₹21 Cr Cash: This Case Is Like An Onion, Says ED Lawyer

| Updated: 27 July, 2022 4:48 pm IST

Arpita Mukherjee’s lawyer Niladri Bhattacharya and Enforcement Directorate counsel Abhijit Bhadra

KOLKATA: The ₹21 crores SSC Recruitment scam, that involved one of the top leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), is like an onion, opined Enforcement Directorate (ED) counsel Abhijit Bhadra.

Talking to The New Indian, Bhadra said, “This stage of the investigation is just like an onion. The more you peel, the more you will get inside the case. On the very first day ₹21cr was found, nobody knows where the amount will reach in the next few days.”

“The term close aide was used because it was found during the investigation that the documents related to Bengal government’s education department were received from Arpita Mukherjee’s flat, whereas property related documents of Arpita Mukherjee were recovered from the then education minister Partha Chatterjee’s residence and thus the search began,” Bhadra said.

“Both Chatterjee and Mukherjee could not explain to us anything which ED has asked. If the need arises we will definitely make them sit face to face and interrogate,” he added.

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Court has granted 10 days remand to ED for both Chatterjee, who is now Bengal’s Industry minister, and Mukherjee against the plea of 14 and 13 days.

However, Mukherjee’s lawyer Niladri Bhattacharya told The New Indian, “It is a very good order given by the court. ED asked for 13 days remand for my client however court granted 10 days.”

Talking about the case, Bhattacharya said, “This is a document-based case. The case is at a very early stage of the investigation. We are waiting to see what document ED produces.”

“I have received the seizure list. I found some discrepancies on the list. We will deal with the money issue at an appropriate time,” he added.

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Talking about the relationship between Mukherjee and Chatterjee, Bhattacharya said, “They were known to each other but whether they were close associates or not is a matter of conjecture. But as a matter of fact, they were known to each other.”

The ED is interrogating both of them at the CGO complex in Salt Lake. ED is also interrogating Manik Bhattacharya, the ex-president of West Board of Secondary Education and an MLA from Nadia district, in the case.

The next hearing of Chatterjee and Mukherjee will be on August 3.