Former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen appeared before the Enforcement Directorate at its CGO Complex office in Salt Lake on Wednesday in connection with an investigation into alleged irregularities in civic volunteer recruitment. The Anandabazar report said Sen reached the office at about 10.50 am, shortly before the 11 am appearance time set by the agency.
The ED had directed Sen on Tuesday to submit documents covering the financial transactions of all his organisations over the past 10 years, along with records of their bank accounts. The appearance is the second round of questioning reported in connection with the investigation.
According to information attributed to ED sources in the report, the agency is examining allegations that Sen was involved in irregularities in the recruitment of civic volunteers in Murshidabad district when he served as the Trinamool Congress’s observer for the district. The report did not establish that the allegations have been proven, and no conclusion of guilt has been reported.
The investigation is also examining separate allegations linked to the sale of VIP passes for a Durga Puja carnival using UNESCO’s name, financial misappropriation at a film festival and the Kolkata Book Fair, and the alleged illegal awarding of tenders to organisations close to Sen. These claims relate to public events, procurement and administrative processes, placing the investigation beyond a single recruitment-related allegation.
The ED’s preliminary estimate, as reported by Anandabazar, is that the alleged irregularities may involve between Rs 50 crore and Rs 60 crore. The report said the agency summoned Sen on the basis of preliminary information and evidence connected to these matters. The figure is an investigative estimate and not a finding established by a court.
The agency had earlier conducted searches at several locations linked to Sen, including his residence in Kasba and a garden house in Singur. He was questioned for nine consecutive hours at the CGO Complex on September 30 before being asked to appear again on Wednesday.
The case brings together questions about recruitment into civic roles, the financial administration of public events and the allocation of contracts. Civic volunteers are used in public-facing functions, making the integrity of their recruitment an issue of administrative accountability. However, the available report does not provide details of the number of appointments under examination, the agencies responsible for the recruitment process, or the specific documents the ED is seeking.
The latest development is Sen’s appearance and the submission or examination of records requested by the agency. The duration and outcome of the second round of questioning had not been reported in the supplied material.
