West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee Arrested in Scam Case

West Bengal Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Indian Enforcement Directorate on Saturday in connection with an alleged scam in the recruitment of teachers in state-run schools.

Chatterjee was questioned for around 26 hours, Indian media Hindustan Times reports. He will be produced in court later in the day.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, who grilled Chatterjee overnight in connection with the case, had started the interrogation at his residence at 8:00 am on Friday.

Agency officials had recovered Rs 20 crore in cash from one of the properties of Chatterjee's close associate Arpita Mukherjee in south Kolkata. Mukherjee was also reportedly detained.

Partha Chatterjee, currently industries and commerce minister, held the education portfolio when the alleged scam was pulled off.

Apart from the Enforcement Directorate, or ED, the alleged scam is being investigated by Central Bureau of Investigation. While the ED is looking into the money trail in the scam, the CBI is investigating the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group-C and D staff and teachers in state-sponsored and aided schools, Indian media NDTV reports.