KOLKATA: An company owned by former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen transferred nearly Rs 30 lakh through banking channels to the bank account of then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed on Thursday.
The development came as part of the ED's money-laundering probe into alleged financial irregularities involving MassArt (Mahanirban Road Mass Art Society), an organisation headed by Sen's wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, which organised Durga Puja 'preview shows'.
"…. the investigation has revealed that cash of more than Rs 3.8 crore was deposited into the bank accounts of Indranil Sen and his proprietorship concern M/S Octave Records, during his tenure. Also from the bank account of Octave Records, a sum of nearly Rs 30 lakh was transferred via banking channels to Mamata Banerjee, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, which Indranil Sen has claimed was paid in the form of royalty," the ED claimed in its press statement.
The agency said Sen had claimed the payment was made as "royalty". The ED did not attribute any criminality to the transaction in its statement.
The agency further alleged that during Sen's tenure as a minister, multiple tenders worth more than Rs 85 crore from the Tourism and Cultural ministry were awarded to entities owned by Dhrubajyoti Bose and Dipesh Roy, both of whom it said were close associates of Sen.
"Investigation has further revealed that during Indranil Sen’s tenure as a Minister of the West Bengal Government, multiple tenders from the Tourism and Cultural ministry of more than Rs 85 crore, were awarded to the entities owned by Dhrubajyoti Bose and Dipesh Roy. Both individuals are known to be close associates of Indranil Sen, " the ED claimed.
"These entities subsequently transferred large sums of money to entities controlled by relatives of Indranil Sen. Furthermore, massive cash withdrawals have been observed from the bank accounts of the entities that secured these tenders," it added.
The agency said the case stemmed from an FIR registered at Bowbazar Police Station under the Kolkata Police Commissionerate following a complaint by Jaydeep Mukherjee against Sen, Madhuchhanda Sen, Bose, Sayantan Mitra and Ranjan Chatterjee, who are associated with MassArt.
The FIR invokes Sections 316(2), 318(4), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The central probe agency alleged that the accused had collected money from the public through MassArt between 2022 and 2025 by falsely claiming to be a UNESCO-sponsored entity and subsequently used the funds for personal gain.
The agency said the accused had "systematically commercialised" Durga Puja viewing, effectively converting a public festival into a commercial enterprise for personal gain. It said MassArt sold tickets priced between Rs 1,749 and Rs 5,499 to the public for 'Preview Shows' across 24 Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata.
A key element of the alleged scheme, according to the ED, was the "deceptive" and "unauthorised" use of UNESCO's name, goodwill and logo for commercial purposes.
The organisation was allegedly formed about six months after Kolkata's Durga Puja received UNESCO recognition in 2021, when Mamata Banerjee returned to power in West Bengal for a third consecutive term. It claimed to be an 'official partner' of UNESCO, while the ED alleged that it used the international body's name and logo without approval.
According to preliminary investigation cited by the ED, around 19,000 people registered for 'preview' passes in 2022, rising to 34,000 in 2023 and about 61,000 in 2024. The agency said more than one lakh such tickets were issued over 2023 and 2024, with proceeds allegedly siphoned off through cash withdrawals or written off as miscellaneous expenses.
The ED's investigation was initiated on the basis of the FIR and the agency carried out searches at 15 locations linked to Sen and others on Tuesday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
An ED team searched Sen's residence in Kasba, while other teams conducted simultaneous searches at locations including Hindustan Park and Highland Park in Kolkata. Sources said the Highland Park search was conducted at a residential building owned by an event-management businessman.
The agency also searched a resort-cum-bungalow owned by Sen in the Singur area of Hooghly district.
The searches were part of an alleged money-laundering investigation involving around Rs 50 crore to Rs 60 crore, officials said.
A day after the searches, the ED questioned Sen for nearly 10 hours from 11 am at its Salt Lake CGO Complex office on Wednesday.
"Our officers questioned Sen for nearly 10 hours as part of an investigation into allegations that tickets for Durga Puja events were sold at substantially higher prices. We have not received proper replies to certain questions," ED sources said.
"We are examining the entire chain of transactions, including the collection and movement of funds, and the role of individuals associated," the sources said.
Sen did not respond to reporters' questions while leaving the ED office on Wednesday. The agency has asked the former minister to appear at the CGO Complex again next week for further questioning.
TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale criticised the ED's action, alleging it was partisan. "About 98% cent of ED cases against politicians were filed on Opposition leaders. The remaining 2% are those who went & joined the BJP's washing machine," he said.