On Friday morning, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched extensive search operations across at least 11 locations in Kolkata and nearby areas including a building of West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged municipal recruitment corruption case.
Simultaneous raid across Kolkata
Multiple ED teams accompanied by central security forces began simultaneous raids early Friday morning. The operation at the minister’s office building in Salt Lake, Sector 1, has been searched for over four hours. Several companies linked to Bose reportedly function from the same premises. Searches were also conducted at the residence of a councillor in Nagerbazar, as well as at locations on Sharat Bose Road and in New Alipore.
CBI presence indicates wider probe link
The officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were also spotted visiting a residence in Thanthania, Central Kolkata. Sources said the ongoing probe could have connections to a separate bank fraud case, Indian Express reported.
Bose faces ED raid again after 2024
This is not the first time the minister has come under the scanner. In January 2024, ED officials had searched Bose’s two residences and office in Lake Town during a 14-hour operation, seizing several documents and his mobile phone. On that occasion, the agency had also searched premises linked to Food and Supplies Minister Rathin Ghosh. Following the raid, Bose had publicly maintained his innocence, asserting, “If anyone had paid Sujit a single rupee for the work, Sujit would have submitted his resignation letter to the Chief Minister today.”
The recruitment scam investigation began after the Calcutta High Court directed the CBI to register an FIR based on an ED application. The court observed that the irregularities were not limited to school recruitments but also extended to various municipal appointments across the state.
The CBI’s chargesheet revealed that jobs were allegedly secured through agents who collected commissions averaging ₹50,000 per candidate. The scam reportedly spans 16 municipalities, including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, and has led to several arrests as the probe continues to widen.
