The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday, 29 May issued a fresh notice to Rathin Ghosh — a four-time All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator from Madhyamgram Assembly Constituency in North 24 Parganas district and former West Bengal food and supplies minister under the previous Mamata Banerjee-led cabinet — directing him to appear for questioning in the multi-crore cash-for-municipalities' job case. According to sources aware of the development, Ghosh has been asked to present himself physically at the ED's CGO Complex in Salt Lake, on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, by the afternoon of 1 June.

Background: A Pattern of Summons

This is not the first time Ghosh has been called in for questioning. He last appeared at the ED's Salt Lake office on 15 May, where he underwent a marathon interrogation lasting approximately 10 hours. Following that session, he was asked to return on 25 May — a summons he reportedly ignored, failing to appear without any public explanation. The fresh notice for 1 June is the agency's third attempt to question him in quick succession.

When Ghosh arrived for the 15 May interrogation, he told reporters he was unaware of the reasons behind the summons. However, he declined to answer any media queries upon exiting after the lengthy session.

Another TMC Leader Already in ED Custody

The case has already claimed one prominent political scalp. Sujit Bose, a former TMC legislator and former state fire services minister in the previous Banerjee cabinet, is currently in ED custody in connection with the same municipalities' job case. Bose was defeated in the most recent assembly election from his home constituency of Bidhannagar, also in North 24 Parganas. His arrest signals the investigation is moving beyond summons and into custodial action.

How the Case Unfolded

ED officials first came across the municipalities' job case while conducting raids at the residence of Ayan Shil, a promoter with alleged TMC links, in connection with a separate money laundering probe related to the cash-for-school jobs scam in West Bengal. The municipalities angle emerged as a parallel trail during those searches.

Subsequently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched its own parallel inquiry into the municipalities' job case following a directive from the Calcutta High Court. As both central agencies advanced their investigations, the names of several politically influential individuals — including then-serving state ministers and ruling party leaders — reportedly surfaced during the probe.

Wider Political Implications

This comes amid a broader crackdown by central agencies on alleged corruption in West Bengal's governance apparatus, with the school jobs scam and now the municipalities' job case drawing sustained scrutiny. The dual-agency probe — ED on money laundering, CBI on the underlying offence — reflects the scale and political sensitivity of the alleged irregularities. With Sujit Bose already in custody and Rathin Ghosh now facing a third summons, the investigation appears to be closing in on the upper echelons of the previous TMC administration.

Whether Ghosh complies with the 1 June notice — or skips it again, potentially inviting coercive action — will be closely watched by both political observers and legal experts tracking the case.