Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday instructed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file an affidavit concerning the arrest of former minister Sujit Bose in the alleged municipality recruitment scam. The deadline for submission is June 29, with the next hearing scheduled for July 1.
Court Proceedings
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Dhiraj Trivedi, representing the ED, requested additional time to file an opposition. Justice Jay Sengupta granted the extension and directed the ED to submit the opposition by June 29.
Defense Arguments
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Bose, questioned the grounds for arrest, stating, "What are the grounds of arrest?" He highlighted that the investigation into the municipality scam began following a High Court order on April 21, 2023. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a charge sheet on June 30, 2024, and a supplementary charge sheet on December 30, 2024. Singhvi argued that Bose's name did not appear in either document.
Bose has been in custody for over a month. His counsel argued that there was no allegation of non-cooperation. Singhvi noted that an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was registered on May 11, 2023, but Bose was not summoned for questioning over the past three years. "Despite parallel investigations by CBI and ED, I (Bose) was never called in for questioning," Singhvi submitted.
