Teacher recruitment scam: ED claims Partha Chatterjee went to Bengal govt-run SSKM hospital 'faking illness', seeks 14-day custody from court

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday claimed that West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested by its officials, went to the state government-run SSKM Hospital “faking illness” so that he could not be questioned in connection with the teacher recruitment scam. The central agency also sought 14-day custody of Partha Chatterjee from the special court hearing the case. The agency also pointed out that AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, after a check-up, has ruled out any “active health intervention.”

The agency, which is probing the alleged money trail in a school recruitment scam, also pleaded for his “close associate” Arpita Mukherjee's custody for 13 days.

Special court judge Jibon Kumar Sadhu has reserved the order on the submission made by the ED. The ED, in its submission, said that Chatterjee got admitted to the SSKM hospital “faking illness” and the agency could not question him during the two-day remand granted by a chief metropolitan magistrate on Saturday.

The Calcutta High Court had on Sunday directed that Chatterjee be taken to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar by an air ambulance for a health check-up. Citing the report of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, which was submitted to the court, additional solicitor general SV stated that his vital parameters like blood pressure and oxygen saturation level were within limits and that no active intervention was required.

Opposing the prayer of ED, Chatterjee's lawyer pleaded for his bail. Mukherjee's counsel prayed that short custody be given for her and that her security be ensured in the wake of Sunday's accident when a vehicle hit a car of the convoy ferrying her from court to the agency's CGO complex.