Three restaurants — a Chinese outlet, a restobar and a dhaba — owned by Sujit Bose and his son registered transactions worth over ₹1 crore during the Covid lockdown, when establishments were shut and staff were on leave, the Enforcement Directorate told Bankshall Court on Tuesday.
The former Bengal fire and emergency services minister was arrested on Monday night after more than 10 hours of questioning by ED officials in connection with alleged corruption in recruitment for civic bodies, particularly the South Dum Dum Municipality. On Tuesday, the court granted the ED 10 days’ custody of Bose.
ED counsel Dhiraj Trivedi told the court that the restaurants had recorded transactions worth ₹1.11 crore during a period when all such establishments were closed because of pandemic restrictions.
He further alleged that during the same period, Bose received ₹2.2 crore in his personal bank account from the dhaba.
The ED made the submissions while pressing money-laundering charges against Bose. “He is an influential leader, and we need him in our custody to interrogate him further on the alleged trail of proceeds of crime,” Trivedi told the court.
Bose, a Trinamool MLA from Bidhannagar since 2009, lost this time to the BJP’s Sharadwat Mukherjee by over 37,000 votes.
The ED alleged that findings suggest the accused layered proceeds of crime through multiple investments.
The ED said irregularities were linked to his tenure as vice-chairman of the South Dum Dum Municipality between 2010 and 2021, with the alleged recruitment scam taking place between 2014 and 2016.
ED officials told the court that Bose had “illegally recommended” 150 candidates for municipal posts during the period.
The agency also said it had traced cash deposits in accounts allegedly controlled by Bose and said bribe money was routed through shell companies and converted into assets, including land purchases.
Bose, who has earlier faced both CBI and ED probes in the case, has denied the allegations and said he is a victim of political vendetta.
While the CBI isinvestigating the alleged irregularities in recruitments, the ED is probing the money trail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
On Tuesday, his legal team questioned the ED’s reliance on documents seized in 2022-23. They also said that the CBI chargesheet in the case did not name Bose.
“The investigation has been going on for the past few years. If my client did not influence witnesses all these years, what makes the agency presume he will do it now?” one of his lawyers asked.
Bose’s son, Samudra, said: “Since the matter is sub judice, it would not be appropriate to comment. We have full faith in the judiciary and have been cooperating with the agency throughout.”
BJP leaders slammed Bose. “There has been a series of scams in the last 15 years. People have a right to see those who stole their money get punished,” said Dilip Ghosh.