Kolkata, Oct 1 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday issued a fresh notice to former West Bengal Tourism Minister Indranil Sen for a second round of interrogation at the ED’s Salt Lake office on the northern outskirts of Kolkata next week in connection with a money laundering case.
The ED officials had already questioned Sen, a singer-turned-politician, on Wednesday for a marathon 10-hour session at the ED’s Salt Lake office in connection with the same case.
Earlier, on Tuesday, a team of ED officials conducted extensive raid and search operations at Sen’s residence in Kasba in south Kolkata in the same matter.
On Tuesday, ED officials also conducted raids and search operations at nine other locations in Kolkata in the same matter, including the residences of Sen’s relatives and the residence of event manager Arijit Dasgupta.
The assets, properties and bank accounts of Sen and his wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, are also under the scanner of ED investigating officials in the matter.
The main charge against Sen and his wife is the alleged sale of “fake passes” in the name of Durga Puja tours using the UNESCO tag.
It is initially estimated that around Rs 60 crore was involved.
The ED began its investigation based on a complaint lodged by Joydeep Mukherjee, an alleged victim of fraud, at Bowbazar Police Station in June.
However, Sen has denied all the allegations since the beginning.
UNESCO recognised Kolkata’s Durga Puja in 2021.
Thereafter, an organisation called ‘Mass Art’ was formed, claiming to be UNESCO’s “official partner”.
The organisation started promoting Durga Puja, and the sale of passes for Durga Puja parikrama began.
However, according to the allegations, those passes, sold at high prices, were fake.
Sen’s wife, Madhuchhanda, was closely associated with the organisation.
Entry passes, or tickets, were allegedly sold at high prices by illegally using the UNESCO name and logo in the name of “preview shows” or Durga Puja parikrama tours of Kolkata’s Durga Pujas.
According to the allegations, around Rs 60 crore was misappropriated.
It is further learned that passes for about 24 Durga Puja “preview shows” in Kolkata were sold at high prices.
In some cases, these passes ranged from Rs 1,749 to Rs 5,499.
The entity reportedly claimed that UNESCO had selected those 24 puja pandals.
However, sources familiar with the development have found no evidence to support that claim so far.
It is alleged that funds were embezzled in the name of “preview show” passes.
An initial investigation found that about 19,000 people registered to receive these passes in 2022, 34,000 in 2023, and 61,000 in 2024.
Sources familiar with the development said the entity planned to organise “preview shows” for the forthcoming Durga Puja this month and had even issued an advertisement on its website for that purpose.
However, those plans were cancelled immediately after the ED started its investigation into the matter.
–IANS
src/dan
