Bengal civic body recruitment scam: ED raids houses of minister Rathin Ghosh, officials

The raids come within days of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) protesting in Delhi against the Centre for allegedly stopping the release of funds to West Bengal under Union government schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

A team of ED officials reached Michel Nagar in Madhyamgram to conduct a raid at Ghosh’s residence as part of the central agency’s probe into the alleged recruitment scam at Madhyamgram Municipality. Ghosh is the former chairman of the municipality and is accused of being involved in a scam to recruit ineligible candidates for government jobs.

An ED team also conducted a raid at TMC leader Gopal Saha’s house in Kamarhati. Saha is the current chairman of Kamarhati Municipality. Initially, one of the employees of Kamarhati Municipality stood outside the gate and refused entry to the ED officials on the grounds that Saha was not well and that a doctor and lawyer should be allowed inside, sources said. The ED officials reportedly said that in case he required medical assistance and treatment, it would be arranged.

The houses of Nitai Dutta, the chairman of South Dum Dum Municipality, and Panchu Gopal, the vice-chairman of the municipality, in the Lake Town area are also being raided, sources said. Searches are also underway at the house of Prashant Chowdhury, the former chairperson of Titagarh Municipality. Baranagar Municipality chairperson Aparna Mullick’s house is also being searched.

The ED suspects that corruption in the recruitment of civic employees has taken place in 12-14 municipalities of North 24 Parganas district.

The ED had earlier stated that a separate FIR for investigation of the alleged municipality recruitment scam under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act by the predicate agency (meaning the Central Bureau of Investigation) would be required following which the Calcutta High Court had directed the central agencies to probe the municipal recruitment scam too.