Arrested Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee admitted to state-run SSKM Hospital

Kolkata, July 23: West Bengal Industry and Commerce Minister Partha Chatterjee, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday morning in connection with the school jobs scam, was hospitalised in the evening after he fell ill.

The minister was arrested following a marathon 26-hour-long grilling at his house, an ED official said.

Chatterjee who has several health issues was admitted to the ICCU of the state-run SSKM Hospital after he complained of uneasiness.

Several tests including ECG were conducted on the TMC secretary general and his condition is stable, an official of the hospital said.

After arresting Chatterjee, the central agency produced him in a local court that sent to ED custody for two days.

His lawyer argued in the court that since no unaccounted money and documents have been found at his residential premises but at the house of a person not connected with TMC or the government, he should be granted bail, which the ED lawyers of the directorate opposed.

His counsel told reporters that as it was a Saturday, he would be again produced before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Monday.

The TMC secretary general was the state education minister when the alleged irregularities took place.

ED also arrested Arpita Mukherjee, believed to be Chatterjee's close aide, from whose flat around Rs 21 crore in cash was seized during a raid on Friday, the agency official said.

The TMC spokesperson said that the party has no relation with her or the money discovered from her flat.

Chatterjee, who was the state education minister from 2014 to 2021, was grilled by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April and May this year in connection with the scam.