Kolkata, October 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said its money laundering investigation involving former West Bengal minister Indranil Sen’s proprietorship concern, Octave Records, had found that nearly Rs 30 lakh was transferred to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee through banking channels.
The agency said Sen had told investigators that the payment was made as “royalty”. The ED, however, did not describe Banerjee as an accused in its statement or allege that she knowingly received proceeds of crime.
The disclosure was made as part of the agency’s probe into alleged financial irregularities connected with MassArt, an organisation associated with Sen’s wife Madhuchhanda Sen and its Durga Puja “Preview Shows”.
According to the ED, during Sen’s tenure as a minister in the previous Trinamool Congress government, multiple tenders worth more than Rs 85 crore from the Tourism and Cultural departments were awarded to entities owned by Dhrubajyoti Bose and Dipesh Roy, whom the agency described as close associates of Sen.
The agency alleged that these entities subsequently transferred substantial amounts to entities controlled by Sen’s relatives and that large cash withdrawals were made from the bank accounts of the firms that secured the tenders.
The ED further claimed that more than Rs 3.8 crore in cash was deposited into bank accounts belonging to Sen and his proprietorship concern, Octave Records, during his tenure as a minister.
“Also, from the bank account of Octave Records, a sum of nearly Rs 30 lakh was transferred via banking channels to Mamata Banerjee, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, which Indranil Sen has claimed was paid in the form of royalty,” the agency said in its statement.
The ED said searches conducted as part of the investigation resulted in the seizure of digital devices and documentary evidence under applicable provisions. Further investigation is underway.
The money laundering probe is linked to allegations surrounding MassArt’s “Preview Shows” at Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata. The agency has alleged that tickets were sold to the public for the events and that the organisation used the UNESCO name and logo without authorisation. The ED said more than one lakh tickets were issued during 2023 and 2024 and that proceeds were allegedly diverted through cash withdrawals or recorded as miscellaneous expenses.
Sen was questioned by the ED for several hours on Wednesday following searches at premises linked to him, his wife and associates. He has been summoned for another round of questioning next week, according to the report.
The ED’s statement did not allege criminality in the nearly Rs 30 lakh transaction to Banerjee, with Sen’s explanation that it represented royalty remaining part of the agency’s account of the investigation.
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