Former West Bengal minister and senior Trinamool Congress leader Sujit Bose was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday in connection with the alleged municipal recruitment corruption case after nearly ten and a half hours of interrogation at the agency’s Salt Lake office. Investigators reportedly accused Bose of non-cooperation during questioning before taking him into custody, marking a major development in one of Bengal’s most closely watched corruption probes.
The arrest came after Bose appeared before ED officials at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake earlier in the day. This was his first appearance before the central agency after the Assembly election results were declared on May 4.
Former Minister Sujit Bose Arrested in Municipal Recruitment Scam Probe
Sources within the agency said investigators questioned Bose extensively regarding alleged irregularities in municipal appointments and recruitment processes. Officials reportedly examined financial transactions, communication records and documents linked to the case during the prolonged interrogation session.
Before the elections, the ED had summoned Bose multiple times while he was contesting from the Bidhannagar Assembly constituency as a Trinamool Congress candidate. However, he had skipped several appearances citing election-related commitments and had informed the court accordingly.
Following directions from the Calcutta High Court, Bose eventually appeared before the ED earlier this month on May 1 and again on Monday, when he was ultimately arrested.
The central agency had earlier conducted raids at Bose’s residence, office and a dhaba allegedly linked to his family’s business interests. ED officials had also summoned and questioned his son Samudra Bose along with several other family members as part of the investigation.
Despite repeated summons, Sujit Bose had maintained that he had no connection with the alleged scam. He argued that the CBI had already filed a chargesheet in the municipal recruitment case and claimed that his name did not appear anywhere in that document.
The ED, however, continued its parallel investigation under money laundering provisions, focusing on the alleged financial trail connected to irregular appointments and suspected illegal transactions.
Political reactions are expected to intensify following the arrest, especially at a time when multiple corruption cases involving recruitment and public appointments remain at the centre of Bengal’s political discourse.
Leave a Reply