Former Minister Sujit Bose denied bail by Calcutta HC:To remain in jail during Durga Puja amid a municipal recruitment corruption probe

Former West Bengal minister and ex-fire services minister Sujit Bose will have to remain in jail during Durga Puja after the Calcutta High Court rejected his bail plea on Tuesday. Court denies relief in municipal recruitment case The court rejected the bail application without separately stating its reasons. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh’s bench denied relief to Bose, who is accused in the municipal recruitment corruption case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had argued that granting him bail could allow him to influence witnesses or tamper with evidence, potentially hampering the investigation. Sujit Bose to miss Sreebhumi Durga Puja Bose, who was associated with the popular Sreebhumi Sporting Club Durga Puja celebrations, will therefore miss the festivities outside jail this year. He had traditionally played a key role in organising and decorating the club’s puja. Probe into recruitment irregularities gathers momentum Following a change of government in West Bengal in May, investigations into corruption allegations against several Trinamool Congress leaders and ministers reportedly gained momentum. The ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had already been investigating alleged irregularities in municipal and teacher recruitment. Former Bidhannagar MLA arrested on May 12 Bose, a former MLA from Bidhannagar, was arrested on May 12 and has remained in custody since then. During the investigation, the ED also conducted searches at several locations linked to him. Allegations of financial irregularities and illegal activities at a restaurant associated with his son also emerged during the probe. ED conducts searches during financial irregularities probe Bose repeatedly sought bail, but his applications were rejected. With the latest order from the Calcutta High Court, he will remain in custody through Durga Puja while the investigation continues.