Former Bengal Minister Indranil Sen Arrested in Rs 50–60 Crore Financial Irregularities Case

ED detains ex-tourism minister after four-hour questioning; separate probes by ED and Kolkata Police into MassArt Society pass-sale case

Kolkata : Former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen was arrested on Wednesday in a case of alleged financial irregularities worth Rs 50-60 crore. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned him for at least four hours before the arrest. Sen served as tourism and culture minister in the previous Trinamool Congress government.

Sen was called to the ED office at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake on Wednesday afternoon. Agency officials questioned him for at least four hours. He had faced questioning several times earlier in the same case.

After the arrest, a Kolkata Police team took Sen to Lalbazar, the city police headquarters, for further questioning. Officers from the Detective Department had waited outside the ED office before moving him.

Two agencies — the ED and Kolkata Police — are probing the matter separately. Their focus is MassArt Society, an organisation with which Sen and his wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, were allegedly associated. According to the ED’s preliminary estimate, the alleged irregularities could involve Rs 50-60 crore.

In June, Kolkata Police registered an FIR against Sen, his wife Madhuchhanda and associates of MassArt Society. The FIR was based on a complaint filed by Jaydeep Mukherjee at Bowbazar police station. The ED subsequently launched a separate investigation of its own.

The case concerns alleged financial irregularities in MassArt Society’s management of Durga Puja preview shows. The accused allegedly collected large sums from members of the public between 2022 and 2025. They sold passes that promised privileged entry to Durga Puja celebrations. The money was allegedly used for personal benefit.

The complainant alleged that the organisation created the impression that it had a direct association with, or approval from, UNESCO. However, no commercial agreement had been signed with the UN body. The accused are also alleged to have presented the society as sponsored by UNESCO.

MassArt Society was established soon after Durga Puja received UNESCO recognition as intangible cultural heritage in 2021, PTI reported, citing sources.

According to the ED, Madhuchhanda Sen is the president of MassArt Society. Dhrubajyoti Bose is its secretary, Sayantan Mitra its vice-president and Ranjan Chatterjee its treasurer.

Sen had earlier sought anticipatory bail from the Calcutta High Court. The court rejected his plea. He subsequently challenged the order in the Supreme Court.

The ED and Kolkata Police are continuing their respective investigations into the alleged collection and use of money through Durga Puja preview shows and privileged-entry passes.