I am a victim of conspiracy, says Partha Chatterjee, day after sacked by Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Partha Chatterjee, a former West Bengal minister, accused in Bengal SSC scam on Friday said that he was a victim of a conspiracy hatched against him. His statement comes a day after Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government stripped Chatterjee of all posts in the party and relieved him of ministerial duties.

"I have been framed, I am a victim of conspiracy," said 69-year-old Chatterjee, who is under the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), when he was taken to ESI hospital at Joka on the southern outskirts of Kolkata for a medical-check on Friday.

Chatterjee, who was the industries and parliamentary affairs minister, had held the education portfolio when the school recruitment scam was allegedly pulled off.

Also Read: School jobs scam: ED raids another flat of Partha Chatterjee's aide Arpita Mukherjee

One of his close aides, Arpita Mukherjee, was also arrested by the ED after crores of rupees in cash were seized from her residences in different places in Kolkata.

On Thursday evening, ED officials had raided a third apartment linked to Mukherjee in Chinar Park area of Kolkata.

As the flat was locked and the keys could not be traced, the agency sleuths broke open its entrance door in the presence of central force officers.

Earlier, a raid was carried out in Mukherjee's Belghoria flat, where around Rs 28 crore unaccounted cash was apparently found stashed along with large quantities of gold and silver.

Must Read: Cash and burn: Partha Chatterjee loses all posts in Trinamool Congress

The central agency had also reportedly seized over Rs 21 crore in cash from another flat belonging to Mukherjee in Tollygunge area.

The value of gold jewellery is still being ascertained, news agency PTI quoted sources in ED as saying.

The CBI, as directed by Calcutta High Court, is probing the alleged irregularities committed in the recruitment of Group-C and Group-D staff as well as teachers in government-sponsored and -aided schools on the recommendations of the West Bengal School Service Commission.

The ED is looking into the money trail involved in the scam.

Patha Chatterjee sacked from ministerial post

On Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sacked Chatterjee from ministerial post and later in the day. he was removed from Trinamool Congress.

"I have removed Partha Chatterjee as a minister. My party takes strict action. There are many planning behind it but I don't want to go into details," Mamata Banerjee said.

Don't Miss: Bengal SSC scam: BJP says Mamata Banerjee had no option but to sack Partha Chatterjee

Later in the day, TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee said: "Partha Chatterjee has been removed from TMC along with the post of General Secretary, National vice president and three other posts. He has been suspended till the investigation is underway. He can come back if proven not guilty."

Abhishek Banerjee also said that there will be zero tolerance for corruption. "Investigating agency must complete the probe within the time limit. Even in Sarada case nothing happened, it's just lingering. There should be a time-bound investigation," he added.

With inputs from agencies

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.