The Enforcement Directorate on Monday arrested former fire and emergency services minister Sujit Bose over alleged corruption in recruitments to South Dum Dum Municipality, where he was vice-chairman from 2010 to 2021.

The Trinamool heavyweight had suffered a crushing defeat in his former fief Bidhannagar at the hands of the BJP’s Sharadwat Mukherjee in the recent Assembly polls. An MLA from the seat since 2009, Bose lost by over 37,000 votes.

Parts of South Dum Dum Municipality fall within the Bidhannagar Assembly constituency. The alleged irregularities took place between 2014 and 2016, ED officials said.

Bose, arrested in the night after more than 10 hours of interrogation, is the first former minister to be arrested since the BJP government took charge in Bengal.

“Sujit Bose’s is the first wicket to fall; many more will go,” said Tarunjyoti Tiwari, BJP legislator from Rajarhat Gopalpur. “Many like me are very happy with the arrest.”

An ED statement said: “Shri Sujit Bose, Ex Minister, Govt of West Bengal, has been arrested today (11.05.2026) by ED in the Municipality Recruitment Scam.”

It added: “Shri Sujit Bose had illegally recommended 150 candidates for different posts under the South Dum Dum Municipality in lieu of pecuniary benefits.”

ED has traced direct proceeds of crime in the form of flats acquired by Bose in lieu of providing municipality jobs to various persons.

“Further, ED has also traced huge deposits of cash in the bank accounts under his control. He will be produced tomorrow morning before the Hon’ble Special Court.”

ED sources said two people from a family were allegedly offered jobs in the municipality in a tradeoff for a plot the family owned in Lake Town.

The central agency had questioned Bose also on May 1. It had earlier questioned Bose’s son, daughter and son-in-law.

On Monday, Bose arrived at the ED office in the CGO Complex, Salt Lake, around 10.30am with his son Samudra and his lawyer.

“There were no satisfactory answers to several questions about the money trail that emerged in connection with the probe,” an ED official said.

While the CBI is probing the alleged criminality in the appointments, the ED is investigating whether money from the purported scam was laundered via a network of bank accounts.

Bose claims to be a victim of political vendetta.

In January 2024, an ED team had conducted a search-and-seizure operation at Bose’s home for over 14 hours. He had then promised to resign if proved to have helped anyone secure a job in any municipality in violation of recruitment rules.

The CBI and the ED, which are probing the civic appointments, had earlier told Calcutta High Court that the civic and school recruitment scams were linked.

Bose’s is the most high-profile arrest since that of then Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee in July 2022. Chatterjee, who has been chargesheeted for alleged corruption in the school jobs case by both the CBI and the ED, is out on bail after spending more than three years in custody.

ED sources said the civic recruitment probe was triggered by the agency’s 2023 findings that suggested businessman Ayan Sil, allegedly involved in the school recruitment scam, was also responsible for recruiting nearly 5,000 people to permanent posts in about 60 municipalities.

Bengal has 121 municipalities and seven municipal corporations.

Under scrutiny are several civic bodies near Calcutta, including those in Kamarhati, Panihati, North Dum Dum and Baranagar as well as a few in north Bengal.

Agnimitra Paul, the municipal affairs and urban development minister in the new BJP government, took charge on Monday.