ED says TMC's Sujit Bose used scam cash to grow restaurant, bar businesses
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that arrested West Bengal minister and Trinamool Congress leader Sujit Bose channelled illicit cash from an alleged municipality recruitment scam
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that arrested West Bengal minister and Trinamool Congress leader Sujit Bose channelled illicit cash from an alleged municipality recruitment scam into his Chinese food restaurant and other hospitality businesses, including a bar. In a statement issued on Saturday, the agency said this was detailed in its latest chargesheet filed before a special PMLA court in Kolkata on July 9. Read Full Story The prosecution complaint names Bose, his son Samudra Bose, IAS officer and former director of local bodies Jyotishman Chattopadhyay, and some others. Bose, a former minister for fire and emergency services, was arrested by the ED in May and is currently lodged in a Kolkata prison. According to the ED, Bose, also a former vice-chairman of the South Dumdum Municipality, "illegally" recommended 340 candidates for various posts in the municipality, and 284 of them got appointments between 2014 and 2022.
The agency alleged that money received from undeserving candidates was first routed into his proprietorship firm, Chinese Quisine Restaurant, and shown as legitimate cash sales despite the restaurant's limited business operations. "The proceeds of the crime so generated and received from undeserving candidates were initially infused into his (Sujit Bose) proprietorship concern, Chinese Quisine Restaurant, by projecting it as legitimate cash sales despite its limited business operations. Huge cash deposits were made in bank accounts, even during the Covid lockdown period," the ED said. FUNDS WERE USED TO EXPAND HOSPITALITY ENTITIES The agency further alleged that funds drawn from the restaurant were used to finance and expand hospitality entities, including Shree Venkatesh Banquets and Speciality Dhaba LLP, which ran Bengal Dhaba and The Bar & Lounge, through capital contributions and unsecured loans. It said more funds for acquiring properties were arranged through borrowings from shell companies and individuals, and these were later repaid by routing the proceeds of crime through "inflated" and "bogus" cash sales of the hospitality businesses.
The ED also alleged that Bose was the beneficiary of "direct" proceeds of crime in the form of multiple flats in return for ensuring jobs to certain individuals. It charged that he not only vitiated the recruitment process of South Dumdum Municipality but also "expropriated" the authority of fair and transparent recruitment from the municipality and made illegal appointments for pecuniary gains. Bose has denied wrongdoing in these recruitments. On Chattopadhyay, the agency alleged that he "abused his position" to facilitate, legitimise and regularise illegal appointments in various municipalities, especially in South Dumdum, in "complete violation" of the prescribed recruitment procedure. "Chattopadhyay approved the proposal relating to the additional 29 appointments in South Dumdum Municipality as a special case, despite the complete absence of mandatory documents required under the applicable government guidelines," the ED alleged. This is the second chargesheet in the case.
The BriefWire