Bengal’s former minister Indranil Sen arrested in Durga puja pass fraud case

Former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen was arrested by Kolkata Police on Wednesday, hours after he appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money laundering case. The case relates to the alleged sale of Durga Puja preview passes.

Arrested outside ED office

Sen appeared at the ED's office at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake, Kolkata, on Wednesday after being summoned. Reports say he was questioned for about four hours.

A large police contingent had been deployed outside the complex since morning.

When he came out at around 5 pm, officers of the Kolkata Police's detective department took him into custody, and he was taken to Lalbazar, the police headquarters.

The allegations

The case centres on Mahanirban Road Mass Art Society (massArt), an organisation headed by Sen's wife, which has run Durga Puja preview shows for visitors. It is alleged that passes were sold to the public for large sums, and that the UNESCO name and logo were used without authorisation.

The ED has said in a statement that a large amount of money was collected through ticket sales.

The case began with a complaint filed in June at Bowbazar Police Station by a person who said he had been defrauded. The complaint named Sen, his wife and other office-bearers of the society.

On September 29, the ED searched around 15 premises linked to Sen and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, including his Kasba residence.

The raid reportedly lasted more than 16 hours, after which he was summoned for questioning.

Court proceedings

Sen had been trying to avoid arrest. The Calcutta High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea earlier this month, and he approached the Supreme Court on October 17.

Sen has denied the allegations since the case began.

Separate inquiry

Apart from the ED case, a judicial inquiry commission set up by the state government to examine alleged corruption during the previous Trinamool Congress government is looking into Sen's role. It is examining alleged irregularities in tenders of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department, where Sen served as Minister of State.