ED raids West Bengal minister and TMC leaders’ residences

This action is part of the ongoing investigation into an alleged municipality jobs scam that has surfaced in connection with irregularities in municipal appointments between 2014 and 2016.

| Updated: 12 January, 2024 11:29 am IST
ED raids Bengal minister's premises in jobs scam probe

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on Friday at the residences of West Bengal minister Sujit Bose, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Tapas Roy, and former North Dumdum Municipality chairman Subodh Chakraborty.

This action is part of the ongoing investigation into an alleged municipality jobs scam that has surfaced in connection with irregularities in municipal appointments between 2014 and 2016.

The matter first came to light in August last year when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned Sujit Bose for questioning as part of its probe into purported irregularities in municipal appointments. Despite the state government’s plea for a stay on the CBI investigation, the Calcutta High Court dismissed it, allowing the inquiry to proceed.

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Both the CBI and ED have informed the High Court of potential links between the civic body recruitment scam and a bribe-for-job scandal in the West Bengal school education department. This revelation led to the arrest of former education minister Partha Chatterjee. Sujit Bose, who served as the vice-chairman of South Dum Dum Municipality from 2010 to 2021, is the first cabinet minister to be summoned in this case.

The ED’s raids on Bose’s residence, along with those of TMC spokesperson Tapas Roy and former municipality chairman Subodh Chakraborty, indicate the widening scope of the investigation.

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The agency is conducting search and seizure operations in various parts of Kolkata and its outskirts. Last year, on December 28, the ED conducted simultaneous raids at nine different locations in the city as part of its investigation into the school recruitment scam. This included offices and residences in the Burrabazar area, Kakurgachi, and EM Bypass.

Sujit Bose, also the Minister of State for Fire and Emergency Services, had been summoned by the CBI last year in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment in the state’s municipalities. While Bose claimed he did not receive any summons from the CBI, he addressed the media, alleging a political conspiracy against him.

In the wake of these developments, tight security has been implemented at the locations undergoing the raids.

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