Kolkata: Former West Bengal Tourism Minister and former Minister of State for Information & Cultural Affairs Indranil Sen was arrested by Kolkata Police on Wednesday evening in connection with an alleged fake Durga Puja pass scam linked to UNESCO-tagged festival tours.
According to investigators, Sen and his wife, Madhuchanda Sen, are accused of irregularities in the sale of fake passes for Durga Puja tours. The transactions under scrutiny were initially estimated to involve around Rs 60 crore.
Earlier in the day, the singer-turned-politician appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is conducting a parallel probe into the matter.
During his questioning at the agency’s Salt Lake office, Kolkata Police personnel, along with officers from Bidhannagar City Police, remained stationed outside the premises.
After the ED interrogation concluded, police took Sen into custody and transported him to the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar. A police source said the former minister had allegedly not been cooperating with the investigation, leading to his arrest.
Earlier this month, Sen approached the Supreme Court with an anticipatory bail petition after a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court rejected his plea earlier.
Since the apex court was closed for a week, the matter could not be heard. However, before the matter could come up for hearing in the apex court, he was arrested by the Kolkata Police.
The Kolkata Police launched the investigation following a complaint registered at Bowbazar Police Station. The ED subsequently took over the investigation by registering an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR).
Last month, the central agency conducted raids and searches at multiple locations, including Sen’s residence, the premises of some of his relatives and the office or premises of an event manager connected with the case. The agency also questioned Sen twice as part of its investigation.
Anticipating arrest, Sen first approached the Calcutta High Court through his counsel, seeking anticipatory bail. The plea came up for hearing before a single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh on October 15. After hearing the matter, the court rejected his application.
Earlier this month, the ED issued a statement naming former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in connection with a transaction involving Sen-owned Octave Records.
According to the agency, nearly Rs 30 lakh was allegedly transferred from the company’s accounts to Banerjee through banking channels. Sen, however, maintained that the payment was made as royalty.
Separately, a judicial inquiry commission constituted by the West Bengal government to investigate alleged institutional corruption during the previous Trinamool Congress regime has initiated an inquiry involving Sen.
The commission is examining alleged multi-crore irregularities in the tendering process of the state’s Information and Cultural Affairs Department, where Sen had served as Minister of State. The inquiry is separate from the money laundering investigation being conducted by the ED.
(IANS)
