ED begins process of freezing bank accounts of Partha’s aide, says official

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has begun the process of freezing at least three bank accounts of suspended TMC leader Partha Chatterjee’s associate Arpita Mukherjee, where they have found at least ₹2 crore, a senior official of the agency said on Saturday.

Bank accounts belonging to several “shell companies” of Mukherjee are also under ED scanner, he said.

“The process of freezing Mukherjee’s three bank accounts has started. A total of around ₹2 crore has been found in these accounts. We suspect these accounts were used to carry out several transactions and further probe is underway,” the official said.

He said a decision on freezing the bank accounts of the “shell companies” is yet to be taken, while refusing to divulge the amount in those accounts.

“We have sought the details of

Arpita Mukherje

these bank accounts from authorities concerned. After going through the accounts, we will decide our next course of action,” he said.

The ED sleuth said the agency will continue grilling Mukherjee to know whether she has any more bank accounts.

Chatterjee’s bank accounts are also being checked, sources said.

Interrogation of both Mukherjee and Chatterjee is underway since morning, they said.

Both Chatterjee, who has been stripped of his ministerial and party duties, and Mukherjee, from whose two flats ED has seized Rs 50 crore in cash besides jewellery and foreign currency, will be in the custody of the central agency till August 3.

The duo was arrested on July 23 for their alleged involvement in the school jobs scam, where genuine candidates were allegedly sidestepped with names that did not appear on the merit list. ED is probing the money laundering aspect of the scam.

When taken to ESI Hospital in Joka area in south Kolkata on Friday, Chatterjee alleged he was a “victim of conspiracy”, but TMC has asserted that he was “solely responsible for his fate”.

According to senior TMC leaders privy to the development, overhauling the cabinet was being planned for quite some time, but Chatterjee’s arrest hastened the process.

“The idea is modeled on Kamaraj Plan of the 1960s when several top Congress ministers had resigned to work for the party. Our plan was mooted last year after TMC returned to power for the third consecutive term.

“Now, only time will tell whether there will be a wholesale reshuffle or only a few key ministries will be changed,” a senior TMC leader told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Chatterjee was in charge of five key ministries, including industry, commerce and enterprises and parliamentary affairs.

The TMC leader also pointed out that the organisational overhaul may reflect the policy of ‘one person, one post’ call given by leaders close to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

“The party organisation will also undergo major changes. The policy of ‘one person, one post’ will be strictly followed. Some posts such as secretary general, which Partha Chatterjee held, might be abolished. These changes will be implemented with an eye on next year’s panchayat polls and 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” he said.