SSC recruitment scam: Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee remanded to 2-day ED custody

Kolkata, July 23: West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee will be in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till Monday. He will then be produced in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court.

An ED lawyer said, "Search was conducted in 14 locations linked to the minister. Documents recovered from his aide, Arpita's, house show direct links and exchange of money between the two parties."

However, Chatterjee's advocate told the court that no money was recovered from his client's residence.

ED arrested Partha Chatterjee in connection with its investigation into the teacher recruitment scam, an official of the agency said.

Chatterjee, who was the state education minister when the scam took place, was arrested after around 26 hours of grilling in connection with the probe.

Chatterjee, who is currently the industry minister, was taken to the ED's office at CGO Complex in Salt Lake area.

"He was not cooperating with our officers who were questioning him since Friday morning. He will be produced before a court during the day," the ED official told PTI.

ED has also detained Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of Chatterjee, after Rs 21 crore in cash was seized from her property, he added.