West Bengal Commerce & Industries minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee is upset over not being able to communicate with party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee since his arrest on Saturday morning by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials probing the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment irregularities scam.
After the arrest Chatterjee was taken to a Union government-owned ESI Hospital at Joka in the southern outskirts of Kolkata for a routine medical check- up. While coming out of the hospital, Chatterjee for the first time spoke to the media and expressed his concern over inability to contact Mamata Banerjee. “I do not know where they are taking me. I am unable to contact my supreme leader Mamata Banerjee as yet,” said an apparently devastated Chatterjee.
Chatterjee will be presented at city- court in Kolkata on late Saturday evening. ED officials said that they will seek his custody for further interrogation. They also said that it is clear that the huge cash seized from the residence of Chatterjee’s confidant and close aide Arpita Mukherjee was related to the WBSSC recruitment irregularities scam.
“These notes in Rs 500 and Rs 2000 denominations were kept in different envelopes and have seals of the state education department. Again, these envelopes were loaded in three separate sacks, which were kept under lock and key in a cupboard at Arpita Mukherjee’s Diamond Park residence in south Kolkata,” an ED official said.
If necessary, the ED might also apply for taking Chatterjee in transit remand to anywhere outside Kolkata, especially, New Delhi for the purpose of smooth interrogation, he further said.
Chatterjee’s counsel Anindya Raut told mediapersons that although the ED officials informed him late Friday night that Chatterjee will be taken into custody on Saturday morning, they are yet to hand over the arrest-related documents. “Let him be presented at the court and then we will take the appropriate legal steps,” he said.
Meanwhile, the deprived candidates in the WBSSC recruitment process, who had been engaged in relay agitation for almost over a year expressed satisfaction over the development. According to them, although they are happy over the arrest of Chatterjee, the then state education minister when the irregularities took place, they now want the fresh recruitment process to start where only eligible persons will get the appointment.