West Bengal minister Chandranath Sinha surrenders before ED court; granted interim bail

NEW DELHI: West Bengal minister Chandranath Sinha on Saturday surrendered before an Enforcement Directorate (ED) court here in connection with its investigation into alleged irregularities in primary school recruitment, an official said. According to sources in the central agency, Sinha, who is West Bengal's minister in charge of micro, small and medium enterprises and textiles, appeared before the special ED court in Kolkata earlier in the day and formally surrendered in compliance with court orders.

The ED sought his custody, but the court granted him an interim bail on a personal bond of Rs 10,000, subject to conditions, the official said. The court stated that although bail has been granted, Sinha will not be allowed to leave his assembly constituency or Kolkata for the time being. "He must cooperate with the investigation. These conditions must be followed until the hearings related to the case are concluded," the ED official said, quoting the court order.

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Sinha cooperating with investigation, counsel says

Sinha's legal counsel, when contacted, maintained that the minister was cooperating with the investigation and that the surrender was made out of respect for the judicial process. Sinha has been under the ED's radar for some time in connection with a high-profile case involving alleged misappropriation of funds.

The central agency sleuths are expected to question Sinha further in the coming days to ascertain his role in the case. While no formal arrest has been made yet, the court may decide on interim measures such as bail conditions or custody based on the agency’s submission. Last month, a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had directed Sinha to appear in person and surrender on September 12 in response to ED summons.