Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 12 (ANI): Former West Bengal Minister Sujit Bose was on Tuesday sent to 10-day Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody by the Bankshall Court in Kolkata in connection with the alleged municipal recruitment scam, a day after his arrest by the central agency.
The order was passed by the City Sessions Court after the ED produced Bose and sought custodial interrogation for further investigation into alleged irregularities in municipal job appointments.
Bose was arrested by the ED late Monday night in connection with allegations of large-scale irregularities in municipal recruitment processes in West Bengal.
Meanwhile, reacting to the court’s decision, Bose’s son Samudra Bose said the family would move forward through legal channels and expressed faith in the judiciary.
“There is no need for me to add anything further on this matter. As you are all aware, his name does not appear in the list of predicate offences. ED has submitted its statement to the court. Since this is a sub judice matter, I cannot comment any further on it. We have always cooperated with the investigation, and he went there yesterday to cooperate with the inquiry. We will take the legal course. We live in a democratic country. We place our complete faith in the judiciary. I have not yet received a copy of the court order; it would not be appropriate for me to make any comments,” he told the reporters.
The case pertains to suspected manipulation in appointments to municipal bodies, where investigators have alleged that recruitment norms were bypassed in exchange for illegal benefits.
Following his arrest, Bose was taken to Bidhan Nagar Hospital on Tuesday morning for a mandatory medical examination before being produced in court.
The ED has been probing the matter under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), alleging that illegal monetary gains were generated through irregular appointments.
According to ED sources, Bose is accused of recommending nearly 150 candidates for various municipal posts in exchange for pecuniary benefits. The agency suspects that these appointments were influenced by financial transactions and personal recommendations rather than merit-based selection.
Officials further claimed that proceeds of crime linked to the alleged scam have also been identified during the course of the investigation.
The arrest comes amid a broader crackdown by the ED on alleged recruitment-related irregularities in West Bengal, where several cases of suspected corruption in public appointments are under investigation.
Earlier, BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh had reacted to the development, stating that Bose was “destined for jail” and alleging that the ED had given him multiple opportunities before proceeding with the arrest.
Bose will now remain in ED custody for 10 days for further interrogation into his alleged role in the recruitment scam. (ANI)