Former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen has been arrested in a case involving alleged corruption, fraud and forgery linked to the sale of Durga Puja preview passes, and a Bankshall court has remanded him to police custody until 10 November.
Sen was arrested after nearly four hours of questioning, according to a report by Bartaman Patrika. He was produced before the Bankshall court on Thursday, where the prosecution opposed bail and sought custody for further investigation.
The case centres on Mas Art, an organisation whose name became linked to Sen’s wife and the use of the UNESCO logo on preview passes issued before the puja. The government lawyer, Abhijit Chattopadhyay, told the court that Mas Art’s agreement with UNESCO began in 2025, while investigators had found that money collection through the organisation allegedly started in 2022.
The prosecution claimed that the use of the UNESCO logo on the passes was prohibited and that the disputed passes were sold illegally. It also alleged that crores of rupees were involved in the alleged irregularities. The case has therefore moved beyond a dispute over branding and pass distribution to questions about the organisation’s financial transactions, tendering process and the role of public officials.
According to the government lawyer, Sen’s wife is the president of Mas Art and money was deposited into her account from the organisation. The prosecution further alleged that on the days money was withdrawn from that account, corresponding funds were deposited into Sen’s account. These are prosecution claims placed before the court and have not been established as final findings.
The investigating officer told the court that irregularities had also been found in the tender process. The prosecution argued that Sen was a minister when the alleged offences took place and that all tenders were processed through him. It opposed bail, citing the need for further investigation into the financial trail and the tender-related allegations.
Sen has denied the allegations. His lawyer told the court that he had cooperated with the investigation from the beginning, had not attempted to flee and was not connected with Mas Art or holding any position in the organisation. Sen reportedly told the court that a private agency was responsible for selling the passes and that he had no control over the process.
The arrest followed earlier questioning by the Enforcement Directorate and a search at Sen’s residence, according to the report. He was summoned again after the Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja festivities, and was arrested after the latest round of questioning.
The case places the functioning of public tenders, event-linked revenue collection and the use of institutional logos under scrutiny. The immediate legal development is the police custody authorised by the Bankshall court until 10 November, when Sen is expected to be produced again or further directions may be sought in the investigation.
