Former West Bengal food minister Rathin Ghosh on Friday appeared before the ED in connection with the alleged civic recruitment scam case after skipping summons on five earlier occasions.

The Trinamool Congress leader reached the ED office at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake around 10 am. "I do not know why I have been called. I will know once I go inside," he told reporters before entering the office.

During the election period, the central agency had summoned him five times, but he did not appear, citing political engagements and campaign-related commitments.

ED officials are expected to question him in connection with the ongoing probe into allegations of recruitment in civic bodies in exchange for money. Around 1,500 people were illegally recruited by different civic bodies in the state, according to the central agency.

Rathin Ghosh had won the Madhyamgram assembly constituency for the TMC in the recently concluded Bengal Assembly elections with a margin of 2,399 votes against BJP candidate Anindya Banerjee.

The development comes days after former fire services minister and Trinamool heavyweight Sujit Bose was arrested by the ED in the same case following prolonged questioning. Bose had also received multiple ED summonses from April 6 onwards, including during the Assembly election period.

He had approached the Calcutta High Court seeking time, citing his involvement in election campaigning. After the elections, Bose appeared before ED investigators on May 1 and May 11, the day he was arrested.