The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at 15 locations in Kolkata and adjoining areas, including premises linked to former West Bengal minister and Trinamool Congress leader Indranil Sen, as part of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving MassArt, a society associated with Durga Puja preview shows.
The searches are being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with allegations that MassArt, also known as Mahanirban Road Mass Art Society, collected substantial sums from the public by allegedly misrepresenting its association with UNESCO and subsequently diverted the money for personal gains.
According to reports, the operation began early Tuesday and covered Sen, his associates and other individuals and entities linked to the society. The ED's Kolkata zonal office is examining financial records, documents and other material to trace the collection and utilisation of funds.
The allegations are under investigation, and no findings of guilt have been established against the individuals concerned.
Sen's residences, farmhouses among locations searched
According to reports, the searches began around 6.30 am and included three residences of Sen in Kolkata, farmhouses in Hooghly and Singur, and the residence of an event manager.
The ED is also examining premises linked to people associated with MassArt as part of its efforts to establish the financial trail of the money allegedly collected through the society's activities.
A relative of Sen told reporters, “Yes, we heard that raids are underway. All documents have been submitted to the police.”
Sen was also being questioned as the searches continued, according to ED sources quoted by the newspaper.
The agency has not yet publicly disclosed the complete findings of the searches or announced any arrests in connection with Tuesday's operation.
The investigation centres on MassArt's activities, particularly the organisation of Durga Puja preview shows and the sale of tickets and privileged passes before the festival.
According to ED officials, the society allegedly collected between Rs 50 crore and Rs 60 crore from members of the public through these activities. Investigators are examining how the funds were raised, who received the money and whether any portion was diverted for personal use.
The agency is also investigating the circumstances under which MassArt was established, its association with Sen and his wife, Madhuchanda Sen, and whether other influential individuals were involved in its operations.
Officials are scrutinising the amounts charged for preview shows and the use of UNESCO's name and logo on tickets and promotional material.
The ED suspects that the society presented itself as being sponsored by or officially associated with UNESCO to attract contributions and sell high-priced passes. The agency is now examining whether such representations were authorised and how the money collected through the events was subsequently used.
FIR filed against Sen, wife and MassArt officials in June
The ED's action follows a police case registered in June at Kolkata's Bowbazar Police Station against Sen, his wife and officials associated with MassArt.
The complaint alleged that the society illegally sold high-priced Durga Puja preview tickets and privileged passes using UNESCO's name and logo.
The accused were booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections relating to cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, the use of forged documents and criminal conspiracy.
According to the allegations outlined in the complaint, MassArt was established in 2022 and purportedly claimed an official association with UNESCO to market donor passes and pre-Puja entry tickets.
The complaint alleged that these representations were used to raise money for personal and financial gains.
The police case and the subsequent ED investigation are separate stages of the legal process. The allegations in the FIR remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
The searches have been conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which empowers the ED to search premises and seize documents, records and assets suspected of being connected with proceeds of crime, subject to the law.
The agency is examining bank accounts, financial transactions and documents relating to MassArt and its associated events to determine the movement of the money collected.
Investigators are also seeking to identify the beneficiaries of the funds and establish whether the alleged financial irregularities generated proceeds of crime that could attract action under the PMLA.
The ED's investigation is expected to focus on the society's financial arrangements, the role of individuals associated with its management and the use of funds raised through the preview shows.
