The Calcutta High Court rejected a petition by former West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case related to municipalities recruitment irregularities. Bose’s counsel presented the petition before Justice Shampa Dutta Paul during the court’s summer vacation. However, the court ruled that the matter would be heard by a regular bench post the vacation.
Bose’s counsel argued that his client was not implicated in the recruitment irregularities case, contesting his arrest by the ED. Justice Dutta Pal stated that as the case would be taken up by a regular bench after the vacation, no immediate relief could be provided to the former minister. The court instructed the ED to furnish a detailed report on Bose’s arrest and for his counsel to submit a comprehensive affidavit during the interim period.
A former Trinamool Congress legislator, Bose faced defeat in the recent Assembly elections. He was taken into ED custody after a lengthy interrogation following the election results. Allegations suggest that Bose recommended ineligible candidates for positions in the South Dum Dum Municipality in exchange for monetary gains. The ED also probed into alleged fictitious transactions in his bank accounts and operations of a restaurant owned by him during the Covid-19 lockdown.
