₹51 Cr & Counting: ED 2nd Cash Haul From Mamata Mantri’s Aide

Joymala Bagchi

| Updated: 27 July, 2022 10:08 pm IST

KOLKATA: The skeletons started tumbling out of the closet on Wednesday as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered more cash from Arpita Mukherjee’s Belghoria residence in Kolkata.

ED conducted the searches in connection with the Bengal SSC Recruitment Scam after the financial probe agency got the 10-day custody of Mukherjee, a close aide of Bengal industries minister Partha Chatterjee.

Incidentally, Chatterjee, a powerful Trinamool Congress MLA in Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet, is currently under ED custody in relation to the case.

At the time of filing the report, unconfirmed sources said that ₹30 crores have been recovered from Mukherjee’s flat. Along with cash 3kgs of gold bars along with silver jewellery and silver coins are also recovered from Mukherjee’s residence.

Earlier amount of ₹21 crores recovered from Mukherjee’s residence in Diamond City.

ED had called for five cash counting machines.

ED searched Arpita Mukherjee’s residence in Belghoria on Wednesday

It was also learnt that Mukherjee has two flats in Belgharia. ED had sealed one flat while the counting is going on the other.

Sources said that Mukherjee has multiple flats registered in her name throughout Bengal. Interestingly the flats and properties under Mukherjee’s names are located in both the rural and posh urban areas.

While agency sources are yet to confirm that but Mukherjee, who initially was not cooperating with the ED, might have opened Pandora’s Box. It was reported that Mukherjee, during questioning, said that her flat in Diamond City was used as a ‘mini bank’.