Kolkata Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Dhrubojyoti Basu, a senior executive of corporate entity Mass Art, on Wednesday night, 4 November 2026, in connection with the multi-crore fake Durga Puja pass scam linked to UNESCO-tagged festival tours. This is the second major arrest in the ongoing probe, following the detention of former West Bengal Tourism Minister Indranil Sen last week.

Who Is Dhrubojyoti Basu

Basu is a top executive of Mass Art, the corporate vehicle through which fraudulent passes were allegedly marketed and sold to festival-goers seeking access to Kolkata's UNESCO-recognised Durga Puja celebrations. He had been named in the initial First Information Report (FIR) but remained absconding since last week, prompting the SIT to intensify its search operations.

According to police sources, while Mass Art was formally headed by Madhuchhanda Sen — wife of former minister Indranil Sen — investigators allege the organisation was conceived and driven by both Sen and Basu. The duo allegedly built a complex corruption network that monetised unauthorised passes under the guise of official UNESCO festival access.

Key Figures and Their Legal Status

Indranil Sen, a singer-turned-politician who served as West Bengal's Tourism Minister, is currently in police custody and is undergoing daily marathon interrogations by the SIT. He is scheduled to be produced before a lower court in Kolkata on 10 November. Law enforcement officials confirmed they are actively compiling forensic and document-based evidence to counter potential bail applications ahead of the hearing.

Madhuchhanda Sen has also been named in the FIR and has undergone two rounds of interrogation. However, she secured anticipatory bail from the Calcutta High Court and remains out of custody. The couple's daughter, Averi Sen, along with corporate entities linked to her, remain under active financial and administrative scrutiny, according to authorities.

Parallel Investigations Underway

The case is being pursued simultaneously by the Kolkata Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). City police originally detained Indranil Sen outside the ED's Salt Lake office in northern Kolkata last week. Investigators have so far questioned nine individuals in connection with the case, including Madhuchhanda Sen.

Notably, the alleged fraud exploited the prestige of UNESCO's 2021 recognition of Kolkata's Durga Puja as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — a designation that significantly raised global interest and foot traffic at the festival, creating conditions the accused allegedly used to issue and sell counterfeit passes at a premium.

What Happens Next

With Basu now in custody, the SIT is expected to deepen its probe into Mass Art's financial transactions and document trail. The court appearance of Indranil Sen on 10 November is set to be a critical juncture, with the investigation's direction likely shaped by what evidence the SIT places before the court. The ED's parallel money-laundering inquiry adds another dimension that could widen the net further.