The Calcutta High Court has rejected former West Bengal fire services minister Sujit Bose’s bail plea in a case concerning alleged corruption in municipal recruitment, according to a report by Bartaman Patrika. Bose, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 11, will remain in custody after the court’s decision.
The bail application was heard by Justice Tirthankar Ghosh after the case was transferred from the bench of Justice Shubra Ghosh. The report said the earlier proceedings became controversial after an allegation that Bose’s lawyers had attempted to take a file from the judge’s private chamber. Justice Shubra Ghosh subsequently recused herself from the matter.
After a prolonged hearing, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh rejected the bail application. The report did not specify the reasons for the rejection, saying that the judge had not clearly stated why the plea was denied.
During the hearing, ED lawyer Dhiraj Trivedi alleged that 284 ineligible candidates had secured municipal jobs. The agency further claimed that candidates were charged Rs 6 lakh each in exchange for being given employment. These are allegations made by the investigating agency and will be subject to the legal process.
The ED also told the court that investigators had found Rs 8.8 crore in Bose’s bank account. The agency reportedly claimed that several crores of rupees had also been found in the bank accounts of members of his family. The report did not provide details of any court finding establishing these allegations.
The case concerns alleged irregularities in recruitment by urban local bodies, including the alleged recommendation of more than 100 candidates for jobs in the Dum Dum municipality. The ED has alleged that these recommendations were made illegally and that substantial financial transactions were connected to the appointments.
Bose had been under the agency’s scrutiny for an extended period before his arrest. The report said the ED summoned him several times from April 6, including during the election campaign. Bose approached the High Court seeking additional time to appear before the agency, citing his involvement in election campaigning. Following the court’s directions, he did not appear before the agency during the voting period but joined the investigation after the election ended.
Investigators questioned him on several occasions and searched his residence and office before arresting him on May 11. The allegations place municipal recruitment at the centre of the case, raising questions about how urban local-body appointments were processed and whether public-sector hiring was influenced by payments or political recommendations.
The immediate legal consequence of the High Court’s order is that Bose’s bail plea has been rejected and he will remain in custody in connection with the investigation. Further proceedings in the case will determine how the ED’s allegations are tested in court.
