ED files chargesheet against Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee

Six firms also named in money-laundering case

Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee : File picture

MONALISA CHAUDHURI |  TT  |  20.09.22 :  The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday submitted the prosecution complaint — known as chargesheet — in the money laundering case against former minister Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee and mentioned that the properties and other assets seized in the case amounted to Rs 103.10 crore.

Chatterjee and Mukherjee and six companies — Echhay Entertainment Private Limited, Ananta Texfab Private Limited, Symbiosis Merchant Private Limited, Sentry Engineering Private Limited, Viewmore Highrise Private Limited and APA Utility Service — have been charged under Sections 3, 4 and 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). If convicted, Chatterjee and Mukherjee can be sent to jail for seven years.

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“Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee have been charged under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, while Section 70 has been added for the offence by the companies,” ED lawyer Abhijit Bhadra said.

Section 3 of the PMLA deals with the offence of direct or indirect involvement in any process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime and the offence of money laundering. Section 4 deals with punishment for the offence. Section 70 deals with offence by companies whose names have surfaced during an investigation.

An ED officer said the agency had provisionally attached properties worth Rs 48.22 crore — 40 immovable properties valued at Rs 40.33 crore and 35 bank accounts with deposits totaling Rs 7.89 crore.

The attached properties include flats, a farmhouse and a plot of land in Calcutta. The central agency has also seized cash, worth Rs 49.8 crore, and gold jewellery from the flats of Arpita Mukherjee.

“The attached properties are found to be beneficially owned by Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee. A number of attached properties were in the name of dummy companies and firms and persons acting as a proxy for Partha Chatterjee.” the officer said.

The voluminous chargesheet, running into 14,640 pages, was brought to Bankshal court on Monday in three trunks.

The document has the statements of 43 witnesses, ED sources said.

Officers of the agency said they would summon all the directors of the six companies to know about their roles in the alleged money laundering.

The ED had earlier submitted in the court that Chatterjee had appointed “dummy” directors in companies which he had allegedly used for money laundering. Chatterjee and Mukherjee were arrested on July 23.