Bengal municipalities’ job scam: CBI summons Minister for interrogation

Kolkata, Aug 24 (IANS) Moving a step ahead in its investigation on the multi- crore municipalities’ recruitment scam in West Bengal, the CBI has summoned the state fire service minister, Sujit Bose for questioning.

Bose was asked to be present at the Central Bureau of Investigation's Nizam Palace office in central Kolkata by 11 a.m. on August 31 afternoon.

He has been summoned by the CBI sleuths to question him on his role in the recruitment process in Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) as an erstwhile deputy chairman of Dum Dum (South) municipality.

Bose, also the chief of a community Durga Puja in northern outskirts of Kolkata, is the first member of the West Bengal cabinet to be summoned by the CBI in connection with the municipalities’ recruitment scam.

Till the report was filed there was no intimation from Bose on whether he will go to the CBI office on the scheduled date or not.

Political observers believe that the CBI’s decision to summon a heavyweight member of the West Bengal cabinet has been prompted by the clearance from the Supreme Court earlier this week allowing the central probe agencies to continue with the investigation process on the municipalities’ recruitment scam in West Bengal.

The order for central agency probe in the municipalities recruitment scam was originally given by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court. Later, the matter was referred to the bench of Justice Amrita Sinha. However, she had also upheld the order of Justice Gangopadhyay’s bench and asked the central agencies to continue with their investigation in the matter. The state government then challenged the order by Justice Sinha at the Supreme Court.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths got access to document recruitment irregularities in different municipalities while conducting raid and search operations at the residence of private real estate promoter and an accused in the cash for school job case in West Bengal, Ayan Sil. The ED sleuths informed this to the bench of Justice Gangopadhyay, who on April 21 directed the central agencies like CBI to conduct a probe in the matter.