ED summons Bengal Minister Rathin Ghosh in municipal recruitment scam

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Rathin Ghosh for questioning on May 6 in a multi-crore municipal recruitment scam, as the probe widens with other leaders, including Sujit Bose, already examined

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate, on Tuesday, had issued a fresh notice to the West Bengal Minister for the Food and Supplies Department, Rathin Ghosh, for interrogation in connection with the multi-crore municipalities recruitment case in the state.

He had been asked to be present at the Enforcement Directorate’s office at the Central Government Office complex at Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata on May 6, that is two days after the results of the recently concluded two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal would be announced.

---

Although Ghosh was earlier issued notices a couple of times before the elections, he avoided appearing at the Enforcement Directorate’s office on the grounds of a busy schedule of campaigning for the polls, as he is re-contesting this time as a Trinamool Congress candidate from Madhyamgram Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

Incidentally, on Friday, the state Fire Services Minister, Sujit Bose, appeared at the Enforcement Directorate’s Salt Lake office and faced interrogation regarding the municipalities recruitment case in the state, after avoiding appearance thrice.

In October 2023, the Enforcement Directorate, for the first time, questioned Ghosh in the municipal recruitment corruption case. The last time that Rathin Ghosh faced interrogation by Enforcement Directorate officials in connection with the municipalities job case was in January 2024.

At the same time, a search was conducted at his house at that time. In January 2024 and October 2025, the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at Bose’s office and house. It also searched the addresses of some of his close associates.

Enforcement Directorate officials had first received information about the multi-crore municipalities’ job case while conducting raids and search operations at the residence of Trinamool Congress-linked promoter Ayan Shil in connection with another money laundering case related to the cash-for-school jobs scam in West Bengal.

Later, the Central Bureau of Investigation had also started a parallel probe into the municipalities job case following an order of the Calcutta High Court. As officials of the two central agencies progressed further with the investigation process, the names of several politically influential persons, including state ministers as well as ruling party leaders, surfaced during the course of the probe.