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Chatterjee was arrested from his residence in Kolkata on Saturday after the ED conducted raids at the residential premises of the former State Education Minister and several others and recovered huge cash from the residence of one of his alleged close aides.
A Special Court in Kolkata on Monday sent West Bengal Minister and TMC leader Partha Chatterjee to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till August 3 in the alleged teachers' recruitment scam during his tenure as the State Education Minister.
The ED had prayed for 14 days' custody of Chatterjee stating that Chatterjee’s medical reports (prepared by AIIMS, Bhubaneswar) show that he is fit and stable. The ED had argued that there is nothing wrong with the medical reports and Chatterjee was taking advantage of his position to stay in a state-run hospital. He is fit and can be taken into custody for interrogation, the ED had submitted.
On the other hand, Chatterjee's counsel, Advocate Ayan Poddar had argued that there were no directions from the High Court to arrest Chatterjee and he had already completed three days in custody after his detention on July 22.
The Special Court, after hearing the parties, granted ED custody of the minister till August 3.
According to Chatterjee’s lawyer, during the course of hearing, the ED proposed that Chatterjee be shifted to AIIMS in New Delhi or Bhubaneswar but the Court did not comment anything about it. The Court, however, suggested that doctors from AIIMS can be called in Kolkata for the medical check-up of Chatterjee.
The ED had arrested Chatterjee from his residence in Kolkata in connection with the probe into his alleged role in the teachers’ recruitment scam while he was serving as the Education Minister of the State. He was hospitalized in the evening after he complained of health issues.
It is pertinent to mention that ED had conducted raids at the residential premises of Parth Chatterjee, Paresh Adhikari and several others and had recovered huge cash (approximately amounting to Rupees 20 crores) from the residence of Arpita Mukherjee, who is known to be a close aide of Chatterjee.
Mukherjee was also arrested on the same day and was sent to one-day ED custody on the next day by the Bankshall Court, Kolkata. She has also been sent to ED custody till August 3.
[Input: TOI]
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