Former West Bengal information and culture minister Indranil Sen has been sent to police custody until 10 November in a case involving allegations that Durga Puja passes were sold using the UNESCO logo despite restrictions on its commercial use. The order was passed by Bankshall Court after prosecutors alleged financial irregularities involving the organisation Mas Art and sought custody for further investigation.
Sen was produced before the Kolkata court on Thursday, a day after his arrest. According to the prosecution, Mas Art sold passes for Puja preview shows and special entry from 2022 to 2025, although its agreement with UNESCO was signed only in 2025. The police alleged that the organisation collected money using UNESCO’s logo and did not follow the conditions attached to the agreement.
The allegations are part of a wider case involving the sale of passes connected to Durga Puja events. Prosecutors told the court that Sen’s wife was associated with Mas Art and that bank accounts belonging to her and other family members were being examined. Investigators also alleged that money was transferred to Sen’s account on the same day funds were deposited into his wife’s account. These claims remain part of the investigation and have not been established by a final court finding.
The investigating team further alleged irregularities in the tender process. Government lawyer Abhijit Chattopadhyay argued that the alleged offences took place while Sen was a minister and described the case as involving cheating and forgery. The prosecution also said that three people had given confidential statements alleging that Sen was directly involved. The details, it said, were included in the case diary.
Sen denied involvement with Mas Art and rejected the allegations made against him. Through his lawyer, he said he was not an office-bearer of the organisation and that the sale of tickets was handled by a private company whose role had not been adequately investigated. He also denied links with Mas Art, GD Creation and Third Line, which were named in connection with the alleged pass irregularities.
Sen’s defence argued that he had cooperated with the investigation and questioned the basis of complaints filed by four people who described themselves as victims. He also said that his phone was with the Enforcement Directorate after a search and disputed the claim that he had been unavailable to investigators.
The case began with a complaint filed at Kolkata Police’s Bowbazar police station by Jaydeep Mukherjee. The complaint led to an FIR, after which the Enforcement Directorate also opened an investigation. Sen had earlier approached the Calcutta High Court seeking anticipatory bail, but his plea was rejected. He subsequently moved the Supreme Court, where the matter remains pending, according to the report.
The court’s decision to grant police custody until 10 November allows investigators to continue examining the alleged financial transfers, the use of UNESCO branding, the tender process and the roles of the organisations and individuals named in the case. The custody order does not determine Sen’s guilt, and the allegations will remain subject to further investigation and judicial proceedings.
