Indranil Sen Arrest: Questions Over VIP Passes
In Bengal politics, loyalty can be more rewarding than talent, and proximity to the ruling establishment can sometimes open doors that merit alone cannot. The Indranil Sen arrest brings an old proverb to mind: “Good company leads to heaven; bad company leads to hell”.
A singer who once made a name for himself during the Left Front years gradually moved closer to the Trinamool Congress after the political change of 2011. He eventually became a minister in Mamata Banerjee’s government. Now, allegations surrounding the sale of Durga Puja VIP passes have landed him in police custody. The question is not merely what happened to Indranil Sen. It is whether Bengal will finally see a high-profile investigation reach a clear conclusion, or whether this drama, too, will fade away without a satisfactory ending.
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Mamata Banerjee sent Indranil Sen to contest the Berhampore Lok Sabha seat against Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. He lost. But one of the defining features of being in Mamata’s inner circle is that she can find a way to get you elected sooner or later.
Sen subsequently won the Chandernagore Assembly seat and became a minister in the state government. He was given the Information and Cultural Affairs portfolio, a department once held by none other than Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. But for Mamata, perhaps nothing matters more than a person’s willingness to acknowledge her authority and remain loyal to her. Will Indranil Sen arrest send a cold wave through Mamata’s spine?
Bengalis have seen the spectacle many times: Indranil singing, Mamata joining in. It was almost a political performance in itself. There is a story that Sen had so completely charmed Mamata that even Babul Supriyo could never get quite as close to her.
Babul had lost his ministerial position in the BJP government, joined the TMC and won an election, yet he apparently never reached the same inner circle. And this despite Babul being, in the opinion of many music lovers, a singer of a considerably higher calibre.
Many will remember the famous occasion when Mamata and Babul sat together eating jhalmuri.
Will the Indranil Sen arrest over the VIP pass controversy make Babul the happiest man in Bengal’s political circles? I have no idea. But Babul is now a TMC Rajya Sabha MP in Delhi, while Sen finds himself facing a criminal investigation. Politics has its own strange ways of rearranging fortunes.
From the Minister’s Inner Circle to the VIP Pass Controversy
Indranil Sen’s affairs seemed to be going quite smoothly. Then came a man named Jaydeep Mukherjee, a qualified travel consultant whose other, and perhaps more significant, contribution was his leading role in securing UNESCO recognition for Bengal’s Durga Puja.
Mukherjee lodged a complaint with the police alleging that an organisation called MassArt Society had misused UNESCO’s name and association to sell expensive passes for privileged entry to Durga Puja pandals and preview shows. These are serious allegations, and the investigation must establish whether the claimed association was genuine, how the passes were sold and where the money went.
As reported by The Indian Express, the complaint concerns alleged irregularities involving Durga Puja passes and the use of UNESCO’s name. The allegations are not, by themselves, proof of criminal wrongdoing.
Read the reports: The original complaint against Indranil Sen and The FIR over the alleged Durga Puja pass controversy.
The scale of the alleged irregularities is another important question. Reports have cited an estimated amount of around ₹50–60 crore. That figure must be understood as an allegation associated with the case, not as a sum established by a court. The questions are straightforward:
- Who collected the money?
- On what authority were the passes sold?
- Where did the money go?
- And who, if anyone, benefited personally?
- Can Indranil Sen arrest unearth the entire conspiracy?
The irony is hard to miss. This year, a tragic accident at the Chorbagan Durga Puja claimed 19 lives, according to reports at the time. The arrangements for VIP entry also raised questions about the space available to ordinary visitors. When privileged-entry gates and separate access arrangements occupy valuable space, the common visitor may be left struggling to enter a public festival safely. The government subsequently ordered the closure of VIP gates.
Durga Puja belongs to the people of Bengal. It is not the private property of ministers, organisers or influential people. UNESCO recognition was an honour for the festival’s cultural heritage, not a licence for anyone to exploit the organisation’s name for commercial gain. The allegations surrounding MassArt Society and Durga Puja VIP passes therefore deserve a thorough investigation.
The ED, Kolkata Police and the Arrest
Indranil Sen was summoned and questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on several occasions. The agency investigated alleged financial transactions connected with MassArt Society and the sale of passes. Kolkata Police was also pursuing the case.
Finally, on 28 October, the dramatic moment arrived. Sen came out of the ED office after questioning, only to be arrested by Kolkata Police. The Indranil Sen arrest became a breaking news in almost all the TV channels and YouTube.
The arrest made headlines, but the more important question is what happens next. An arrest is not a conviction. The investigation must establish the facts, trace the money and determine whether any criminal offence was committed.
For further reporting, see India Today’s account of the arrest and The Telegraph’s report on the police action.
The Bigger Question: What Happens to the Other Investigations?
Now we come to the questions that should trouble every citizen of Bengal.
The ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been conducting numerous investigations in the state. Yet, in case after case, a final charge sheet or a conclusive outcome seems to remain elusive. Sometimes, these investigations appear to go into hibernation. Cynics say that the agencies wake up when an election approaches.
Consider the case of Santanu Sinha Biswas, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in Kolkata Police who also served as the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kalighat Police Station.
The Enforcement Directorate arrested him on 14 May 2026 after questioning him for several hours in connection with an investigation into alleged land grabbing, extortion and suspicious financial transactions linked to the network of Biswajit Podder, also known as Sona Pappu.
According to reports, investigators alleged that Biswas had failed to cooperate during questioning. These remain allegations to be tested through the legal process.
The case attracted further attention when the ED searched properties linked to Biswas, including a residence in Kandi, Murshidabad. OpIndia reported allegations concerning a palatial family residence there and described the wider investigation into suspected financial dealings and alleged extortion. The existence of a large residence, by itself, does not establish wrongdoing; the relevant question is whether investigators can demonstrate a connection between assets, income and any alleged criminal activity.
Read the reports: Who is Santanu Sinha Biswas? and The Indian Express report on his arrest.
At the same time, allegations and questions surrounding other influential figures continue to linger. There have also been controversies involving people such as Binod Mishra and Tulu Mondal, with allegations about their activities and their ability to leave the country. These matters need to be established through evidence, not political gossip.
There have been allegations that Mamata Banerjee’s government maintained a peculiar public-private partnership arrangement connected with the alleged mafia and scam network around Tulu Mondal. If such allegations are supported by evidence, they demand serious investigation. If they are not, they should not be allowed to survive merely as political accusations.
But the central question remains: by what magic do these central agencies seem unable to reach the top of the political establishment at Harish Mukherjee Street?
The same agencies have acted against powerful politicians elsewhere. P. Chidambaram was arrested after the dramatic episode in which he was seen climbing a boundary wall; Hemant Soren was jailed; and several ministers in the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi were arrested. These cases are not identical, and their legal outcomes must be assessed individually. Still, the contrast raises a legitimate question about the consistency and completeness of investigations.
Many will remember former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay repeatedly expressing frustration over why investigations did not reach those at the top. His concern was essentially the same one that citizens continue to raise: why do investigations so often appear to stop short of the people who may have exercised the greatest influence?
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee have become accustomed to a fairly luxurious political lifestyle, while taking every available opportunity to attack the BJP and the Modi–Shah leadership. Political criticism is their right. But the public is equally entitled to ask whether allegations against those in power have been investigated fully and impartially.
That is why the Indranil Sen arrest may be a dramatic development, but it is not the end of the story. In fact, it raises a larger question about whether this investigation, unlike so many others, will reach a clear conclusion.
Indranil Sen Arrest: The Questions Bengal Wants Answered
- The Indranil Sen arrest has brought the alleged Durga Puja VIP pass irregularities back into the spotlight.
- The allegations involving MassArt Society and UNESCO concern the claimed association with UNESCO and the collection of money through privileged-entry passes. The claims must be tested against documentary evidence.
- Follow the money. Investigators must establish how much was collected, where it went and whether any individual unlawfully benefited.
- The Chorbagan tragedy raises a separate but related public-interest question: should privileged-entry arrangements ever compromise the safety and access of ordinary visitors?
- Arresting a former minister is not enough. The investigation must establish individual responsibility through evidence and due process.
- The ED and CBI investigations in Bengal must reach defensible conclusions rather than remain in the public eye for years without clear outcomes.
- The arrest of Santanu Sinha Biswas is a separate case involving allegations of land grabbing, extortion and suspicious financial transactions. Those allegations also require evidence and due process.
- Political influence should not determine who is investigated, who is arrested or whose alleged wrongdoing is overlooked.
- Neither the BJP nor the TMC should be allowed to turn criminal investigations into nothing more than political theatre.
- Bengal wants justice, not an endless drama. If someone is guilty, punish them according to law. If the evidence does not establish guilt, clear their name. The public deserves a conclusion either way.
Bengal Is Tired of This Political Theatre
The Indranil Sen arrest may look dramatic. A former minister, a VIP pass controversy, an ED investigation and a police arrest outside a central agency’s office — it has all the ingredients of a political thriller.
But Bengal has watched too many such thrillers without seeing the final episode.
The people do not want another round of headlines followed by silence. They want the investigations completed. They want the money trail exposed. They want those responsible to face punishment if the charges are proved, and those who are innocent to be completely exonerated.
That is not an unreasonable demand. It is the minimum expected from a functioning system of justice.
The people of Bengal are tired of the drama. They want the truth, a fair investigation and a final verdict.