The Supreme Court has postponed the bail hearing of former West Bengal minister Sujit Bose in the municipal recruitment case and scheduled the matter for 16 November, according to a report by Anandabazar. The court has also directed that notice be issued to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which arrested Bose in connection with the investigation.
The matter came before a bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale on Tuesday, 3 November. Instead of taking up the bail plea immediately, the bench directed that it be listed again after 15 days. The scheduled hearing date is 16 November, meaning Bose will remain in custody until the matter is considered, according to the report.
Bose, a former minister in the West Bengal government, had approached the Supreme Court after the Calcutta High Court rejected his bail application. The High Court order was delivered on 13 October by Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, who said bail could not be granted at the current stage of the investigation, as reported by Anandabazar.
The ED arrested Bose on 11 May as part of its investigation into alleged irregularities in municipal recruitment. The agency has alleged that names of candidates who were appointed unlawfully were recommended through the South Dum Dum municipality. The report does not establish the allegations as proven, and the proceedings remain before the courts.
Bose’s bail plea had initially been heard by Justice Shubhra Ghosh at the Calcutta High Court. After the hearing concluded on 17 August, the judgment was reserved. Following the judge’s recusal from the matter, the bail application was placed before Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, who subsequently rejected it.
Bose challenged that decision before the Supreme Court by filing his bail application on 15 October. The Supreme Court’s decision to issue notice to the ED means the investigating agency will be required to respond to the plea before the next hearing. The court has not granted bail at this stage, and no final determination on the allegations has been reported.
The case concerns the functioning of municipal recruitment systems, where appointments affect the staffing of local bodies responsible for civic administration and public services. The next hearing on 16 November is expected to determine how the Supreme Court proceeds with Bose’s challenge to the High Court order and his request for release on bail.
