West Bengal Minister's Premises Raided Amid Growing Recruitment Scam Probe

The ED raided Minister Sujit Bose's residences and offices in West Bengal amid a recruitment scam investigation. The probe, linked to a CBI-registered FIR, targets irregular municipal recruitment practices in West Bengal. Initial findings connect this scandal to the earlier school jobs scam.

On Friday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids across 11 locations, including the residence and offices of West Bengal Minister Sujit Bose, in connection with a burgeoning municipality recruitment scam.

The raids, which began early on Friday, were based on inputs that covered Minister Bose's office, companies, and residential premises.

Previously, ED had searched the homes of Bose and Rathin Ghosh, the state Minister of Food and Supplies, as part of this ongoing investigation initiated by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) First Information Report.

The Calcutta High Court had directed the registration of this FIR following an ED application, highlighting that the recruitment scandal extended beyond school teachers to various municipal posts across West Bengal.

The scam came into focus during a separate probe into school job irregularities after ED discovered municipality recruitment documents at the residence of Ayan Sil, an accused individual.

In April 2023, the Calcutta High Court ordered the CBI to investigate recruitment process discrepancies within municipalities further.

Both the ED and CBI thoroughly examine irregularities in municipal staff recruitment.

(With inputs from agencies.)