Indranil Sen, the former tourism and culture minister of West Bengal, was taken into custody by Kolkata Police and the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday after probes uncovered financial irregularities in Durga Puja preview shows and the sale of passes between 2022 and 2025.
Sen, who served under the Trinamool Congress (TMC), had long been linked to the MassArt Society – an organisation he co‑runs with his wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, the society’s president. According to the ED, the society lured devotees with the false promise that it was endorsed by UNESCO, a claim that was never authorised by the international body. The money collected from the public was allegedly funneled into private accounts rather than the official Puja committees.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, addressing a press conference at the state secretariat, said the investigation had uncovered evidence that Sen might have shared the proceeds with former chief minister Mamata Banerjee. He warned that “institutional thieves will have to go to jail” and hinted that the probe could widen to other high‑profile figures.
The TMC’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, countered that the arrest was a political vendetta, claiming that “thieves and fraudsters are forgiven for even the gravest crimes once they take up the BJP flag.” TMC leaders say the case is an attempt to undermine the party’s image.
The Enforcement Directorate has registered an FIR and launched a parallel money‑laundering probe. The case is now being processed by the criminal court, with the possibility of a trial before the Calcutta High Court in the coming months.