Kolkata, 29 October (H.S.): Former West Bengal Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Indranil Sen has been remanded to police custody until November 10 by the Bankshall Court on charges of selling 'fake' Durga Puja passes and illegally using the UNESCO logo for commercial purposes. He was arrested on Wednesday while stepping out of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office. On Thursday, he was produced before the Bankshall Court, where heated arguments took place between the prosecution and the defense.

Public Prosecutor Abhijit Chattopadhyay argued in court that the entire matter is a clear case of fraud and forgery.

According to the prosecution, an organization named 'Mass Art' (associated with Indranil Sen's wife, Madhuchhanda Sen) sold passes for Durga Puja preview shows and privileged entries between 2022 and 2025, amassing massive sums of money. The court was informed that although the organization formally signed an agreement with UNESCO in 2025, the international body had strictly prohibited the use of its logo for any commercial or financial gain. Defying this explicit restriction, the organization allegedly flouted norms and collected funds by selling passes starting as early as 2022.

The counsel for the investigators claimed that on the exact day money was deposited into the bank account of the 'Mass Art' head (Indranil's wife), the corresponding amount was transferred to the former minister's account. Police also informed the court that confidential statements of three individuals have been recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC, categorically stating that the former minister was directly involved in this scam.

Furthermore, allegations of massive irregularities in the government tendering process have also been leveled against him.

In court, Indranil Sen outright rejected all these allegations. His counsel argued that the former minister had been fully cooperating with the investigation from the very beginning, yet the probe was not making any real progress. Regarding the accusation of him being unreachable by phone, Sen clarified through his lawyer, stating, It is being claimed that I was unreachable, but my phone has been in the custody of the ED ever since the search operations.

The former minister also claimed that the sale of tickets was not under his control, noting that this responsibility was assigned to a private agency that has inexplicably not been brought under the ambit of the investigation. He questioned the grounds on which the four individuals, who filed complaints claiming to be 'victims', actually suffered any loss. Sen firmly maintained that he does not hold any position in 'Mass Art' or any other associated organizations like GD Creation or Third Line. He further asserted that nothing was concealed during the tender process.

Countering these claims, the public prosecutor pointed out that when the tenders in question were invited, the accused leader was the presiding minister of the concerned department, and all these activities occurred during his official tenure. After hearing the extensive arguments from both sides, the Bankshall Court judge rejected the former minister's bail plea and ordered him to be sent to police remand until November 10.

Notably, the bank accounts of Indranil Sen’s wife and other family members are also currently under intense scrutiny. The original complaint in this matter was lodged at the Bowbazar police station by an individual named Joydeep Mukhopadhyay, based on which the police, and subsequently the ED, initiated their investigations. In an attempt to evade arrest, Sen had earlier filed an anticipatory bail plea in the Calcutta High Court, which was rejected. He then approached the Supreme Court but failed to secure any relief there as well, after Justice Dipankar Datta recused himself from hearing the case citing personal reasons.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh