Bengal: Ex-minister Indranil Sen arrested; Adhikari claims Mamata link

• Former Bengal minister Indranil Sen is arrested in alleged Durga Puja preview-pass case.

• CM Suvendu Adhikari alleges Mamata Banerjee’s patronage and says the probe could widen.

• CPI(M) questions political nature of the action, as Mamata-AITC defends Sen.

Former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen was arrested by Kolkata Police on Wednesday, 28 October in connection with alleged irregularities in the sale of Durga Puja preview passes, as chief minister Suvendu Adhikari claimed that the investigation could reach former chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Adhikari alleged that Banerjee had extended patronage to Sen and may have received a share of the proceeds from the alleged multi-crore rupee racket. The BJP leader said the “net will soon widen to reach even more prominent figures”, in a statement that drew criticism from the Opposition.

Sen, a former information and cultural affairs minister and ex-Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Chandannagar, was arrested by the Kolkata Police detective department after appearing for questioning at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake.

He arrived at around 1.00 pm and was whisked into a police vehicle at approximately 5.06 pm while leaving the premises. A large police contingent had been deployed outside. Additional commissioner (crime) Kunal Agarwal said Sen would be taken to Lalbazar, the police headquarters, for further questioning. Police sources said the arrest was linked to alleged non-cooperation with the investigation.

Adhikari, meanwhile, directly sought to link Sen’s arrest to Banerjee, saying the former minister had enjoyed her patronage. “The former chief minister may have provided direct patronage. They used to travel in the same vehicle. She might even have received a share of the proceeds,” Adhikari said.

He also referred to a farmhouse in Singur, an event management firm registered in Sen’s wife’s name and alleged extortion of money from artists. “These systemic thieves must go to jail. The net will soon widen to reach even more prominent figures,” he added.

Adhikari further alleged that Sen had not always been close to the TMC, claiming that he was previously associated with the CPI(M). “These people change their colours from time to time,” he said, alleging that Sen began praising the government after the political transition.

Hitting back, Mamata-AITC MP Abhishek Banerjee issued a brief statement saying, 'Under the BJP’s rule today, those who fight without selling their conscience are the ones being sent to jail. Meanwhile, thieves and fraudsters are forgiven for even the gravest crimes as soon as they take up the BJP flag. This is the new India of Modiji.'

The arrest also triggered criticism from the CPI(M), whose spokesperson Shatarup Ghosh questioned Adhikari’s credibility and alleged that political loyalties could influence who faced prosecution. “I am sure that had Indranil Sen joined the Ritabrata Banerjee (rival TMC) camp, he would not have been arrested today,” Ghosh said.

Mamata-AITC leader Sobhandeb Chatterjee defended Sen, saying royalty paid to Banerjee for her songs and lyrics through accounts associated with Sen’s companies was “absolutely legal”. Chatterjee said he did not know whether Sen had committed any wrongdoing, but added that anyone found guilty must face the consequences. He also criticised what he described as an increasingly undemocratic political environment.

The case centres on allegations that Sen and his wife Madhuchhanda Sen were connected to an organisation called MassArt, which allegedly sold Durga Puja preview tickets and privileged-entry passes using UNESCO’s name and logo without an authorised commercial agreement.

Investigators allege that passes for preview shows and privileged Puja entry were sold for between Rs 1,800 and Rs 12,000 during the 2023, 2024 and 2025 festivities. The ED’s preliminary investigation reportedly estimates the alleged irregularities at Rs 50–60 crore. Investigators are examining bank accounts linked to relatives, suspected shell companies and the movement of funds.

The complaint against MassArt alleges that the organisation falsely presented itself as a UNESCO partner and charged for access to selected Puja pandals. The complainant, travel consultant Jaideep Mukherjee, said he contacted UNESCO to ask how 24 pujas had been selected and how much was being charged for tickets. “They wrote back that they had nothing to do with these pujas. Then I sought legal help,” he said.

Kolkata Police subsequently investigated the complaint, while the ED conducted searches at properties linked to Sen, including his residence in Kasba and a country house in Singur. Both agencies are examining the alleged collection and use of the money.

Sen approached Calcutta High Court for anticipatory bail, but his plea was rejected. He subsequently moved the Supreme Court. A hearing was delayed after Justice Dipankar Datta recused himself, citing personal reasons and his prior association with Sen and the case. The next hearing was reported to be scheduled for 2 November.

Sen’s arrest comes amid a wider series of arrests involving former ministers of the Mamata Banerjee government since the BJP came to power in West Bengal in May, including Sujit Bose, Dilip Mondal, Ujjal Biswas and Udayan Guha.