Kolkata Police to Question Former Ministers Wife in Fake Durga Puja Pass Scam

Kolkata, October 31 (Daily Kiran) : Kolkata police are preparing to question Madhuchhanda Sen, the wife of former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen, in connection with a fraudulent Durga Puja pass scam. Allegations suggest that her company sold passes under the guise of UNESCO-tagged promotional tour packages.

Indranil Sen was arrested earlier this week after a lengthy interrogation at the Enforcement Directorate’s Salt Lake office. Investigators suspect that the sale of these fake passes was facilitated through Madhuchhanda Sen’s company, Mass Art.

While police cannot arrest Madhuchhanda during questioning due to a pre-arrest bail granted by the Calcutta High Court, the details of her interrogation remain uncertain. Authorities are still deciding whether to summon her to the Kolkata police headquarters at Lalbazar or visit her home for her statement.

The investigation team is also scrutinizing the bank accounts of Indranil Sen, his wife, their daughters, and several close relatives. Officials believe that shell companies may have been used to launder funds acquired through the alleged scam.

Indranil Sen is currently in police custody, undergoing extensive questioning daily. He is scheduled to appear in court again on November 10. He is the fifth former minister from Mamata Banerjee’s government to be arrested in recent times.

During court proceedings, a government lawyer revealed that Madhuchhanda Sen’s company, Mass Art, entered into an agreement with UNESCO in 2025. The prosecution claims that the organization misused the UNESCO tag to promote and sell Durga Puja tour packages between 2022 and 2025, despite restrictions on the commercial use of the UNESCO logo.

The lawyer also informed the court that funds deposited into Mass Art’s accounts were transferred to Indranil Sen’s bank account on the same day.

Both the Kolkata police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are conducting separate investigations into this pass scam.