Former West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose has challenged his recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a multi-crore municipalities recruitment scam. Bose, a three-time Trinamool Congress legislator from Bidhannagar, approached the Calcutta High Court’s vacation bench for relief. The matter is set for a hearing before Justice Shampa Dutta Paul on Friday.
Bose, who lost in the recent Assembly elections, was taken into custody by the ED after a lengthy interrogation session on May 11. His counsel filed a petition contesting the arrest, which the court has accepted. The first hearing on this issue is scheduled for Friday. Bose is currently in ED custody, facing allegations of recommending ineligible candidates for recruitment in exchange for money.
The ED claims that Bose profited significantly by recommending around 150 ineligible candidates for positions in the South Dum Dum Municipality. Prior to his arrest, the ED had searched Bose’s properties and scrutinized his and his family’s bank accounts, uncovering alleged fictitious transactions. Additionally, the agency revealed that Bose’s restaurant made substantial earnings during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, despite being closed.
