By Express News Service
KOLKATA: Speaking out first time in public on the issue of recovery of cash Rs 49.8 crore from her two Apartments, Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of suspended Trinamool Congress minister Partha Chatterjee, claimed on Tuesday that the money was not her and it was kept in her absence and without her knowledge.
While being taken for medical examination two days ago, Chatterjee, who was arrested in connection with alleged recruitment scam in schools, said he doesn’t have any money.
Asked from where the huge volume of cash came to her apartments, Arpita, while being taken to ESI hospital, Joka, for medical examination with Chatterjee, said, “The money was not mine. It was kept in my places when I was not present there. The money was brought there without my knowledge.”
Chatterjee, however, did not utter a word on Tuesday. The ED conducted searches at five places, which include three apartments in south Kolkata and two nail-art outlets owned by Arpita.
ALSO READ | SSC scam: Partha Chatterjee sticks to ‘conspiracy’ theory; aide Arpita washes off her hands
“The raids were conducted at Baranagar, Patuli, Panditiya Road and Lake Gardens. We came to know about these places while examining the documents recovered from the residences of Chatterjee and Arpita,” said an ED official.
The central agency did not interrogate Chatterjee and Arpita during their nine-day custody. “There were discrepancies in the statements given by both the accused. Both claimed that they don’t own the money. Arpita said she was not present when the currency notes were being kept in her apartments and she had no access to the rooms where it was kept. Chatterjee claimed that he has no idea about the money that we seized,” said an official of the agency.
Chatterjee and Arpita will be produced in a special prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Wednesday. “We will mention in our submission in the court about the recovery of cash from Arpita’s second apartment after interrogating her. We will seek the suspects’ further custody,” said another ED official.
Meanwhile, a homemaker, identified herself as Subhra Ghorui, hurled her sandals at the vehicle in which Chatterjee was being taken out after medical examination. The shoes, however, did not hit Chatterjee.
“Had my sandals hit Chatterjee’s head, I would have been happy. He looted money from poor people. He deserves what I did,” said Subhra, a mother of a daughter who also went to the same hospital for medical check-up.
KOLKATA: Speaking out first time in public on the issue of recovery of cash Rs 49.8 crore from her two Apartments, Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of suspended Trinamool Congress minister Partha Chatterjee, claimed on Tuesday that the money was not her and it was kept in her absence and without her knowledge.
While being taken for medical examination two days ago, Chatterjee, who was arrested in connection with alleged recruitment scam in schools, said he doesn’t have any money.
Asked from where the huge volume of cash came to her apartments, Arpita, while being taken to ESI hospital, Joka, for medical examination with Chatterjee, said, “The money was not mine. It was kept in my places when I was not present there. The money was brought there without my knowledge.”
Chatterjee, however, did not utter a word on Tuesday. The ED conducted searches at five places, which include three apartments in south Kolkata and two nail-art outlets owned by Arpita.
ALSO READ | SSC scam: Partha Chatterjee sticks to ‘conspiracy’ theory; aide Arpita washes off her hands
“The raids were conducted at Baranagar, Patuli, Panditiya Road and Lake Gardens. We came to know about these places while examining the documents recovered from the residences of Chatterjee and Arpita,” said an ED official.
The central agency did not interrogate Chatterjee and Arpita during their nine-day custody. “There were discrepancies in the statements given by both the accused. Both claimed that they don’t own the money. Arpita said she was not present when the currency notes were being kept in her apartments and she had no access to the rooms where it was kept. Chatterjee claimed that he has no idea about the money that we seized,” said an official of the agency.
Chatterjee and Arpita will be produced in a special prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Wednesday. “We will mention in our submission in the court about the recovery of cash from Arpita’s second apartment after interrogating her. We will seek the suspects’ further custody,” said another ED official.
Meanwhile, a homemaker, identified herself as Subhra Ghorui, hurled her sandals at the vehicle in which Chatterjee was being taken out after medical examination. The shoes, however, did not hit Chatterjee.
“Had my sandals hit Chatterjee’s head, I would have been happy. He looted money from poor people. He deserves what I did,” said Subhra, a mother of a daughter who also went to the same hospital for medical check-up.
