SSC scam: Partha Chatterjee, removed as minister and suspended from TMC, alleges 'conspiracy'

The 69-year-old was arrested by the ED on July 23. The agency has also recovered money worth crores from Chatterjee and his aide, actor Arpita Mukherjee.

Published on: Jul 29, 2022, 15:13:27 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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A day after he was relieved from all his ministerial duties in the West Bengal cabinet, and suspended from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), scam accused Partha Chatterjee on Friday claimed there was a ‘conspiracy’ against him.

Also Read: Partha relieved of posts as raids by ED continue

“I'm a victim of a conspiracy,” Chatterjee, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 23 in connection with a school recruitment scam, told reporters.

The now-former Trinamool leader's remarks came as he deboarded the vehicle in which he was taken to a hospital in Kolkata for a medical check-up.

Chatterjee, who was arrested by the ED on July 23, was West Bengal's education minister when the SSC scam was allegedly pulled off. Actor Arpita Mukherjee, an aide of the 69-year-old politician, was also arrested by the ED after it found crores of rupees from her residences in various parts of the city.

On Thursday, the central agency recovered ₹27.9 crore in cash and gold worth ₹4.3 crore from one of the apartments belonging to Mukherjee, after which the total seizures in two raids – the first one took place on July 22 – rose to more than ₹50 crore, officials said.

Also Read: ₹50 cr in cash, ₹4.3 cr-worth gold seized by ED from Partha’s aide Arpita

A third raid was carried out – also on Thursday – at another apartment believed to be owned by Mukherjee, at a posh housing campus in Chinar Park, in north Kolkata. The ED is yet to disclose details on recoveries made during the third raid.

On the directions of the Calcutta high court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group-C and D staff, as well as teachers in schools sponsored and aided by the state government.

The ED is investigating the money trail involved in the scam.

(With PTI inputs)

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