Former West Bengal minister and senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sujit Bose was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday in connection with the alleged municipality recruitment scam in West Bengal.
The arrest came after nearly 10 hours of questioning at the ED office in Kolkata’s CGO Complex. The money laundering investigation has been tied to illegal recruitment in numerous municipalities in the state, officials said. The ED case originates from a CBI FIR which was registered following directions from the Calcutta High Court.
Investigators are probing allegations of illegal appointments, manipulation of OMR sheets, and recruitment in exchange for money. The central agency questioned Bose about his alleged irregular recruitments while he was the vice-chairman of the South Dum Dum Municipality from 2010 until 2021, the sources said. ED officials said they suspect several appointments were made illegally during the period.
Bose was reportedly presented with documents and evidence while being questioned, the reports said. The ED is also investigating alleged financial transactions tied to the recruitment process. His son Samudra Bose had been summoned as part of the investigation earlier.
The municipality recruitment scam first surfaced during broader investigations into recruitment irregularities in West Bengal, such as the school recruitment scam that led to multiple arrests of political leaders and officials in recent years. While officials have not published a detailed official statement regarding the arrest, the Enforcement Directorate has indicated that Bose could be produced before a special court after a medical examination. At the same time, the development has intensified political tensions in West Bengal, with opposition parties attacking the TMC government over corruption allegations.
