Bengal SSC Scam: Rs 27.9 Cr Cash, Gold & Jewellery Worth Rs 4 Cr Found in 2nd Raid at House of Partha's Aide Arpita

Continuing its investigation in school jobs scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recovered Rs 27.9 crore cash, gold and jewellery worth Rs 4.31 crore during raid from the residence of West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee’s aide Arpita Mukherjee in Belghoria in North 24-Parganas.

The unaccounted money was found five days after the agency seized more than Rs 21 crore in cash, besides jewellery and foreign exchange from another flat of Mukherjee, who was also arrested on July 23.

Cash of Rs 27.9 crore (notes of Rs 2,000 and 500 denominations, neatly packed in bundles of 50 lakh each for Rs 2,000 notes and 20 lakh each for Rs 500 note), gold and jewellery worth Rs 4.31 crore (3 gold bricks of 1 kg each, 6 Kangana (bangle) of 500 GM each and other gold jewellery, one gold pen) were found during the raid which began on Wednesday ended at around 4 am today.

Two sex toys, a ring of gold and diamond with P alphabet embossed were also found, sources told told CNN-News18. Sources say money has been recovered from flat’s washroom.

At least four women including a senior IAS officer who had access to Partha Chattrejee like Arpita are on radar of the ED.

Meanwhile, Arpita Mukherjee has told interrogators that the cash stashed in her apartment belonged to Partha Chatterjee, sources told CNN-News18. She claimed to the agency that the ‘minister’s men used to dump them at her places and that she had no access to that cash’, sources added.

READ MORE: SSC Scam: TMC Must Clean Its House to Give BJP a Run for Its Money, India Under Modi Hates Corruption

The demand for dismissal of Chatterjee from Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet grew louder from within the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition parties.

“Partha Chatterjee should be removed from ministry and all party posts immediately. He should be expelled. If this statement considered wrong, party has every right to remove me from all posts. I shall continue as a soldier of

@AITCofficial,” he tweeted.

READ MORE: SSC Scam: Why Is Partha Chatterjee Not Claiming Innocence, Says TMC Leader Kunal Ghosh to News18

State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar took to Twitter to attack Trinamool, calling the haul “tip of iceberg”.

Thursday will see a West Bengal cabinet meeting, and Partha Chatterjee’s fate as a minister could be decided there.