TMC on Partha Chatterjee’s arrest: Will take action if found guilty in SSC scam case

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said in a press conference, "The TMC has its faith in the judicial process. If Partha Chatterjee is found guilty in the case which is being probed, the party will take appropriate action against him.”

On Saturday, Chatterjee, who is a former state Education Minister and the present Industries Minister, was arrested from his Naktala residence.

Ghosh said TMC wants a speedy investigation into the case. "We have seen earlier that the cases probed by the central agencies take a long time to be solved. We want a speedy investigation, if possible within 1-2 months, into this case."

The minister was quizzed by the ED for around 27 hours after Rs 20 crore in cash was recovered Friday from his aide Arpita Mukherjee's flat in a posh south Kolkata area.

Denying TMC's links to Chatterjee's aide, Ghosh said she was not a member of the party and only her lawyers could answer for her.

“Our party has no connection with the woman from whose residence cash was found by the ED. She does not belong to the party. We are not answerable for the allegations raised against her. She and her lawyers will have to respond to them,” he maintained.

Gosh then went on to hint that a plausible explanation was missing for the piles of currency notes found in Mukherjee's house.

“Also, we raise question how could so much cash was available even after demonetisation?” Ghosh asked in the press conference where TMC leaders Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas and Chandrima Bhattacharya were present.

The press conference was held following an emergency meeting at TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's office to decide on the party's stand on the issue.

Trinamool had maintained a stoic silence after ED arrested Chatterjee, who is a party veteran.