The arrest of former West Bengal minister Sujit Bose has once again pushed the state’s long list of corruption scandals into the national spotlight. From recruitment scams and municipal job irregularities to coal smuggling, cattle trafficking, ration corruption, Saradha, and Narada — several high-profile investigations linked to Trinamool Congress leaders are now under renewed scrutiny, raising fresh questions about how far these probes have progressed and who could face action next.
Sujit Bose’s arrest in the municipal recruitment scam has added another heavyweight political name to a growing list of Trinamool leaders investigated by central agencies over the past 15 years. The case involves allegations of large-scale financial irregularities and illegal appointments in municipal bodies across the state.
The same municipal recruitment case had earlier led to repeated summons being issued to former Food Minister Rathin Ghosh. In 2023, the CBI also conducted marathon searches at the residence of Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim in connection with the investigation. Raids were also carried out at the home of Trinamool MLA Madan Mitra.
Investigators reportedly stumbled upon links to the municipal recruitment scam while probing the much larger SSC recruitment controversy, one of the biggest political scandals in Bengal in recent years.
From Sujit Bose to SSC Scam: TMC’s Corruption Cases Back in Spotlight. Who is Next?
The SSC scam drew nationwide attention after ED officials recovered huge amounts of cash and gold from properties linked to Arpita Mukherjee, considered a close associate of former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee. Chatterjee was later arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and is currently out on bail.
Former Baranagar MLA Jiban Krishna Saha remains in custody in connection with the teacher recruitment scam, while the ED has also filed chargesheets against former Correctional Services Minister Chandranath Sinha in the primary recruitment case. Large portions of his alleged assets have already been attached by the agency.
Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Income Tax officials also conducted lengthy searches at the residence of Debasish Kumar, Trinamool’s defeated candidate from Rasbehari, in connection with an alleged land-related financial fraud case.
Several older scams linked to the Trinamool era continue to remain under investigation. In May 2021, shortly after the Assembly elections, the CBI arrested senior leaders Firhad Hakim, Madan Mitra, and former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee in the Narada sting case.
The Saradha chit fund scam had earlier led to the arrests of leaders including Kunal Ghosh and Madan Mitra, while Trinamool MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay was arrested in the Rose Valley scam.
Former Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal spent a long period in jail in the cattle smuggling case before securing bail. Former Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallick was arrested in the ration distribution scam.
The RG Kar Medical College controversy also triggered allegations of financial irregularities, leading the CBI to search the residence of Trinamool MLA Sudipta Roy.
Meanwhile, Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has repeatedly faced questioning by both the CBI and ED in the coal smuggling case. Former Law Minister Moloy Ghatak has also been summoned multiple times in the same investigation.
Political analysts say the sheer number of cases involving senior leaders has deepened the opposition’s attack on the Trinamool Congress over corruption allegations.
Adding another dramatic twist, the Supreme Court recently issued a notice in the ₹2,600-crore coal smuggling case after ED opposed interim bail for accused Anup Majhi. During the hearing, remarks made by legal counsels about post-election political developments drew sharp attention from the bench. The matter is now scheduled for fresh hearing after eight weeks.
Leave a Reply