Former West Bengal minister and Chandannagar legislator Indranil Sen was arrested after appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged financial irregularity involving Durga Puja passes, according to a report by Anandabazar. Police took Sen into custody as he left the agency’s office at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake on Wednesday.
The report, citing police sources, said Sen was arrested for allegedly not cooperating with the investigation and was taken to Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar. A large police presence had been deployed outside the CGO Complex while he was being questioned.
Sen has previously appeared before the ED in the case, and investigators had searched multiple premises linked to him, including his residence in Kasba and a farmhouse in Singur. The case began with a complaint filed at Bowbazar police station by a man identified as Jaydeep Mukhopadhyay. Kolkata Police subsequently registered a first information report, after which the ED also began investigating the allegations.
The allegations centre on the sale of passes and tickets for Durga Puja preview events and privileged entry programmes. Investigators and complainants have alleged that the name of UNESCO was used in promotional material in a way that could mislead the public into believing that the events had a direct commercial association or approval from the organisation. The report said the ED’s preliminary estimate placed the alleged financial irregularity at between Rs 50 crore and Rs 60 crore.
The investigation also concerns a company called Mass Art, which is linked to Sen’s wife, Madhuchhanda Sen. The company was formed in 2021, soon after UNESCO recognised Kolkata’s Durga Puja. The ED has alleged that the organisation was used in the operation and that promotional material suggested a direct link with UNESCO. The allegations have not been established by a final court finding.
West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, speaking at Nabanna after the arrest, said the ED and Kolkata Police had been investigating Sen and that legal action had been taken on the basis of evidence. He also alleged that other people could face action in the case. Those political allegations were not independently established in the supplied report.
Sen had approached the Calcutta High Court seeking anticipatory bail, but his plea was rejected. He later challenged that order in the Supreme Court. The case was listed on Tuesday before Justice Dipankar Datta, who recused himself citing personal reasons. According to the report, a new bench is scheduled to hear Sen’s plea on the following Monday.
The arrest comes amid continuing investigations involving former ministers and public administration in West Bengal. The next major development in Sen’s case is expected to be the Supreme Court hearing on his bail-related plea, while the ED and Kolkata Police investigations continue.
