Durga puja 'preview shows' probe suggests ex-minister's firm sent ₹30 lakh to Mamata's accounts: ED | India News

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said its money laundering probe into alleged financial irregularities linked to Durga Puja ‘preview shows’ case found that former West Bengal tourism minister Indranil Sen’s proprietorship concern transferred nearly ₹30 lakh to former chief minister Mamata Banerjee through banking channels.The agency said Sen claimed the payment was made as “royalty.” It however, did not explain what the royalty payment was for or attribute any criminality to the transaction in its statement. The disclosure came a day after ED questioned Sen for around 10 hours in connection with the case. The agency had on Tuesday searched 15 premises in Kolkata linked to Sen and his associates.“...the investigation has revealed that cash of more than ₹3.8 crore was deposited into the bank accounts of Indranil Sen and his proprietorship concern, M/s Octave Records, during his tenure. Also, from the bank account of Octave Records, a sum of nearly ₹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,” ED said.Also read: SC refuses relief to Mamata-led TMC faction on operating frozen bank accountsProbe focuses on Durga Puja preview show financesThe probe relates to alleged financial irregularities involving massArt (Mahanirban Road Mass Art), an NGO associated with Sen’s wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, which organised Durga Puja “Preview Shows”.ED alleged that the organisers commercialised Durga Puja by selling tickets priced between ₹1,749 and ₹5,499 for preview shows at 24 selected pandals in Kolkata. “More than one lakh tickets were issued in 2023 and 2024,” it said, alleging that the proceeds were subsequently siphoned off through cash withdrawals or shown as miscellaneous expenses.Also read: ‘Dumping ground for anti-socials’: Rebel TMC MLA Madan Mitra as he hints at quitting politics after 30 yearsMamata-AITC faction questions ED statementThe Mamata-All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) faction rejected the allegations and questioned the timing of the ED statement.“ED may do or whatever it likes. The masters of the ED are all vote chor. How does it matter what the ED and CB say? They can fool some people, but not all...,” Mamata-AITC spokesperson Anirban Banerjee said.BJP spokesperson Sayantan Basu said the allegations were serious and asked the AITC to approach court if it believed them to be baseless.“I don’t believe that Banerjee will take any money from Sen,” said Madan Mitra, a rebel AITC leader who joined the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress.