The Kolkata Police have summoned Averi Sen, daughter of former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen, for questioning in connection with the alleged fake Durga Puja pass scam — a case involving fraudulent passes carrying the UNESCO tag that were sold for festival tours linked to the heritage-listed celebration. Averi Sen has been directed to appear at Lalbazar, the city police headquarters, on Monday.

What the Scam Involves

Indranil Sen, a singer-turned-politician who served as Minister of State for Information and Cultural Affairs in the West Bengal government, is currently in police custody following his arrest in the case. His wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, owns Mass Art, the firm through which the allegedly fake passes bearing the UNESCO tag were reportedly sold. Madhuchhanda Sen was questioned at Lalbazar last week after securing anticipatory bail from a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court. The same bench had earlier rejected a similar anticipatory bail application filed by the former minister himself.

Why Averi Sen Is Under the Scanner

An investigating officer stated that the preliminary inquiry indicated a portion of the proceeds from the alleged sale of fake passes had been transferred to Averi Sen's bank account. Police therefore consider her questioning essential to establish the financial trail in the case. A senior city police officer confirmed that a formal notice had been served on her.

'Indranil Sen is scheduled to be produced before a city court again on November 10. The investigating officers are trying to collect as much evidence-based information as possible during the investigation period so that the case against him is properly substantiated. The questioning of Madhuchhanda Sen and Averi Sen is part of that exercise,' a police source said.

Multiple Agencies Probe in Parallel

The Kolkata Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are conducting parallel investigations into what is described as a multi-crore fake Puja pass sale case. The ED launched its probe on the basis of an FIR registered against Indranil Sen and others. The former minister was arrested by the Kolkata Police last week after he emerged from the ED's Salt Lake office, where he had faced prolonged questioning.

Additionally, Dhrybojyoti Bose, a senior official of Mass Art, is also reportedly under the scanner, according to a police officer.

Judicial Inquiry Running Alongside

Beyond the two law-enforcement agencies, a judicial inquiry committee constituted by the West Bengal state government and headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Biswajit Basu is separately examining allegations against the former minister. The panel is specifically looking into alleged irregularities in the tendering process during Indranil Sen's tenure as Minister of State for Information and Cultural Affairs. The multi-layered scrutiny — police, ED, and a judicial panel — signals the scale and political sensitivity of the case.

As the investigation broadens to include family members and associates, the next critical date in the case is 10 November, when the former minister is due before a city court once more.