Former West Bengal Minister Indranil Sen Seeks Supreme Court Bail Amid Money Laundering Fears
Indranil Sen files for anticipatory bail in Supreme Court after Calcutta High Court denies his request in a money laundering case.
Kolkata, October 17 (Daily Kiran) : Indranil Sen, a former minister from West Bengal, has approached the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail amid concerns of arrest related to an ongoing money laundering investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). His petition comes after a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court rejected his earlier bail plea earlier this week.
Sen, who transitioned from a singer to a politician, is facing allegations of irregularities involving the sale of fake passes for Durga Puja tours using UNESCO tags. Initial estimates suggest that around ₹60 crore is involved in the alleged transactions.
The investigation began following a complaint lodged at the Bowbazar police station, prompting the Kolkata police to take action. Subsequently, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) to further its inquiry.
Last month, the central agency conducted raids at multiple locations, including Sen’s residence, properties belonging to relatives, and an event manager’s office linked to the case. Sen has been questioned twice by the agency as part of the investigation.
Initially, Sen filed for anticipatory bail through his lawyer in the Calcutta High Court, where Justice Tirthankar Ghosh heard the plea on October 15. After the court dismissed his request, Sen moved to the Supreme Court for similar relief.
Earlier this month, the ED implicated former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a statement concerning a transaction related to Sen’s company, Octave Records. The agency claims that approximately ₹30 lakh was transferred to Banerjee through banking channels. Sen contends that the payment was made as a royalty.
Additionally, a judicial commission formed by the West Bengal government to investigate institutional corruption during the previous Trinamool Congress administration has initiated a probe related to Sen. This inquiry focuses on alleged irregularities amounting to crores in the tender process of the state’s Information and Cultural Affairs Department, where Sen served as a state minister. This investigation is separate from the ED’s ongoing money laundering case.
