had got himself admitted to a state govt-run hospital immediately after the arrest, but after ED objected to it, the High Court had ordered to shift him to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. After AIIMS doctors certified that he is not ill, he was shifted to ED custody.
It has been found that Partha Chatterjee owns a large number of flats, many of which he has gifted to his ‘close aides’ including Arpita Mukherjee and another woman named Monalisa Das. Arpita Chatterjee has told the ED that Partha Chatterjee used her flat as a ‘mini bank’. It is suspected that the flats gifted to Monalisa Das also were used for the same purpose.
Note: Report has been updated with latest figures.
