Kolkata: A Kolkata court on Monday granted 10 days' Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and his alleged associate Arpita Mukherjee, who were arrested in connection with its probe into the school jobs scam. The ED had prayed for 14 days' custody of Mamata Banerjee's minister, stating that AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has said in a report after medical examination of the minister that no active intervention is required over his health.
Rejecting a bail prayer of the minister, special ED Court judge Jibon Kumar Sadhu at Bankshall court here extended ED custody of the minister and also of Mukherjee till August 3.
The court directed in its order that the two accused persons, who were arrested on July 23, be produced before it again on August 3.
Chatterjee was produced before the court on Saturday and remanded to two-day ED custody, while Mukherjee was produced before the court on Sunday and remanded to one-day custody.
The ED prayed for 14 days' custody of Chatterjee claiming that he has been in state-run SSKM Hospital allegedly faking illness and thus the agency could not question him during the two-day remand granted by the CMM in-charge court on Saturday.
The agency also prayed for Mukherjee's custody for 13 days.
The high court had on Sunday directed that the minister, who was the education minister when the scam took place, be virtually produced before a special ED court in Kolkata at 4 PM on Monday. The ED had moved the high court challenging an order by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (in-charge), Calcutta, sending Chatterjee to SSKM Hospital while rejecting his bail prayer and granting two-day custody to the agency.
Additional solicitor general S V Raju submitted before Judge Sadhu the report of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, which he said stated that no active intervention is required for chronic illnesses suffered by Chatterjee. It was also stated that his vital parameters like blood pressure and oxygen saturation level were normal and blood sugar was under control.
Opposing the prayer of ED, Chatterjee's lawyer prayed for his bail.
Mukherjee's counsel prayed that a short custody be given for her and that her security be ensured owing to Sunday's incident in which a vehicle hit a car of the convoy carrying her from court after production.
Seeking remand of Chatterjee and Mukherjee, the ASG claimed before the court that this is a very serious scam where deserving candidates were deprived of appointment as teachers in schools and undeserving candidates with money were given jobs.
The high court had directed the CBI to inquire into recommendations by the state's School Service Commission (SSC) vide which alleged illegal appointments were made by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education in government and aided schools.
In pursuance of the order, the ED filed an FIR to probe the money trail allegedly involved in the case and arrested Chatterjee, who is also the secretary general of the ruling Trinamool Congress, and his alleged associate Mukherjee.
Raju submitted before the special court on Monday that Rs 21.9 crore in cash, gold ornaments, several mobile phones and other documents including a joint property deed were recovered during the search at Mukherjee's residence.
