Bengal cash scam: Arpita Mukherjee discloses names of 14 people; ED seizes 8 bank accounts

Former minister Partha Chatterjee's close aide Arpita Mukherjee has disclosed the names of 14 people in the West Bengal cash scam case, sources in the Enforcement Directorate informed on Saturday. Arpita, a model, and actress by profession was arrested by the ED on July 23, a day after Rs 20 crore in cash was recovered from her Kolkata residence. The total value of recovery crossed Rs 50 crores after the recent raids at her Belgharia residence. The searches are being carried out in connection with the ongoing investigation of the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam.

The agency has so far seized eight bank accounts of suspicious companies run by Arpita Mukherjee. A team of the Enforcement Directorate is likely to question arrested Partha Chatterjee and Arpita about the bank accounts of their relatives. The inquiry has been intensified following the recovery of property papers found from their houses. The ED may also visit those properties.

Earlier in an explosive statement, Arpita had claimed that the 'only person' who had access to her flats, where at least Rs 30 crore cash was recovered was then TMC Minister Partha Chatterjee. During the ED interrogation, Mukherjee revealed that she herself did not have permission to enter her flats.

"Only Partha Chatterjee could enter. Close aides of Partha Chatterjee came and stacked money," Arpita Mukherjee claimed, following the massive cash recovery.

Partha Chatterjee & Bengal cash scam

Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the ED after raids at his Kolkata residence for over 26 hours. The Bengal minister was sent to ED custody till July 25. A special PMLA court in Kolkata on Monday extended his ED remand and sent his aide Arpita Mukherjee to the investigation agency's custody till August 3.

The ruling Trinamool Congress, which had been distancing itself from Partha, axed him as a minister on Thursday and suspended him from the party, leaving it to him to defend himself in the SSC recruitment scam in which Rs 50 crores have been seized.

On Friday, Arpita Mukherjee's four luxury cars went missing from her Tollygunge flat amid the ED's crackdown. Sources believe that the luxury cars have been driven away with crucial documents and suspected proceeds of crime including black money. The ED was able to seize one car, while the other four are being tracked down.