Partha Chatterjee: cash recovered by ED doesn't belong to me

Arrested Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, who is at the centre of a multi-crore school jobs scam, on Sunday claimed that the money recovered during Enforcement Directorate raids does not belong to him, and time will tell who are “conspiring” against him.

As he deboarded a vehicle after being taken to ESI Hospital at Joka for a medical check-up, and was approached by reporters with questions regarding the scam, Chatterjee said, "The money (recovered) is not mine.” Asked further if anybody was conspiring against him, he said: "You will get to know when the time comes." Chatterjee had on Friday asserted that he was a victim of a conspiracy and expressed unhappiness over the Trinamool Congress’ decision to suspend him.

"This decision (to suspend me) could influence an impartial probe…," he had said.

About the move to remove him from the ministry, Chatterjee, once considered a close confidante of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said, "Her (Banerjee's) decision is right." Chatterjee, 69, was relieved of his duties as minister-in-charge of various departments and suspended from the TMC on Thursday. He was also removed from all party posts.

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One of his close aides, Arpita Mukherjee, has also been arrested by the ED after crores of rupees in cash were seized from her residences in parts of the city.