Former West Bengal minister Sujit Bose has moved the Supreme Court for bail after the Calcutta High Court rejected his plea in the municipal recruitment corruption case. The Supreme Court will not hear the matter before Durga Puja and is expected to take it up after reopening following the festival, according to a report by Anandabazar.
Bose has also sought an early hearing of his challenge to the High Court order. The High Court rejected his bail application on October 13, with Justice Tirthankar Ghosh stating that bail could not be granted at the current stage of the investigation.
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Bose on May 11 in connection with the investigation into alleged illegal appointments in municipalities. The case includes allegations that names were improperly recommended for jobs at South Dum Dum Municipality. Bose has denied the allegations through arguments made on his behalf in court.
According to the Enforcement Directorate’s claims cited in the report, the list of alleged illegal recruits at South Dum Dum Municipality contained approximately 150 names. The agency also believes that money allegedly generated through the recruitment irregularities was transferred to a bank account linked to the former minister.
Bose’s bail plea was initially heard before Justice Shubra Ghosh. After hearings concluded on August 17, the court reserved its judgment. Following Justice Ghosh’s recusal from the case, the matter was placed before Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, who subsequently rejected the bail application.
During the earlier hearing, Bose’s lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that his client was being kept in custody in an unethical manner. Singhvi submitted that the investigation into the municipal recruitment case had been completed and argued that the Enforcement Directorate could not justify continuing the arrest.
The case places the recruitment of municipal employees at the centre of a wider investigation into the functioning of local government institutions. The allegations concern the recommendation and appointment of candidates in a municipal body, while the court proceedings will determine the legal status of the claims and the grounds for continued custody.
The Supreme Court hearing is expected after it reopens following the Durga Puja break. Until then, Bose will remain in custody, following the Calcutta High Court’s October 13 decision to reject his bail plea.
