Former West Bengal tourism and culture minister Indranil Sen was arrested Wednesday evening, October 28, 2026, following a four-hour interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The arrest, executed by a Kolkata Police Detective Department Special Cell team, stems from an alleged scam involving the sale of “privileged entry” passes to Durga Puja preview shows. Investigators believe the scheme may have defrauded the public of between Rs 50 crore and Rs 60 crore.
By allegedly claiming a sponsorship from UNESCO, the MassArt Society—an organization linked to Sen and his wife, Madhuchhanda Sen—reportedly convinced thousands of citizens to pay premium prices for early access to the city’s most famous pandals. For the political landscape of West Bengal, the case involving alleged financial irregularities in Durga Puja preview shows is a focal point for accusations of corruption.
MassArt Sold Privileged Puja Entry Passes
MassArt Society was established shortly after Durga Puja received recognition as an intangible cultural heritage from UNESCO in 2021. According to the ED, the organization then spent the years between 2022 and 2025 selling passes for “privileged puja entry” to 24 select pandals before they opened to the general public. These passes were priced between ₹1,749 and ₹5,499.
The scale of the operation grew aggressively over three years. Data cited in the investigation shows a steep climb in ticket volume:
| Year | Estimated Passes Sold |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 19,000 |
| 2023 | 34,000 |
| 2024 | 61,000 |
The crux of the criminal allegation is that MassArt created a false impression of a direct commercial agreement or approval from UNESCO to lend legitimacy to these sales. However, the complainant, travel consultant Jaydeep Mukherjee, alleged that no such agreement ever existed. The funds collected were then allegedly diverted for personal gain rather than the promotion of art or culture.
Adhikari Suggests Mamata Banerjee Shared Proceeds
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari wasted no time in suggesting that Sen did not act in a vacuum. Adhikari claimed that the former minister and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were so close they “used to travel in the same car and sing songs together,” suggesting that Banerjee likely shared in the proceeds. Adhikari described the current arrest as “tea and biscuits,” warning that “breakfast is yet to come” as more “thieves” are targeted.
The ED found approximately ₹30 lakh transferred from Octave Records—a company owned by Indranil Sen—to Mamata Banerjee. While the ED views this through the lens of the broader investigation, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has provided a counter-narrative. The party asserts that Banerjee wrote lyrics and composed music for Sen’s songs, and the payments were legitimate royalties for her creative work.
Former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen arrested in Durga Puja ticket scam✍️ @Shrabanawrites https://t.co/lo5LBJX7wp
The defense from the AITC remains focused on political victimization. Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen expressed confidence in the judiciary, while Abhishek Banerjee argued that the BJP is simply targeting those who “refuse to sell their conscience.”
The Legal Path to Lalbazar
Sen’s path to the police headquarters at Lalbazar was not sudden. He had previously attempted to shield himself from arrest by seeking anticipatory bail from the Calcutta High Court. When that plea was rejected, he challenged the order in the Supreme Court, but those legal maneuvers failed to stop Wednesday’s detention. The case officially began in June 2026 with an FIR filed at the Bowbazar police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those related to cheating and criminal conspiracy.
The investigation has already expanded beyond the paper trail. The ED has conducted raids at multiple locations, including Sen’s residence in Kasba and a garden house in Singur, Hooghly district. While Sen has denied any direct financial link to MassArt—claiming he is only implicated because of his wife’s role as president of the society—the ED is treating the organization’s leadership, including secretary Dhrubajyoti Bose, as central figures in the probe.
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