Shillong, August 24: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken a significant step forward in its inquiry into the multi-crore municipalities’ recruitment scandal in West Bengal. State Fire Service Minister, Sujit Bose, has been summoned by the CBI for questioning regarding his involvement.
As per IANS, Bose is required to appear at the CBI’s Nizam Palace office in central Kolkata by 11 a.m. on August 31.
The CBI aims to inquire about Bose’s role in the recruitment process within the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) during his tenure as the former deputy chairman of Dum Dum (South) municipality.
Remarkably, Bose, who also leads a community Durga Puja in the northern outskirts of Kolkata, is the first member of the West Bengal cabinet to receive a summons from the CBI regarding the municipalities’ recruitment scam.
As of now, there is no confirmation from Bose about his attendance at the CBI office on the specified date.
Observers suggest that the CBI’s decision to summon a prominent member of the West Bengal cabinet is influenced by a recent Supreme Court ruling that permits central investigative agencies to continue their examination of the municipalities’ recruitment scandal in the state.
Originally, the directive for a central agency probe into the recruitment scam came from Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court. This matter was subsequently referred to the bench of Justice Amrita Sinha. However, Justice Sinha upheld the original order by Justice Gangopadhyay’s bench, affirming the central agencies’ authority to proceed with their investigation. Subsequently, the state government challenged Justice Sinha’s order in the Supreme Court.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) uncovered evidence of recruitment irregularities in various municipalities during their searches at the residence of Ayan Sil, a private real estate promoter and a defendant in the cash-for-school job case in West Bengal. The ED relayed this information to Justice Gangopadhyay’s bench, which, on April 21, directed agencies like the CBI to initiate an investigation into the matter.
