Kolkata, May 29: Former West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose has approached the Kolkata High Court, challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a municipal recruitment scam worth millions.
The hearing is scheduled for Friday before a single-judge bench led by Justice Shampa Dutta Paul. Bose, a three-time Trinamool Congress MLA from the Bidhannagar constituency in North 24 Parganas, lost in the recent assembly elections.
He was arrested on May 11, just a week after the election results were announced on May 4, following nearly ten hours of questioning by ED officials.
On Thursday, his lawyer filed a petition contesting the arrest, which the court accepted. The first hearing on this matter will take place on Friday.
Prior to his arrest, Bose had been summoned multiple times by the ED but had refused to appear, citing his busy election campaign schedule. After the results, he appeared twice before the ED, leading to his arrest on the second visit. He is currently in ED custody.
The main allegation against him is that he recommended ineligible candidates for various positions in the South Dumdum municipality in exchange for cash. According to the ED, Bose allegedly profited significantly by recommending 150 unqualified candidates.
Before his arrest, ED officials conducted searches at Bose’s offices and residence, as well as examining bank accounts belonging to him and his family members.
The ED also claims that a restaurant owned by Bose earned millions during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, despite being closed at the time. The agency informed a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kolkata that 1.1 crore rupees were transferred to the restaurant’s account during the lockdown, along with 2.2 crore rupees to Bose’s personal account.
Leave a Comment