DURGA PUJA FUND ALLEGATIONS TRIGGER ED SEARCHES AT FORMER BENGAL MINISTER’S PROPERTIES

September 30, 2026

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches at 15 locations linked to former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen and his associates as part of a money-laundering investigation involving alleged financial irregularities connected to Durga Puja preview events.

The searches, carried out across Kolkata and Hooghly district, included Sen’s residence in Kasba, properties associated with his relatives and a farmhouse in Singur. The operation was conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with officials examining documents and other materials potentially relevant to the investigation.

The probe centres on alleged irregularities involving massArt, an organisation headed by Sen’s wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, which organised exclusive Durga Puja preview shows. The ED alleges that the organisation collected substantial sums from the public by claiming an association with a UNESCO-sponsored entity and that some of the funds were subsequently diverted for personal gain.

The investigation follows a complaint alleging the misuse of UNESCO’s name and logo in connection with the sale of preview-show passes for selected Durga Puja celebrations. Investigators are examining the organisation’s financial transactions, fundraising activities and the roles of individuals and entities allegedly connected to the operation.

The searches form part of an ongoing investigation, and the allegations have not been established as proven offences. Sen and the organisation’s response to the latest searches was not immediately available.

The ED’s action brings renewed scrutiny to the financial management of cultural events and the use of institutional affiliations in public fundraising, while the investigation continues to establish the nature and extent of the alleged irregularities.