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'Not my money, when time comes…': Partha Chatterjee on ₹52 crore recovered from Arpita Mukherjee's flats
A total of ₹52 crore has been recovered from three flats of Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of Partha. Arpita told investigators Partha's men used to come and keep that money and she had no access to those rooms.
Sacked Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee on Sunday once again denied his involvement in the alleged teachers' recruitment scam and said the money recovered (from his aide Arpita Mukherjee's flats) does not belong to him. Hinting at a conspiracy as he did earlier as wellafter his arrest, he said, "When the time comes, you will know...the money does not belong to me." He said this to the media when he was brought to the ESI hospital for a medical examination. Also Read | Partha Chatterjee has luxury flat just for dogs: Meenakshi Lekhi after ED raids
On July 22, ED raided a flat of Arpita Mukherjee and recovered ₹21 crore lying inside the flat in notes of ₹500 and ₹2,000. A day after both Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee were arrested and taken into ED custody. Subsequent raids by the agency unearthed another tranche of ₹29 crore from another flat of Arpita Mukherjee. From Partha Chatterjee's flat, ED recovered documents, deeds etc.
Taking action against Partha, the Trinamool removed him from the party and the cabinet posts, pending the investigation.
Partha Chatterjee has not acknowledged any wrongdoing and insisted that he is a victim of a conspiracy.
As the BJP is turning the heat on Trinamool suggesting a role of chief minister and Mamata Banerjee and his nephew, party's national leader Abhishek Banerjee in the scam, the Trinamool has started distancing itself from Partha.
Trinamool MP and veteran leader Sougata Roy said Partha Chatterjee has embarrassed and dishonoured the party. "Who will conspire against him? What is he trying to imply? The money was recovered from the flat of his close aide. He himself is responsible for this situation," Sougata Roy said.
"I don't know if Partha is a victim of some conspiracy. He embarrassed us and dishonoured our party. We want a complete probe with an appropriate punishment for him and his associates... we took action against him, dropped his ministerial posts and took all party posts," Roy told ANI.
Trinamool leaders have started meeting the government teaching job aspirants to assuage their anger.
Arpita Mukherjee told ED officials she was not aware of the amount of money. She said Partha Chatterjee's man used to come and keep money in her flat, but she was not allowed to go inside those rooms.
