ED recovers over `20 cr cash, gold from Arpita’s Belghoria flat
ED officials, accompanied by CRPF personnel, conduct raids in several places across the city, including Ballygunge, Gariahat, Kasba & Belghoria areas
KOLKATA: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has reportedly found more than Rs 20 crore cash and gold worth around Rs two crore from a flat in Belghoria, belonging to Arpita Mukherjee on Wednesday night in connection with the ongoing SSC recruitment scam case.
The counting is still on till reports last came in. Earlier on July 22, the ED officials had recovered around Rs 21.90 crore from her flat near Tollygunge.
The ED officials on Wednesday, accompanied by CRPF personnel, conducted raids in several places across the city, including Ballygunge, Gariahat, Kasba and Belghoria areas. Among the places, the house at Rajdanga in Kasba belongs to an organisation called ‘Ichhe Entertainment’ where Mukherjee is reportedly a director. While the raids were continuing throughout the day, the ED officials also reached the house of Mukherjee in Belghoria’s Dewan Para where her mother stays.
It is alleged that initially Mukherjee’s mother tried to obstruct the ED officials and got involved in an altercation but later the raid was conducted. They also went to a flat in Rathtala area in Belghoria, which also belongs to Mukherjee. The ED officials found the flat locked and brought a locksmith. But the person failed to make a key of the lock following which the ED officials broke open the lock to gain access inside the flat. During the search, the central agency found huge amount of money. And soon a few counting machines were brought in.
Meanwhile, the ED officials who were trying to make a key of Mukherjee’s Ballygunge flat, are preparing to break open the lock. However, till the newspaper went to print, this flat in Ballygunge remains to be searched.
In another development, former West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) chairman Manik Bhattacharya, who had appeared before the ED officials on Wednesday morning, is still being questioned. He was summoned by the ED on Tuesday and was asked to appear on Wednesday. Bhattacharya reached the CGO Complex in Salt Lake at around 10 am.