Calcutta HC Orders Replacement of ED Investigating Officer in Primary Recruitment Corruption Case

In a significant development, Calcutta High Court has issued an order to replace the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) investigating officer, Mithilesh Kumar Mishra, in the primary recruitment corruption case. Justice Amrita Sinha, while delivering the order, directed the ED to immediately remove Mishra from the probe and appoint another official in his place. Furthermore, the court specified that Mishra should not be entrusted with any investigations within West Bengal, expressing a loss of trust and confidence in his abilities.

The ED presented an interim report to the court on the same day, which reportedly contains undisclosed names of individuals. ED's counsel, Dhiraj Trivedi, argued that their officers lack central security, which raises concerns about the safety of the individuals mentioned in the report. In response to the judge's query about the financial transactions related to the case, the ED assured that they would provide a detailed report on this matter by October 10, requesting additional time.

However, during the proceedings, Justice Amrita Sinha strongly criticized the ED's investigating officer. The judge emphasized the enormity of the primary recruitment corruption case and expressed dissatisfaction with the officer's inability to answer the court's questions. Consequently, the court decided to remove Mishra from his role, citing a lack of confidence and faith in his capabilities to handle the extensive corruption investigation.