Five Former TMC Ministers Arrested Under BJP Rule in Bengal, Only One Gets Bail

Kolkata, October 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

Five former ministers from the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government have been arrested during the first six months of the BJP-led regime in West Bengal, with only one of them currently out on bail.

The arrests, linked to alleged corruption, recruitment irregularities, extortion and other offences during the previous TMC government’s tenure, began with former Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose.

Former Minister of State for Transport Dilip Mondal, ex-Correctional Services Minister Ujjal Biswas and former North Bengal Development Minister Udyana Guha were subsequently arrested in separate cases. The latest to join the list is former Tourism Minister and Minister of State for Information and Cultural Affairs Indranil Sen, who was arrested earlier this week in connection with an alleged fake Durga Puja pass scam.

Biswas is the only one among the five former ministers currently out on bail. Sen is in police custody, while Bose, Mondal and Guha are in judicial custody.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Bose in connection with the multi-crore municipal recruitment cash-for-jobs case. Mondal, Biswas and Guha were arrested by the West Bengal Police in cases involving allegations of corruption, extortion and political violence.

Sen’s arrest has attracted particular attention as both the ED and Kolkata Police are investigating the alleged fake Durga Puja pass scam linked to tours organised around the UNESCO-recognised festival.

The ED investigation has also brought former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s name into the controversy. Earlier this month, the agency named her in connection with an alleged transaction involving Octave Records, a company owned by Sen.

According to the ED, nearly Rs 30 lakh was transferred from the company’s accounts to Banerjee through banking channels. Sen has maintained that the payment represented royalty.

Separately, a judicial inquiry commission set up by the West Bengal government to examine alleged institutional corruption during the previous TMC regime has also initiated an inquiry involving Sen.