THE Enforcement Directorate on Monday arrested former West Bengal minister and Trinamool Congress leader Sujit Bose in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged municipality recruitment scam in the state, officials said. The Central agency took Sujit Bose (63) into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after his day-long questioning at its CGO Complex office in Salt Lake in Kolkata, they said. This was the first major arrest of a TMC leader since the Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government took charge of the State’s administration on Saturday.

 

Officials claimed the politician was ‘evasive’ in his replies, often “inconsistent”, and was hence arrested. He will be produced before a special PMLA court here on Tuesday, where the ED will seek his custody for detailed interrogation, they said. Accompanied by his son Samudra Bose, the former fire services department minister reached the ED office around 10.30 am. Till reports last received, the arrested leader and his son were still inside the CGO complex, facing agency questions, with over 11 hours having passed since their arrival.

 

Following information about Bose’s arrest, Amalesh Roy, a lawyer accompanying Bose, said before leaving the CGO Complex, “I wasn’t allowed entry inside the interrogation chamber. I will not be able to say what exactly transpired inside.” Bose, ED sources said, was questioned in connection with the recruitment irregularities at the Dakshin Dum Dum municipality, which allegedly served as the venue for one of the biggest civic body recruitment scams in the state, where he previously served as Vice Chairman.