ED searches 15 premises in Kolkata over money laundering linked to Durga Puja shows
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Kolkata Zone-I, conducted search and seizure operations at 15 premises across Kolkata on September 29 in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to alleged financial irregularities in the management of Durga Puja “Preview Shows” organised by the Mahanirban Road Mass Art (MassArt) Society.
The searches were conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The premises covered residential and office locations linked to the MassArt Society, its office bearers and other people associated with the organisation.
The premises searched also included those linked to former West Bengal minister of state Indranil Sen and other close associates, according to the ED.CASE FOLLOWED FIR BY KOLKATA POLICE
The ED said its investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered at the Bowbazar Police Station under the Kolkata Police Commissionerate.
The FIR invokes several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including Sections 316(2), 318(4), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2) and 61(2).
The case followed a written complaint filed by Jaydeep Mukherjee against Indranil Sen, who served as a minister of state in the West Bengal government, and Madhuchhanda Sen, president of the MassArt Society. Dhrubajyoti Bose is also named in the complaint, according to the agency.
The allegations under investigation relate to the management and financial dealings associated with the MassArt Society’s Durga Puja Preview Shows.WHAT ARE DURGA PUJA PREVIEW SHOWS?
Durga Puja is one of West Bengal’s largest annual cultural festivals, with hundreds of community and neighbourhood committees organising elaborate celebrations across Kolkata and other parts of the state.
Ahead of the main festival, several organisers and cultural bodies hold preview events to showcase their Durga Puja installations, themes and artistic work. Such events can attract public attention, sponsors and other forms of financial participation.
The MassArt Society has been associated with the organisation of such Preview Shows. The ED’s latest action is focused on financial transactions and alleged irregularities connected with their management.SEARCHES CONDUCTED UNDER PMLA
Under Section 17 of the PMLA, investigating agencies can conduct searches when they have reasons to believe that material relevant to a money laundering investigation may be found at specified premises. The law also provides for seizure of documents and other material considered relevant to the investigation, subject to statutory safeguards.
The ED has not disclosed the full details of the material recovered during the September 29 searches.
The agency’s investigation is continuing, and further action will depend on the findings from the documents and other material examined during the searches.
The latest operation comes as the agency investigates the financial aspects of the case following the FIR registered by Kolkata Police. The probe is expected to examine the flow of funds, financial records and the roles of individuals and entities associated with the MassArt Society and its Durga Puja Preview Shows.- Ends
Indrajit Kundu is an Editor and chief of Kolkata Bureau at the TV Today Network. A multimedia journalist with over 16 years experience, he reports from West Bengal, Odisha, Northeast India and Bangladesh. An alumni of the Asian College of Journalism, he holds a certificate in broadcast journalism from BBC World Service Trust. He is also a US State Department International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Fellow.
