‘Family Friend’ Partha Gave NOC to Arpita to Adopt a Kid; Says Knew Her ‘Like Others from Films’: ED

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) charge sheet into the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam stated that Arpita Mukherjee planned to adopt a child and former minister and Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee had given a no-objection certificate (NOC) for it as a “close family friend". He, however, claimed he gave it in his capacity as a “public representative". It also stated that he travelled to Thailand and Goa with Mukherjee.

News18 has a copy of the 152-page charge sheet submitted by the ED in court on Monday.

The charge sheet stated: “The said page number 57 is a letter dated 22.02.2022 issued by Shri Partha Chatterjee declaring that Shri Partha Chatterjee was a close family friend of Ms. Arpita Mukherjee and Shri Partha Chatterjee had no-objection on her adopting a child."

The ED said Chatterjee was asked to offer his comments on the said letter and also state the circumstances in which the letter was issued. “Shri Partha Chatterjee with regard the said letter stated that he identifies his signature and further stated that he used to issue certificates as a public representative to those who approached him on various issues based on his ability to judge," he said.

While the charge sheet showed that Chatterjee and Mukherjee are close, the ED said that during the interrogation Chatterjee said he knew her “just like other people from the film world".

DENIED TRAVEL

The charge sheet claimed that Chatterjee denied travelling to Thailand and Goa.

The ED claimed that “a person named Snehamoy Dutta said that Partha Chatterjee went to Thailand Phuket, on the invitation of an HR association from Phuket". According to ED, Dutta told them that he had accompanied Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee.

Sources said that as a lot of foreign money has also been recovered, the ED is also looking at whether Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee own properties in Thailand.

The ED claimed that Dutta also told them that the duo visited Goa. “The ED confronted Partha Chatterjee by asking that long back he along with Arpita Mukherjee visited either Singapore or Bangkok and the cost of his travels were borne by him; that regarding his visit to a hotel in Goa with Ms. Arpita Mukherjee, he stated that he was visiting so many places with his friends/colleagues," stated the charge sheet.

Read all the Latest News India and Breaking News here