The ED  interrogated former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide Arpita Arpita Mukherjee together, in connection with the SSC recruitment scam.

This comes a day after Chatterjee and Mukherjee’s ED custody was extended till August 5 in connection with the SSC recruitment scam.

Chatterjee, who held the portfolio of the Industry Minister in Mamata Banerjee-led state government, and his close associate were arrested by the federal anti-money laundering agency, probing the money trail of the alleged school recruitment scam, on July 23.

The arrest came a day after the ED carried out massive raids at the residences of Chatterjee and Mukherjee as part of a probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff in the state-run schools through the School Service Commission (SSC).

The ED on July 23 seized more than Rs 21 crore in cash, along with gold jewellery worth crores, from Mukherjee’s flat. The probe agency also recovered unaccounted money worth Rs 27.9 crore and gold ornaments and foreign exchange from another flat linked to Mukherjee, on July 27.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, on Wednesday claimed before special PMLA judge Jibon Kumar Sadhu that Chatterjee has not been cooperating in the investigation while Mukherjee is comparatively cooperative.

Mukherjee during her interrogation claimed that the money recovered by the probe agency was slipped into her residences without her knowledge.

Earlier, Chatterjee, who has been relieved of his ministerial duties and also suspended from TMC, had said that he was a victim of a conspiracy. He has also said that the money recovered did not belong to him.

The probe agency had earlier said that the sacked Bengal minister has been non-cooperating with them since he was arrested and is often complaining of tiredness and avoiding questions.