Kolkata: Following the arrest of West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with teacher recruitment scam, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday slammed the ruling Trinamool Congress and asked where the state government wants to take the youth of Bengal.
Speaking to ANI, Pradhan said, “Rs 21 crore cash was found at his residence. He is arrested and he is a minister — this shows the condition of Bengal today. This is a serious matter. Where does the state government want to take the youth of Bengal? This is a government of the corrupt.”
“The condition of Bengal, that used to inspire India in the field of education, is such that High Court has to order a CBI inquiry into the (then) Education Minister following the objection of youth,” added the Union Minister.
ED arrested West Bengal cabinet minister Partha Chatterjee following the raids by the central probe agency which seized Rs 20 crore in cash from the premises of his close associate Arpita Mukherjee, in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam in the state.
After his arrest, the Bankshall Court in Kolkata granted two days of ED custody to Chatterjee on Saturday. However, Chatterjee developed heart pain and was later admitted to SSKM hospital.
Notably, ED prayed before the magistrate to allow Chatterjee to be taken to Command Hospital instead of state-run SSKM. ED said that Chatterjee is a senior minister and his roots are deep in government hospitals, where he can be influential. However, the court ordered Chatterjee to be taken to SSKM Hospital.
“Partha Chatterjee (West Bengal cabinet minister and former Education Minister of the state) is not feeling well. He has developed heartache. We demanded that proper medical facilities should be given to him if ED’s custody is granted,” said Chatterjee’s lawyer.
The arrests were made at Chatterjee’s residence in Kolkata where the ED team was present since Friday.
Earlier on Friday, ED officials raided the residences of West Bengal ministers Partha Chatterjee and Paresh Adhikari and several others and recovered huge cash amounting to approximately Rs 20 crore from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee.
The said amount is suspected to be the proceeds of the crime of said SSC scam. The search team is taking the assistance of bank officials for the counting of cash through cash counting machines.
A total of more than 20 mobile phones have also been recovered from the premises of Arpita Mukherjee, the purpose and use of which are being ascertained, said the probe agency.
Besides cash, a number of other incriminating documents, records, details of dubious companies, electronic devices, foreign currency and gold have also been recovered from the various premises of the persons linked to the scam. (ANI)
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