WBSSC Scam | Arpita Mukherjee's Four Luxury Cars Missing, ED Probing CCTV Footage: Sources

WBSSC Scam: Four luxury cars owned by Arpita Mukherjee have gone missing. Meanwhile, it is suspected that the money earned from recruitment scam has been invested in multiple real estate companies. 

Arpita Mukherjee, close aide of West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee, was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its investigation into the teacher recruitment scam. ( Image Source :ANI | PTI )

New Delhi: In another development in the West Bengal SSC scam case, four luxury cars owned by former minister Partha Chatterjee's close associate Arpita Mukherjee have gone missing.

According to sources, during the first Enforcement Directorate raid at Arpita Mukherjee’s residence in Kolkata's Tollygunge, the officials got to know about the four luxurious cars, Audi A4, Honda city, Honda CRV, and Mercedes Benz owned by Arpita.

The four cars were not found following the arrest. ED officers are checking CCTV footage of the area. They also sought CCTV footage from Arpita’s flat in Belghoria.

Two of the four cars are reported to be registered in her name.

Money Earned From Recruitment Scam Invested In Multiple Real Estate Companies?

Meanwhile, the documents of two real estate companies were found in Arpita Mukherjee's flat in Raththala where the amount of Rs 28 crore was recovered, ED sources claimed.

The documents of those companies have been accessed by ED investigators. According to ED sources, the address of her flat is shown as the address of two companies. ED investigators believe that the money earned from the recruitment scam may have been invested in multiple real estate companies. 

As per ED sources, two companies were opened in 2017 with a share capital of Rs 1 lakh. The last meeting of the company was held on November 30, 2021. The balance sheet was last filed on March 31, 2021.

The central agency sources said that the names of several directors have been found in the documents. The names include Biswajit Roy, Debashis Debnath, and Antim Goswami. ED has begun a search for these directors.

Enforce Directorate Raid At Chinar Park Flat

The Enforce Directorate conducted a raid at another apartment linked to Arpita Mukherjee in the Chinar Park area on late Thursday evening, news agency PTI reported an official as saying.

The ED sleuths raided the flat a day after recovering around Rs 28 crore in cash from another flat.

From her yet another flat in the city last week, the ED had seized over Rs 21 crore unaccounted cash.

"This (Chinar Park) apartment belonged to Arpita Mukherjee and we suspect that like her other flats, cash can be stacked here as well. We are talking to the neighbours and trying to find out what kind of activities have been carried out here," the ED official said, as quoted by PTI.

Since the door was locked and the keys could not be traced, the agency had to break it open amid the presence of central force officers.

During questioning earlier in the day, Mukherjee gave the officials details of the Chinar Park property.

The investigators are still ascertaining the value of the gold jewellery, believed to be several kilograms, seized from her flats.

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

Arpita Mukherjee was arrested by the central agency in connection with the investigation into the school jobs scam.

Partha Chatterjee was the education minister when the alleged irregularities took place, he was arrested on July 23. He was stripped of all his cabinet portfolios and party posts on Thursday. 

(With Agency Inputs)