Arpita Mukherjee, who is in custody on the charge of money laundering in connection with alleged irregularities in school recruitments, was produced physically in court after several months on Monday.
Mukherjee, an alleged associate of former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, in custody on the same charge, was being produced in court virtually over the past few months.
Mukherjee’s lawyer submitted a bail petition on Monday. This was the second time since her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on July 23 last year that her lawyer moved a bail petition.
The lawyer submitted that Chatterjee was to blame for the money found in his client’s apartment and that she was innocent.
Last year, Rs 49.80 crore and gold and other jewellery valued at Rs 5.08 crore were allegedly seized from two apartments of Mukherjee.
“My client’s only fault is that cash and jewellery have been found in her apartments. But who is the real mastermind? Whose name is mentioned in the ECIR (FIR registered by the ED)? The central agency has alleged that my client had not cooperated when a statement was being recorded on July 23 last year. But in reality no one recorded any statement that day and we did not receive any such document. My client has been framed,” Mukherjee’s lawyer told the court on Monday.
ED lawyers opposed the bail petition.
“If someone had forcefully parked cash and jewellery in her flats, why did she not protest? Who had access to her flats? Why did she not report if someone had entered by force? The reason is because she wanted to lead a luxurious life,” said ED lawyer Abhijit Bhadra.
After hearing submissions of both sides, the court reserved the order on Mukherjee’s bail petition till Wednesday.