Bengal Pooch Tragedy: Victim Dogs of Partha-Arpita’s Deed Worry Locals

There are many people in India who struggle every day to own their ‘dream house,’ south Kolkata’s Tollygunge has an exclusive flat-turned-kennel for several dogs of costly breeds. These are the pets of arrested former Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and his “close aide,” Arpita Mukherjee, an actor and film producer.

The flat on the 18th floor of a premium housing complex overlooking a golf course has become the talk of the town after it was disclosed that Mukherjee, who lived in another flat on the first floor, went to the upper-floor kennel daily to meet the dogs and take them for a walk.

The curious Bengal residents have been wondering about the other facilities available for the nearly seven dogs in the “flat with air conditioners.”

Some are even wondering about the state of the dogs since Chatterjee and Mukherjee were arrested by ED a week ago for a money haul of over Rs 21 crore in the latter’s flat. “We have seen their maids go inside and feed the dogs. But how long can they do this?” asked a neighbor.

Kunal Sarkar, a famous doctor in the city, who is also worried about the dogs, said in a social media post, “Investigation related to unaccounted wealth is a must, but the central and state government should also decide the fate of the voiceless and arrange for their caretaking. They made no mistake.”

A resident of Tower 3 at Diamond City South as saying, “We were once told the dogs were Partha Chatterjee’s pets. Whatever it be, Mukherjee loved the dogs and took them out daily for a walk. We do not know if she owned all of them.”

The report further quoted Mukherjee’s chauffeur Pranab Bhattacharya as saying that “madam” owned three flats at the complex, one on the 18th floor is for the dogs. Former minister Chatterjee had more pet dogs at another apartment in another housing complex near his Naktala home.

The pets used to be brought often in a car to his home. But these dogs were shifted to an unknown location within hours of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay referring to his “flat for dogs in Naktala” while hearing one of the cases in the Bengal school jobs scam, the report said.

Chatterjee, who has been stripped of his ministerial and party duties, and Mukherjee, from whose two flats ED has seized Rs 50 crore in cash besides jewelry and foreign currency, will be in the custody of the central agency till August 3.

The duo was arrested on July 23 for their alleged involvement in the school jobs scam, where genuine candidates were allegedly sidestepped with names that did not appear on the merit list.

The Enforcement Directorate is probing the money laundering aspect of the scam. The agency has already begun freezing at least three bank accounts of the duo. “The process of freezing Mukherjee’s three bank accounts has started. A total of around Rs 2 crore has been found in these accounts. We suspect these accounts were used to carry out several transactions, and further probe is underway,” a senior ED official had said.