Kolkata, Nov 6 (PTI) Police on Friday searched the Kasba residence of former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen in connection with the alleged Durga Puja pass scam, days after his arrest in the case, a senior police officer said.
A team of police personnel, accompanied by a sniffer dog squad, reached Sen's residence in south Kolkata in two vehicles and conducted the search, he said.
Sen is currently in judicial custody in connection with the alleged sale of VIP passes and preview show tickets for Durga Puja events using the UNESCO name and logo without authorisation.
His wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, and daughter had earlier been summoned by the Kolkata Police's detective department and questioned by investigators.
The investigation has also led to the arrest of Dhrubajyoti Basu alias Shubho, secretary of Mass Art Society.
He was arrested from Terity Bazar area on Wednesday evening.
Investigators suspect Basu played a key role in planning the sale of passes and tickets and allegedly helped conceal the proceeds of the transactions.
According to investigators, Mass Art Society was formed after Kolkata's Durga Puja received UNESCO's recognition in 2021.
The organisation was allegedly used as a platform to plan the sale of VIP passes and preview show tickets.
Basu and Sen were among those allegedly involved in the organisation's activities.
Basu's event management firm had also secured work through a tender floated by the state Information and Cultural Affairs Department, police sources said.
Investigators allege that the UNESCO name and logo were used without authorisation to sell passes and tickets at high prices between 2022 and 2025.
The role of Sen's family members is also being examined as part of the financial investigation.
According to investigators, Sen's daughter owns two business entities, I Escape and Myra.
Police suspect that a substantial amount of money allegedly generated through the transactions may have been transferred to accounts linked to her.
Her possible involvement in the alleged financial irregularities is being examined.
Sen's wife, Madhuchhanda, has also been named in the FIR.
She was allegedly associated with the affairs of Mass Art Society but has obtained interim protection from the Calcutta High Court.
The couple was questioned together by investigators at Lalbazar.
According to sources, they gave conflicting accounts during the interrogation, with each holding the other responsible for the alleged irregularities.
Madhuchhanda reportedly told investigators that Sen had ignored her objections, while the former minister maintained that his wife was aware of the activities.
Police are also examining the role of their daughter in the alleged transactions.
Investigators estimate that the alleged financial irregularities in the case could involve around Rs 115 crore. Of this, between Rs 30 crore and Rs 60 crore is suspected to have been generated through the sale of Durga Puja passes alone, he said.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)