It’s a ploy just before Assembly elections, says Sujit Bose after ED raids on him

West Bengal's Fire and Emergency Services Minister, Sujit Bose, responded strongly to the latest raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on premises linked to him, dismissing the action as a "ploy" executed just before the upcoming Assembly elections. The minister maintained his defiant stance, telling reporters, "People are my certificate." "They do this every time before elections. They visit my home, my office—everywhere. They raided before and found nothing. They do this to create pressure before the polls," Bose said.

The ED launched extensive searches across at least 11 locations in Kolkata and surrounding areas early Friday morning, including a building in Salt Lake that houses the Minister's office, as part of its ongoing investigation into the alleged municipal recruitment corruption case.

The search at the minister’s office, situated in a building in Sector 1, Salt Lake, has been underway for several hours, indicating the broad scope of the agency's current investigation. This is not the first time Minister Bose has been subjected to such scrutiny. Previously, on January 12, 2024, ED officials conducted a lengthy 14-hour search operation at two of his residences and his office in Lake Town, in connection with the same corruption case.

That raid resulted in the seizure of several documents and his personal mobile phone, though the minister publicly denied any wrongdoing at the time. Following the earlier raid, Bose had made a dramatic public statement, defiantly asserting his innocence: “If anyone had paid Sujit a single rupee for the work, Sujit would have submitted his resignation letter to the Chief Minister today.” This firm denial underscores his continued stance against the corruption allegations leveled against him.