The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police, probing former West Bengal Tourism Minister Indranil Sen in the multi-crore fake Durga Puja pass case linked to UNESCO-tagged festival tours, has identified 150 government tenders from two state departments that were allegedly awarded to three corporate entities connected to Sen during his tenure in power. The tenders span a period of five years from 2021 to 2026, when Sen simultaneously held the portfolios of Tourism and Minister of State for Information and Cultural Affairs.

Scale of the Alleged Tender Irregularities

According to a city police insider, all 150 tenders from the West Bengal Tourism and Information and Cultural Affairs departments were granted to the three corporate entities allegedly linked to Sen. The contracts reportedly covered a wide range of government activities, including the Red Road Carnival, road decorations, celebrations of Amitabh Bachchan's birthday, distribution of prasad at the Jagannath Dev temple in Digha, and distribution of sweets at various locations across the state.

'Preliminary investigation had revealed that tenders relating to these two departments, like Red Road Carnival, road decorations, celebrating Amitabh Bachchan's birthday, distributing prasad at the Jagannath Dev temple in Digha, and distributing sweets at various places, were granted to these three corporate entities linked to Sen, whose day-to-day operations were run by his close confidants, with the former West Bengal Minister having indirect but absolute control over the management of these three entities,' a city police insider said.

The 'Mass Art' Connection and a Matrimonial Feud

A separate thread of the investigation concerns Mass Art, a corporate entity owned by Sen's wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, which is under scrutiny for its alleged role in marketing the fake UNESCO-tagged Durga Puja passes. The probe has reportedly triggered a matrimonial dispute between the former minister and his wife.

Investigators claim Sen exercised control over Mass Art's decision-making and day-to-day operations. However, Madhuchhanda Sen, during interrogation, allegedly stated that her ownership in Mass Art was 'just on paper' and that all major decisions were taken by her husband and his second-in-command at the entity, Dhrubojyoti Basu.

Key Arrest: Dhrubojyoti Basu Nabbed

Dhrubojyoti Basu, who had been absconding since Sen's arrest last week, was arrested on Wednesday night. Investigators believe his interrogation will shed further light on the respective roles of Sen and Madhuchhanda Sen within Mass Art. Basu is set to be produced before a lower court in Kolkata, where the public prosecutor is expected to seek police custody.

What Investigators Plan Next

The SIT plans to conduct a joint interrogation of Indranil Sen, Madhuchhanda Sen, and Dhrubojyoti Basu together, aiming to eliminate contradictory statements and establish a clearer chain of accountability. The case is part of a broader crackdown on alleged financial irregularities tied to the state's cultural and tourism spending. With Basu now in custody, investigators say the next phase of questioning could prove pivotal in determining the full extent of the alleged fraud.