Former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee broke down during his virtual court hearing on Wednesday, and said he was a “victim of political conspiracy”. Chatterjee is currently in judicial custody after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the teachers’ recruitment scam.
“I pray for justice… I was the leader of the Opposition before becoming a minister… I am a victim of political conspiracy…I am worried that the ED counsel is out to tarnish my image,” Chatterjee told the Judge during the virtual hearing of his bail plea.
The special PLMA court, on Wednesday, remanded Chatterjee, along with his close aide Arpita Mukherjee to judicial custody till September 29.
During the hearing, Chatterjee also claimed that he had no idea where the cash recovered by ED came to his house and said, “I had no idea how the cash was found or why it was there. I was at home the day the ED searched my place.”
Urging the court to grant him bail ‘under any condition’, Chatterjee said, “I am ready to offer all assistance to the investigation… Considering my mental and physical state, please consider my bail under any condition.”
THE CASE
Chatterjee and his close aid Arpita Mukherjee were arrested by the ED on July 23 in connection with the agency’s probe into the money trail in illegal appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools.
They had been in ED’s custody till August 5 and were sent to judicial custody on the court’s orders.
The ED has claimed to have recovered Rs 49.80 crore in cash, jewellery and gold bars from flats owned by Mukherjee and documents of properties and a company in joint holdings.
Meanwhile, Chatterjee has been relieved of his ministerial duties by the Mamata Banerjee government and Trinamool Congress has removed him from all posts he held in the party, including that of its secretary general.
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