Amid Cash Pile-Up, Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee Is Finally Sacked: 10 Facts

The sacking of Partha Chatterjee as a minister comes just hours after another Rs 29 crore in cash and five kilograms of gold jewellery were allegedly recovered from a second flat owned by his aide Arpita Mukherjee in Kolkata’s Belgharia area, during a raid by the Enforcement Directorate (ED)

Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee were arrested by the ED on July 23 after Rs 21 crore in unaccounted-for cash was seized from her home in Kolkata. Early morning today, officials from the central agency left her second flat with 10 trunks of cash after concluding the 18-hour-long raid. Sources said ED officials used three note-counting machines. 

So far, besides Rs 50 crore in cash from the two flats, “a huge amount” of foreign exchange and gold bars worth Rs 2 crore have been seized, said ED sources.

The officers also found a diary with around 40 pages of notes that could provide crucial leads in the investigation. BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi today told reporters that this “black diary” will help uncover “black deeds”.  

Partha Chatterjee, who held the Industries portfolio until his sacking today, is accused of a role in illegal appointments of school teachers and other staff in government-run schools when he was Education Minister. His aide Arpita Mukherjee has allegedly told investigators that the money was kickbacks received for transfers and for helping colleges get recognition.

As for Trinamool Congress boss Mamata Banerjee, in this case she’s had to tweak her earlier stance that the BJP-led central government is misusing agencies to settle political scores. “If anyone is found guilty, he or she must be punished,” she has said on Mr Chatterjee’s arrest. “But I condemn any malicious campaign against me. The truth must come out, but within a timeframe.”

Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh has also had to change his stance. Just after Mr Chatterjee’s arrest, Mr Ghosh had told the media that the party would not remove him as minister until proven guilty. But as TV screens flashed visuals of cash heaps yesterday, Mr Ghosh said the senior party leader brought “shame and disgrace to all of us”. He even tweeted that Mr Chatterjee should be expelled from the party; but later deleted the tweet and said it was his personal opinion.

The Trinamool Congress mouthpiece, ‘Jago Bangla’, had already stopped naming Partha Chatterjee as a minister or the party’s general secretary. However, his name remained on the print-line as editor.

The probe is being undertaken as per directions of the Calcutta High Court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is looking into the alleged irregularities in recruitment, while the ED is tracking the money trail.

BJP leaders have tweeted pictures of Arpita Mukherjee sitting on stage at a Trinamool event, and questioned Mamata Banerjee over it. They have said that Ms Banerjee cannot claim to have not known about the corruption.