Former West Bengal Minister Indranil Sen Arrested in Durga Puja Ticket Fraud Case

Former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen was arrested by Kolkata Police on Wednesday evening following a four-hour interrogation at the Enforcement Directorate office in Salt Lake's CGO Complex. Mr. Sen faces allegations of financial irregularities and cheating related to a Durga Puja ticket scam involving the organisation MassArt.

The Charges and Investigation

Investigators state that Mr. Sen falsely represented MassArt as being sponsored by UNESCO and collected large sums of money from the public between 2022 and 2025 by selling high-priced passes for previews of select Durga Puja pandals. The case began with an FIR filed at the Bow Bazaar Police Station by travel consultant and Durga Puja promoter Jaydeep Mukherjee. The Calcutta High Court recently denied Mr. Sen's request for anticipatory bail, and police have booked him under charges including criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.

Political Reactions

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that Mr. Sen had been under investigation for a while and alleged that proceeds from the fraud may have reached former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee claimed the arrest is politically motivated and targets opposition figures who refuse to switch sides.

Context

High-profile corruption arrests involving former government officials often trigger sharp political disputes between rival parties in West Bengal. Durga Puja is a massive cultural festival in the state, making any financial controversy surrounding its events a major public issue.