150 Bengal govt tenders awarded to Sen-linked firms under SIT scanner
Synopsis
West Bengal's SIT has uncovered 150 government tenders allegedly funnelled to three Sen-linked firms over five years — covering everything from a Red Road Carnival to a Bachchan birthday celebration. With key aide Dhrubojyoti Basu now arrested after going absconding, and a spousal blame-game playing out in interrogation rooms, the fake Durga Puja pass case is widening rapidly into one of Bengal's most consequential corruption probes in recent memory.
Key Takeaways
150 government tenders from West Bengal's Tourism and Information & Cultural Affairs departments were allegedly awarded to three entities linked to former Minister Indranil Sen between 2021 and 2026 .
Contracts reportedly covered the Red Road Carnival , road decorations, Amitabh Bachchan's birthday celebrations, and temple prasad distribution in Digha .
Mass Art , owned by Sen's wife Madhuchhanda Sen , is under scrutiny for allegedly marketing fake UNESCO -tagged Durga Puja passes.
Madhuchhanda Sen claims her ownership was 'just on paper'; investigators allege Indranil Sen had 'indirect but absolute control'.
Key aide Dhrubojyoti Basu was arrested on Wednesday night after going absconding following Sen's arrest last week.
The SIT plans a joint interrogation of Sen, his wife, and Basu to reconcile contradictory statements.
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.
Point of View
If proven, was hiding in plain sight within routine government spending. What is striking is how pedestrian the contracts appear individually; it is their cumulative volume and their consistent routing to Sen-linked entities that makes the pattern damning. The emerging spousal dispute complicates the investigation but also offers the SIT a potential lever: contradictory statements between husband, wife, and aide are precisely the kind of evidentiary fracture that prosecutors build cases on. The larger question for West Bengal's ruling establishment is whether the oversight mechanisms for departmental tenders were simply absent, or were deliberately bypassed.
NationPress
5 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Indranil Sen tender scam case in West Bengal?
The case involves allegations that former West Bengal Tourism Minister Indranil Sen steered 150 government tenders from two state departments to three corporate entities linked to him over five years from 2021 to 2026. The SIT of Kolkata Police is probing the matter as part of a broader investigation into the multi-crore fake Durga Puja pass case tied to UNESCO-tagged festival tours.
What is Mass Art and what is its alleged role?
Mass Art is a corporate entity owned by Madhuchhanda Sen, the wife of former minister Indranil Sen. It is alleged to have played a role in marketing fake UNESCO-tagged Durga Puja passes. Investigators claim Indranil Sen had effective control over its decisions, while Madhuchhanda Sen has told interrogators her ownership was nominal.
Who is Dhrubojyoti Basu and why was he arrested?
Dhrubojyoti Basu was described by investigators as Indranil Sen's second-in-command within Mass Art. He had been absconding since Sen's arrest last week and was arrested on Wednesday night. His interrogation is expected to clarify the roles of both Sen and his wife in the entity's operations.
What kinds of government contracts were allegedly awarded to Sen-linked firms?
According to investigators, the 150 tenders included work such as organising the Red Road Carnival, road decorations, celebrating Amitabh Bachchan's birthday, distributing prasad at the Jagannath Dev temple in Digha, and distributing sweets at various locations — all funded by state department budgets.
What happens next in the investigation?
The SIT plans to conduct a joint interrogation of Indranil Sen, Madhuchhanda Sen, and Dhrubojyoti Basu to resolve contradictory statements and establish accountability. Basu is to be produced before a Kolkata court where police custody will be sought, paving the way for the next round of questioning.
