Bengal school job case: Cash, gold found at Arpita Mukherjee’s residence belonged to Partha Chatterjee, ED tells court

Kolkata Dec 26 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday informed a special Kolkata court that the huge cash and gold recovered from the twin residences of Arpita Mukherjee in July 2022 in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school job case in West Bengal, actually belonged to her mentor and former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee.

The ED counsel infirmed the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court that Mukherjee, who is currently out on conditional bail now, had confessed during her interrogation by the central agency that the twin residences registered in her name were used by Chatterjee to stock that cash and gold.

The process of framing of charges about all named as accused - some individuals and some corporate entities and trusts - started at the special PMLA court on Thursday.

On Thursday, Chatterjee's counsel also filed a petition seeking relief from the ED-registered case in the matter.

Chatterjee is the 10th accused in the case to file a relief petition in the matter and earlier this week, nine other accused individuals have filed relief petitions.

The special court has observed that as per rules, the process of charge framing will start with those who have filed relief petitions in the case.

So, accordingly, on Thursday, the process of charge framing started with those 10 accused individuals who have filed relief petitions so far.

After the process of framing of charges is over, the trial process will begin.

Chatterjee and Mukherjee have already been shown as the highest beneficiaries in the total scam amount of Rs 151.26 crore in the cash-for-school job case in the records of the ED as elaborated in its fifth and last supplementary charge sheet. As per the supplementary charge sheet filed at the special court, of the total amount of Rs 151.26 crore confiscated by the ED so far, the combined share of proceeds of Chatterjee and Mukherjee in the entire amount is Rs 103.78 crore. The confiscation is in terms of cash and gold seized and immovable property attached.