Bengal municipalities job scam: Sujit Bose gets Division-1 prisoner status, custody extended by 14 days

4 min readKolkataUpdated: Jun 5, 2026 09:35 AM IST

Sujit Bose has been accused of illegally recommending names of job seekers in the South Dum Dum Municipality. (File Photo)

The city sessions court on Thursday granted the Division One prisoner status to former minister and TMC leader Sujit Bose, while also extending his judicial custody by another 14 days.

Bose, who is in judicial custody in connection with the alleged municipal recruitment scam, virtually appeared before the special court Thursday for a hearing in the matter.

His legal counsel sought Division One prisoner status for him, just like former Deputy Commissioner of Police Santanu Singh Roy and businessman Joy Kamdar. However, the Enforcement Directorate objected to his demand, while also seeking an additional custody of 14 days to question him about some new material. While the court had initially reserved the order, it later granted Bose the prisoner status, while also extending his custody.

He will now be produced in court on June 18, virtually.

Appearing on behalf of the ED, Deputy Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi said, “They have gone to the Calcutta High Court vacation bench in this case. Also summons were sent to Nitai Dutt [Deputy Mayor of South Dum Dum Municipality, known to be close to Bose] for questioning. He said that he is undergoing treatment in Hyderabad. He said that he will appear this month. But he has not done so yet.” The ED counsel claimed that a list of names of candidates appointed in this case was found upon searching, and several digital devices have also been seized.

The ED counsel further submitted, “We have some more incriminating information in our hands. We want to question Bose and others about it. Sujit is an influential political figure. Our grounds for remand are to confront the accused with documents, prevent tampering of evidence, and also to identify the benami transaction and cash deposits…Asking for [another] 14 days judicial custody.”

On the other hand, Bose’s counsel argued that his client’s name was not in the CBI chargesheet and that there was no mention of money transactions either. His client’s role did not come up in the statements of any of the accused either, he added.

Story continues below this ad

Bose’ counsel said, “There is no new material… The ED said that one officer and some functionaries have been involved. In the supplementary chargesheet by the CBI, there is no mention of Bose either in the statements given by the accused. They are alleging that kickbacks were given, how I have got it, the quantity of it — these have not been revealed. This is done with malafide intention. There is nothing regarding the money trail or predicated offence link shown with my client and the undeserving candidates. The ED is unable to show any link regarding the proceeds of the crime and the money in the bank account.”

Sujit Bose’s son was also present in court during the hearing.

‘Recruitment scam’

Bose has been accused of illegally recommending names of job seekers in the South Dum Dum Municipality. According to ED sources, the list contains the names of around 150 job-seekers. The ED claims that the money earned through the alleged corruption went into bank accounts. Therefore, information related to multiple bank accounts is also being investigated. The ED had earlier raided the house and office of Bose, along with a dhaba said to be owned by his son, before arresting Sujit Bose on May 11.

The TMC leader had also contested the recently concluded state Assembly elections from his old constituency, Bidhannagar, but was defeated by the BJP candidate.

Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.

Experience

Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.

Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.

Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:

State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.

Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.

Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).

Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.

Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More

Tags:

West Bengal