Panchu Roy, ex-chairman of the Trinamool Congress-run South Dum Dum Municipality in West Bengal, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata for questioning regarding an alleged cash-for-municipal jobs scam. Roy is expected to be questioned alongside former West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose, who was recently arrested by the ED in connection with the same case. Bose’s involvement came to light during investigations into recruitment irregularities at the South Dum Dum Municipality, leading to his arrest by the ED after thorough scrutiny of documents and financial records.
Investigators have uncovered evidence suggesting that Bose may have recommended around 150 individuals for municipal positions in exchange for monetary benefits. Roy’s name had previously emerged in a charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is also probing the municipal recruitment scam alongside the ED. This marks Roy’s second appearance before the ED in relation to this case, where he has consistently denied any involvement in corrupt or illegal recruitment practices, dismissing the summons as a form of harassment.
The ED initially discovered the alleged municipal jobs scam during raids on properties associated with Trinamool Congress-linked promoter Ayan Shil, conducted as part of an investigation into a school jobs scam and associated money laundering activities in West Bengal. Following this, the Calcutta High Court instructed the CBI to initiate a separate investigation into the municipal recruitment matter, leading to the scrutiny of more individuals allegedly linked to the recruitment irregularities. Bose, a former three-time Trinamool Congress MLA from the Bidhannagar Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas, was defeated in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections.
