Kolkata Police will question all the accused in the Durga Puja preview passes case after investigators told a court that the alleged corruption could exceed Rs 100 crore and that around 20 bank accounts linked to arrested singer and former state information and culture minister Indranil Sen, his family, firms and close associates had been traced.
Sen was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the case. Police are examining transactions allegedly routed through accounts connected to him and his family. Investigators are also expected to seek a statement from his wife after her name surfaced in the probe.
The investigation centres on the distribution and sale of preview passes for Durga Puja events. The case has also brought into focus a claimed tie-up involving Unesco and mass Art, a company linked to Sen’s wife. Police have collected documents from 2022 relating to the association and have sought clarification from Unesco, according to the report presented in court.
Public prosecutor Abhijit Chattopadhyay told the court that the case involved alleged cheating and fraud. He claimed that mass Art, rather than Unesco, selected 24 pujas and that money had been collected from 2022 even though the company’s claimed agreement with Unesco was dated 2025. The prosecutor also alleged that Unesco had not authorised the commercial use of its logo, although it appeared on the tickets.
Chattopadhyay further alleged that money deposited with mass Art was routed to Sen and described him as the alleged head of the chain. These claims remain part of the prosecution’s case and will be examined through the investigation and court proceedings.
Sen’s lawyer Somnath Sanyal rejected the allegations. He told the court that his client was not responsible for distributing the tickets and that sales were handled by a private company that had not been brought into the investigation. Sanyal also noted that the president, vice-president and treasurer of the puja committee had been granted bail and questioned why Sen should remain in custody.
At a Calcutta High Court hearing on Sen’s anticipatory bail plea, the state also alleged that he had misused his official position and that large sums moved through mass Art into accounts belonging to Sen and his family. The state said only three companies received tenders during his tenure. Sanyal disputed Sen’s connection with those firms, referred to a related matter pending before the Supreme Court and said the arrest was premature. He also argued that Sen had cooperated with investigators and had never switched off his phone.
The primary complainant, Joydeep Mukherjee, was called to Lalbazar on Thursday evening and said he would share all the information available with investigators. Police are continuing to question the accused, examine the linked bank accounts and verify the documents and claims associated with the alleged Unesco tie-up.
