West Bengal: ED books TMC leader Sujit Bose in municipal recruitment scam

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken significant action against Sujit Bose, who served as West Bengal's Minister of Fire Services under the Trinamool Congress government. ED officials arrested Sujit Bose on Monday night. He stands accused of involvement in a multi-crore municipal recruitment scam that allegedly took place in West Bengal during the tenure of the previous government. Bose appeared for questioning at the ED's Salt Lake office—located in the northern outskirts of Kolkata—on Monday morning; following an interrogation session that lasted approximately 11 hours, officials from the central investigative agency placed him under arrest. Bose had recently lost the West Bengal Assembly elections, failing to secure a victory in his home constituency of Bidhannagar.

When Was He Arrested?

Sujit Bose arrived at the ED's CGO Complex office in Salt Lake at approximately 10:30 AM on Monday, accompanied by his son, Samudra Bose. Prior to this, Bose had appeared at the ED office on May 1 and May 4. However, on both previous occasions, ED officials had allowed him to leave after subjecting him to lengthy interrogation sessions. Ultimately, the former minister was arrested on Monday in connection with this very case.

Why Did ED Conduct Raids?

Earlier, ED officials—assisted by central security forces—conducted search operations at several locations linked to Bose, including his residential premises, his office, and a restaurant owned by his son situated near VIP Road. Bose had previously criticized the ED's actions during the election period, alleging that the investigation was politically motivated. Speaking to the media earlier, he had stated, "Sujit Bose is not in such dire financial straits that he would need to sell jobs to make money. The public is well aware of this fact. This is a conspiracy hatched by the Election Commission and the Enforcement Directorate (ED)."

What is the Case?

ED officials first uncovered details regarding the multi-crore municipal recruitment scam during a raid and search operation conducted at the residence of Ayan Sil—a real estate promoter with links to the Trinamool Congress—in connection with a separate money laundering case involving the "cash-for-jobs" scam within West Bengal's school education sector. Subsequently, acting on an order issued by the Calcutta High Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also initiated a parallel investigation into the municipal recruitment case. As officials from both central agencies proceeded with the investigation, the names of several politically influential individuals—including state ministers and leaders of the ruling party—surfaced during the course of the inquiry.