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Business News›News›Politics›ED says ex-Bengal minister Indranil Sen awarded Rs 85 cr tenders to associates, Rs 30 lakh to Mamata

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ED says ex-Bengal minister Indranil Sen awarded Rs 85 cr tenders to associates, Rs 30 lakh to Mamata
Synopsis

Indranil Sen, a former minister, is under investigation for awarding tenders to close associates for personal gain. The Enforcement Directorate claims around Rs 30 lakh was transferred to Mamata Banerjee, which Sen described as a royalty payment. It is further alleged that Sen's company collected large sums from the public for preview shows of Durga Puja. The investigation revealed over one lakh tickets sold, with funds misappropriated.

PTI

Kolkata: The ED on Thursday claimed Indranil Sen, a minister during the erstwhile TMC regime, had awarded tenders worth over Rs 85 crore to entities owned by his close associates, who, subsequently, transferred large sums of money to firms controlled by relatives of the leader.



In another significant claim, the ED said that its investigation has revealed that cash deposits of more than Rs 3.8 crore were made into the bank accounts of Sen-owned concern, M/s Octave Records, during his tenure as minister, from where nearly Rs 30 lakh was transferred via banking channels to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.



Also Read: ED raids 15 premises in Kolkata, covers former Minister Indranil Sen, associates in MassArt financial irregularities case

The agency said that the former tourism and culture minister, during the course of his interrogation, has claimed that the amount to the Trinamool Congress supremo was paid "in the form of royalty".



Sen, his wife Madhuchhanda and his associates are currently under the agency's scanner for alleged financial irregularities committed by MassArt Society in managing Durga Puja 'Preview Shows'.




The accused allegedly collected large sums of money from the public for passes for 'privileged puja entry' through the organisation between 2022 and 2025 by "falsely claiming to be a UNESCO-sponsored entity, and subsequently utilising those funds for personal gain".

MassArt Society – a company, sources said, was set up soon after Durga Puja received the UNESCO recognition of intangible cultural heritage in 2021 – has Madhuchhanda Sen as its president, Dhrubajyoti Bose as secretary, Sayantan Mitra as vice-President and Ranjan Chatterjee as treasurer, the ED said.

Sen was questioned by the ED for nearly nine and a half hours on Wednesday and, sources said, has been summoned again for questioning next week.



The agency, meanwhile, had on Tuesday conducted search operations across 15 premises in Kolkata linked to Sen and his associates and claimed on Thursday that "incriminating digital devices and documentary evidence were found and seized".



"Investigation has revealed that the accused individuals systematically commercialised Durga Puja viewing, effectively converting a public festival into a commercial enterprise for personal gain. It was further disclosed that the accused, operating through MassArt, sold tickets to the general public ranging from Rs 1,749 to Rs 5,499 for 'Preview Shows' across 24 selected Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata," the ED said in a statement.



A core element of this fraudulent scheme was MassArt's deceptive and unauthorised exploitation of the official name, goodwill, and logo of UNESCO for commercial purposes, it said.



"The investigation has revealed that over a two-year period (2023 and 2024) alone, more than one lakh such tickets were issued. The proceeds from the ticket sales were subsequently siphoned off, either through cash withdrawal from the bank accounts or by being written off under the guise of miscellaneous expenses," the statement added.



The agency claimed that the former minister had awarded multiple tenders, worth over Rs 85 crore, from his department to entities owned by Dhrubajyoti Bose and Dipesh Roy.



"Both individuals are known to be close associates of Indranil Sen. 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," the ED said.



The agency, in its statement, claimed 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.



"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 statement said.



The ED investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Bowbazar Police Station which invokes multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

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Indranil SenED investigationTMC regimefinancial irregularitiesMamata BanerjeeRs 85 crore tendersMassArt SocietyDhrubajyoti Bose

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