The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at around 15 premises in Kolkata and neighbouring areas as part of a PMLA investigation involving MassArt Society and its Durga Puja preview shows. One of the locations was former Trinamool Congress minister Indranil Sen’s farmhouse, Mohona, in Singur, Hooghly. The ED is examining allegations that MassArt collected money while presenting itself as linked to a UNESCO-sponsored initiative and that funds were subsequently used for personal purposes. The allegations remain under investigation and have not been established in court.
ED Searches Indranil Sen Farmhouse in Alleged Money-Laundering Case
The Enforcement Directorate has conducted searches at about 15 places in Calcutta and its neighbourhood in connection with allegations concerning MassArt Society, Durga Puja preview shows and alleged UNESCO links.
ED probes alleged money-laundering involving MassArt, Durga Puja preview show; searches Indranil Sen farmhouse on Tuesday
Search and seizure operations were carried out by the Enforcement Directorate at around 15 premises in Calcutta and adjoining areas, including the farmhouse of former Trinamool Congress minister Indranil Sen.
The searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, as the investigators probed the collection and alleged use of money linked to MassArt, ED sources said.
The agency has alleged that MassArt collected huge amounts from members of the public by posing itself as a UNESCO-sponsored entity while organising commercial Durga Puja “preview shows”.
The inquiry is also looking into allegations that money raised through such activities was later used for personal gain. These allegations are the subject of an ongoing investigation.”
Indranil Sen farmhouse among ED search locations
One of the premises searched was Sen’s farmhouse “Mohona” at Chhutipur village under Bagdanga Chinamore gram panchayat in Singur in Hooghly district.
On Tuesday morning, ED officials, accompanied by central forces, arrived at the property in three vehicles as part of the wider operation connected with the MassArt investigation.
The search triggered protests by BJP workers from the locality outside the farmhouse, with protesters raising slogans for the arrest of Sen. These demands express the position of the protesters. They do not constitute criminal liability.
Local residents told investigators or reporters that Sen’s vehicle convoy and outsiders regularly visited the property. Some residents said he also used the garden house from time to time to practice singing.
According to the FIR lodged at Bowbazar police station and material listed in the ED probe, MassArt hosted commercial preview shows of 24 selected Durga Puja pandals between 2022 and 2024.
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MassArt and alleged UNESCO association under scrutiny
The organisation reportedly sold tickets for the preview shows, saying that the participating pandals were chosen by UNESCO and would be visited by representatives.
The investigation is into the use of the name, logo and goodwill of UNESCO in promotional material without authorisation, along with claims relating to international delegations, central agency sources said.
The ED is also probing into 2025 donor passes that are said to have continued to mention a UNESCO association and promised benefits to artisans and Puja committees without any corresponding financial records being made available.
Investigators are also looking into alleged branding arrangements involving MassArt, puja committees and private entities, as well as the flow, collection and use of funds generated through the preview events.
The allegations are part of a PMLA investigation and are yet to be proved in court. Sprouts News has not independently verified the allegations made against the people or organisation named.
FIR names Indranil Sen and others
The complainant, Jaydeep Mukherjee, described himself as an “international travel consultant”. Mukherjee, Sen and others had formed Mahanirban Road Mass Art Society in June 2022, the statement added.
Mukherjee alleged that the organisation misrepresented itself as an official partner of UNESCO to promote Durga Puja in West Bengal from 2022 onward.
The complaint also alleged that MassArt had sold tickets for ₹4,000 for preview shows of 24 selected Kolkata Durga Puja pandals, claiming that they had been selected by UNESCO.
The complainant also alleged that the alleged UNESCO association was used along with the claims of international delegations visiting the selected pandals to induce members of the public to buy tickets.
Fresh searches by the ED are expected to assist the investigators in tracking the trail of funds, examining records and ascertaining if the allegations meet the threshold for initiating further action under the PMLA.
Further development will hinge on the evidence picked up during the searches and subsequent investigation. Any charge or prosecution proceedings would be a matter of due process and judicial determination.
