Arpita Mukherjee has also been the face of promotional campaigns for Partha Chatterjee’s Durga Puja committee called the Naktala Udayan Sangha in 2019 and 2020.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Friday said it had recovered about Rs 20 crore from Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee, in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam.
“During the course of searches, the ED has recovered huge cash amounting to approximately Rs 20 crore from the residential premises of Arpita Mukherjee, who is a close associate of Shri Partha Chatterjee. The said amount is suspected to be the proceeds of crime of the 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 Ms. Arpita Mukherjee, the purpose and use of which is being ascertained,” read a statement issued by the ED.
The agency also said a number of incriminating documents, records, details of dubious companies, electronic devices, foreign currency and gold had also been recovered from the “premises of the persons linked to the scam”.
Who is Arpita Mukherjee?
Referred to as a “close associate” of Partha Chatterjee by the ED, Arpita Mukherjee is a model and actor who has done minor roles in a few Bengali, Odia and Tamil films.
Mukherjee has also acted in Bengali movies alongside famous actors including Prosenjit Chatterjee in Mama Bhagne, and Jeet in Partner.
She has also been the face of promotional campaigns for Partha Chatterjee’s Durga Puja committee called the Naktala Udayan Sangha in 2019 and 2020. Chatterjee’s committee is one of the biggest Durga Puja committees in Kolkata. It is believed that Arpita Mukherjee is connected to Partha Chatterjee through the Durga Puja committee.
As soon as news of the raid broke out, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari posted a photograph from a 2019 Durga Puja of Mukherjee and Partha with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“Guilty by Association” – A legal phenomenon used to describe when an individual is guilty of committing a crime through knowing someone else. Just saying. Yeh toh bas trailer hai, picture abhi baki hai…” Adhikari tweeted.
“Guilty by Association” – A legal phenomenon used to describe when an individual is guilty of committing a crime through knowing someone else.
Just saying.
Yeh toh bas trailer hai, picture abhi baki hai… pic.twitter.com/4fM9gbLWrq
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) July 22, 2022
Rs. 20 crore cash recovered by @dir_ed from the residence of Arpita Mukherjee; close aide of WB Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in the SSC scam case.
Sources claim that piles of cash were found inside WB Govt Education Ministry envelopes with
National Emblem printed on them. pic.twitter.com/xLsWQeVzL2— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) July 22, 2022
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress national spokesperson Kunal Ghosh clarified that the party had no connection with the money recovered.
ইডি যে টাকা উদ্ধার করেছে, তার সঙ্গে তৃণমূলের কোনও সম্পর্ক নেই। এই তদন্তে যাদের নাম আসছে, এসংক্রান্ত প্রশ্নের জবাব দেওয়ার দায়িত্ব তাঁদের বা তাঁদের আইনজীবীদের। কেন দলের নাম জড়িয়ে প্রচার চলছে, দল নজর রাখছে। যথাসময়ে বক্তব্য জানাবে।
— Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) July 22, 2022
“The money recovered by ED has nothing to do with Trinamool. Those who are named in this investigation, it is their responsibility to answer the questions related to them or their lawyers. Why is there a campaign going on with the name of the party. The party is watching. Will give a speech in due time,” he tweeted in Bengali.
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