Searches Uncover Cash Hoards and Digital Trails Linking Officials to Ghost Job Allotments
Published on: October 11, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Kolkata, India
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted high-stakes raids on October 11, 2025, targeting the office and residences of West Bengal Urban Development Minister Sujit Bose in Kolkata, as part of an escalating investigation into an alleged Rs 60-crore recruitment scam in municipal corporations. Over 15 locations across the city were searched, yielding incriminating evidence including unaccounted cash exceeding Rs 2 crore, forged appointment letters for over 500 ‘ghost’ candidates, and digital records of bribe transactions via hawala networks.
The probe, initiated in January 2024 following complaints of favoritism in hiring for civic body positions like clerks and engineers, now implicates Bose and several TMC affiliates in siphoning public funds through backdoor entries and kickbacks. ED officials seized laptops containing encrypted emails linking payments to political donations, while Bose’s office in Lake Town yielded documents showing inflated salaries for unqualified hires.
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The minister, who denied wrongdoing and termed the raids ‘politically motivated,’ has been summoned for questioning next week. This development intensifies pressure on the TMC government, with the opposition BJP demanding a CBI takeover and immediate arrests. The scam has already led to the dismissal of 200 fraudulent employees, affecting service delivery in flood-prone areas, and highlights systemic corruption in state recruitment processes, prompting the Calcutta High Court to monitor the case closely for transparency.
