MassArt secretary arrested in Durga Puja ticket scam case in Kolkata
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Security personnel present as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducts searches at the premises of the residence of Former Minister Indranil Sen, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Image used for representative purpose only. | Photo Credit: ANI
The Kolkata Police arrested MassArt secretary Dhrubajyoti Bose, alias Suvo on Wednesday (November 4, 2026) night in the Durga Puja ticket scam case. MassArt was the organisation which allegedly misappropriated funds and wrongfully charged money to people for premium Durga Puja viewing tickets.
A week back, former Trinamool Congress Tourism and Culture Minister Indranil Sen was arrested in the same case. He is also being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
“Dhrubajyoti Bose alias Suvo, was arrested today (04.11.2026) at 19.15 hrs in front of KIT Building, P16, India Exchange Place Road (Terita Bazar), Poddar Court Extension,” a statement from Additional Commissioner of Police Kunal Agarwal said on Wednesday (November 4) night.
Mr. Bose has shared stage with the top officials of the previous government during Durga Puja events, including top ministers in the Mamata Banerjee government and Ms. Banerjee herself.
Other MassArt officials, including Mr. Sen’s wife, are also entangled in these allegations and have been named in the FIR. A case was filed in this connection at the Bow Bazaar Police Station.
The whole ticket scam is focused on MassArt, which was established after Durga Puja received the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage tag in 2021. Two years later, allegations of irregularities linked to Mr. Sen’s dealings with the organisation surfaced. The outfit is headed by his wife Madhuchanda Sen.
According to the allegations, Mr. Sen used his power and position in the government to mismanage funds and misuse the UNESCO logo to sell tickets at a premium price and secure huge sums of money under the MassArt company banner.
The exact amount of the scam has not been shared by the fund, but the allegations in the police complaint filed at Bow Bazar Police Station raise allegations of almost ₹34 crore.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had previously accused that if Mr. Sen “stole” money, then he did not use the proceeds alone, and must have “shared the proceeds” with former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Regarding the matter, ED officials had said they had found a transfer of funds to accounts linked to Ms. Banerjee from the official account of Ms. Sen‘s music company.
“Approximately ₹30 lakh was transferred from the bank account of Octave Records, a company owned by Indranil Sen, through banking channels to Mamata Banerjee, former Chief Minister of West Bengal, which Indranil Sen claimed was intended to be paid as royalties,” the ED statement said.
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