Former tourism minister Indranil Sen was questioned for several hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday in connection with an alleged money-laundering and financial-irregularities case involving the Mahanirban Road Mass Art Society, or massArt, which organised Durga Puja preview shows in Kolkata.
Sen appeared at the ED office at the CGO Complex in response to a summons and left at around 8.30pm after the marathon questioning, according to The Telegraph. His appearance came a day after multiple ED teams conducted searches and seizures at 15 locations linked to the case.
The searches were carried out under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, according to ED sources cited in the report. One of the properties searched on Tuesday was Sen’s garden house, Mohona, at Chhutipur village in Singur, Hooghly. ED officials accompanied by central forces reached the property in three vehicles on Tuesday morning.
The agency is examining allegations that massArt collected substantial sums from the public by presenting itself as a UNESCO-sponsored entity in connection with its Durga Puja preview shows. The probe is also looking into allegations that money collected through the events was diverted for personal gain. These remain allegations under investigation and have not been established by a court.
According to the report, massArt organised commercial preview shows of 24 selected Durga Puja pandals between 2022 and 2024. Passes were sold while the organisation allegedly claimed that the pandals had been selected by UNESCO and would be visited by UNESCO representatives.
The ED’s investigation and an FIR lodged earlier this year at Bowbazar police station are examining the use of UNESCO’s name, logo and goodwill in promotional material. Agency sources said the use was allegedly unauthorised. The investigation therefore involves not only the handling of funds but also the representations made to members of the public purchasing access to the preview events.
The case has drawn attention to the institutional arrangements surrounding Kolkata’s large-scale Durga Puja economy, in which public access, sponsorship, cultural branding and fundraising often intersect. The alleged use of UNESCO’s identity is particularly significant because the organisation’s recognition of Kolkata’s Durga Puja as intangible cultural heritage has strengthened the festival’s international profile. The supplied report does not establish whether UNESCO authorised any of the preview-show claims.
The investigation is also examining donor passes issued for 2025. According to the ED sources cited by The Telegraph, those passes allegedly continued to refer to a UNESCO association and promised benefits for artisans and puja committees, while corresponding financial records had not been made public.
The ED’s latest action follows the police case against Sen and others and the searches conducted across locations associated with the matter. The agency’s questioning of Sen and examination of documents and property records form part of the ongoing probe. Further action will depend on the evidence collected during the investigation and the authorities’ subsequent proceedings.