Rathin Ghosh appears before ED for third time in recruitment corruption case

Madhyamgram MLA Rathin Ghosh appeared at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Salt Lake for the third time on Monday in connection with the ongoing recruitment corruption investigation. Arriving around 11:30 am, Ghosh’s appearance follows a series of avoided summons during the election season, where he cited his candidacy and busy campaign schedule as reasons for his absence. Since winning his seat by a narrow margin of 1,300 votes on May 4, the central agency has intensified its pressure, leading to his repeated appearances for questioning.

Before entering the ED office, Ghosh spoke candidly about the recent wave of protests and attacks targeting fellow TMC leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee. He suggested that a deeper understanding of "the flaws" in the current political climate could have led to better management of the situation. Interestingly, his appearance coincided with the historic swearing-in of 34 ministers from the newly formed Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP administration at Lok Bhavan, to whom Ghosh extended his formal congratulations.

The senior TMC leader also addressed his absence from the crucial meeting called by Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence on Sunday. While many MLAs reportedly skipped the meet due to a fear of public backlash, Ghosh claimed his absence was purely due to illness. His political trajectory has been under scrutiny ever since he was handed the responsibility of the Food Department following the arrest of Jyotipriya Mallick in the ration corruption case three years ago.