Calcutta HC rejects former Bengal minster’s plea for scrapping ED’s ECIR against him

Kolkata, June 8 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Monday rejected former West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose’s plea seeking the scrapping of the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against him for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore municipalities’ recruitment case.

The single-judge vacation bench of Justice Krishna Rao instead advised Bose to move a bail plea.

The judge also rejected Bose’s plea for a fast-track hearing in the matter.

Bose is currently in judicial custody after ED officials arrested him on the night of May 11 after a marathon interrogation in the cash-for-municipal-jobs case.

On Monday, the counsel of Bose told the court that although the case was supposed to be on the list of hearings for the day, they are making a special request for an urgent hearing as it was not listed.

However, the single-judge vacation bench was not at all satisfied with this argument. Justice Rao questioned the necessity for a fast-track hearing on a petition pleading for the dismissal of the ECIR.

Thereafter, he advised counsel that if the latter feels it necessary, he could move a bail plea in the matter. The next hearing had been scheduled in July.

Bose, a three-time Trinamool Congress legislator from Bidhannagar Assembly Constituency in North 24 Parganas district, was defeated in the recently concluded Assembly polls.

He is accused of illegally recommending the names of job recipients in the South Dum Dum Municipality during the investigation of the municipal recruitment corruption case. According to ED sources, the list contains the names of around 150 job seekers.

The ED said that the money earned through corruption has gone into bank accounts. Therefore, information related to multiple bank accounts is also being investigated.

Before the arrest, the ED raided Bose’s house and office.

Along with this, central probe officials also searched the dhaba that the former minister was operating.

–IANS

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