Minister’s aide, a model, actor, face of his Durga Puja campaigns

In a statement about its raids on her residence and seizure, the ED described Mukherjee as a “close associate” of Chatterjee. A model and actor, Mukherjee has done some minor roles in a few Bengali, Odia and Tamil films. Sources said she had met Chatterjee nearly a decade ago through his Durga Puja committee called the Naktala Udayan Sangha, which is one of the biggest Durga Puja committees in Kolkata. Arpita has been the face of the promotional campaigns of the Naktala Udayan Sangha in recent years. Her image has featured extensively in the advertisements of Chatterjee’s committee during Durga Puja.

ED sources said that Mukherjee has several flats in Kolkata and its suburbs. Her mother Minati Mukherjee, who stays in their ancestral house at Belgharia in north Kolkata, said: “She (Arpita Mukherjee) has not been staying here for many years. But very often she used to come here. Last week too, she came but did not stay for more than an hour.”

A senior TMC leader close to Chatterjee, who currently holds the portfolios of parliamentary affairs, commerce and industry, and electronics & IT, recalled that “A few years ago, when Chatterjee held the education portfolio, he went to a school at Baruipur for inspection on the occasion of Saraswati Puja. Arpita had accompanied him on that visit.”

While the TMC has distanced itself from the Rs 20 crore cash haul seized from Mukherjee’s house, the principal Opposition BJP has sought to link it to the ruling party, alleging her “nexus” with the TMC.

Denying such allegations, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh claimed in a tweet: ”The money recovered by ED has nothing to do with Trinamool. It is the responsibility of those named in this investigation to answer the questions related to them or their lawyers. The party is keeping an eye on why the campaign is going on with the name of the party. Trinamool will not tolerate any kind of injustice.”

“Guilty by Association” – A legal phenomenon used to describe when an individual is guilty of committing a crime through knowing someone else.

Just saying.

Yeh toh bas trailer hai, picture abhi baki hai… pic.twitter.com/4fM9gbLWrq

— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) July 22, 2022

Rs. 20 crore cash recovered by @dir_ed from the residence of Arpita Mukherjee; close aide of WB Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in the SSC scam case.
Sources claim that piles of cash were found inside WB Govt Education Ministry envelopes with
National Emblem printed on them. pic.twitter.com/xLsWQeVzL2

— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) July 22, 2022

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On the other hand, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar tweeted, “Recently, Mamata Banerjee praised close aide of Partha Chatterjee in an event. Yesterday, 20 Cr cash was found from her residence premise. Doesn’t it show her accord and involvement in accumulating this money from scams? Truth is coming out now.”

ইডি যে টাকা উদ্ধার করেছে, তার সঙ্গে তৃণমূলের কোনও সম্পর্ক নেই। এই তদন্তে যাদের নাম আসছে, এসংক্রান্ত প্রশ্নের জবাব দেওয়ার দায়িত্ব তাঁদের বা তাঁদের আইনজীবীদের। কেন দলের নাম জড়িয়ে প্রচার চলছে, দল নজর রাখছে। যথাসময়ে বক্তব্য জানাবে।

— Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) July 22, 2022

The state BJP has also charged that Mukherjee has links with several TMC leaders. To reinforce its allegations, the saffron party has also released a picture that purportedly shows Mukherjee sitting on a stage along with several celebrities and TMC leaders at the party’s martyrs’ day rally in Kolkata.