Ex-Bengal minister Indranil Sen, wife face complaint over UNESCO name misuse

A police complaint has been lodged against former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen and his wife, Madhuchanda Sen, over allegations that they misused UNESCO's name and logo to sell pre-Puja tickets and run an unauthorised commercial venture linked to Kolkata's Durga Puja celebrations.

The complaint was filed at Bowbazar Police Station by Joydeep Mukherjee on behalf of an international tourism organisation. A separate representation has also been submitted to the director general of police, seeking a detailed investigation into the matter.

According to the complaint, the controversy stems from activities undertaken after Kolkata's Durga Puja was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021.

Mukherjee alleged that an organisation called MassArt, headed by Madhuchanda Sen, was formed in 2022 and subsequently began commercial activities using UNESCO's name and logo without authorisation.

The complaint claims that MassArt announced the selection of 24 Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata under what it described as a joint initiative with UNESCO and allegedly sold pre-Puja access tickets using UNESCO branding.

"UNESCO had no such agreement with MassArt. The claim of a joint venture was completely false," Mukherjee alleged in his complaint.

He further claimed that after the list of 24 pujas was announced, he personally contacted UNESCO and was informed that the organisation had neither entered into any commercial arrangement with MassArt nor authorised the use of its name or logo.

The complainant has alleged that the ticketing exercise involved financial transactions worth crores of rupees and amounted to an illegal commercial operation conducted under the banner of UNESCO recognition.

Although the alleged activities date back to 2022 and 2023, Mukherjee said he refrained from raising the issue earlier due to the prevailing political climate in the state.

"This concerns the country's honour and the credibility of UNESCO recognition. A proper investigation is necessary," he reportedly stated in his complaint.

The allegations are yet to be independently verified, and no formal findings have been made by law enforcement agencies.

Neither Indranil Sen nor Madhuchanda Sen has issued an official statement on the allegations so far.

Police are expected to examine the complaint and supporting documents before deciding on further action.

With IANS inputs