WBSSC scam: Minister Partha Chatterjee’s aide Aripta, black diary and Odisha link

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials have recovered two diaries including a black one from the house of Arpita Mukherjee, the close aide of the then West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee who was recently arrested in connection with the alleged West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam.

The investigating agency suspects that the 40-page black diary and 16-page pocket diary contain information regarding the recruitment scam. The black diary has crucial entries regarding illegal appointments against cash and other details.

It is also suspected that the diary also contains crucial information and details about the investments by Arpita in some films in Odisha and Tamil Nadu. Speculation is also rife that the money collected via the alleged recruitment scam was also spent in Odisha.

It is pertinent to mention here that Arpita, who has worked in some Bengali and Odia films between 2008 and 2014, might be having links with some producers in Odisha as well. If the recruitment scam money was channelized through movies in Odisha by Arpita, a detailed investigation is being sought to ascertain the links and who are the producers benefited.

The ED officials recovered Rs 21.20 crore cash, gold estimated around Rs 90 lakh, foreign currency around Rs 60 lakh from the residence of Arpita Mukherjee.

Earlier in the day, Partha Chatterjee, who was admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday, was shifted to Kolkata early Tuesday morning. Later, he was taken to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office at CGO complex Saltlake. The court has sent Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee to the Enforcement Directorate's custody till August 3.