Kolkata, Oct 2026 : Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former state Cabinet Minister Indranil Sen have been named by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering investigation involving Sen’s proprietorship concern, Octave Records, the central agency said on Thursday.
The case is separate from the ED’s ongoing investigation into “Mass Art”, a matter in which Sen is already under scrutiny over allegations linked to the sale of “Durga Puja Preview Show Passes” in 2024 and 2025.
According to an ED statement issued on Thursday evening, the latest investigation relates to alleged financial irregularities involving tenders awarded during Sen’s tenure as West Bengal Tourism Minister in the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government.
The agency said multiple tenders worth more than Rs 85 crore from the state Tourism and Cultural Affairs departments were awarded to entities owned by Dhrubajyoti Bose and Dipesh Roy, whom the ED described as close aides of Sen.
The agency alleged that the entities subsequently transferred substantial amounts to businesses controlled by relatives of Sen. It also claimed that large cash withdrawals were made from the bank accounts of entities that had secured the government tenders.
The ED said its investigation had further revealed that more than Rs 3.3 crore in cash was deposited into the bank accounts of Sen and his proprietorship concern, Octave Records.
The agency also referred to a transaction involving Mamata Banerjee. According to the ED, nearly Rs 30 lakh was transferred through banking channels from Octave Records to Banerjee, who was then serving as West Bengal Chief Minister.
The ED said Sen had claimed that the payment to Banerjee was made as royalty.
The agency said search and seizure operations conducted as part of the investigation led to the recovery of digital devices and documentary evidence, which were seized under the relevant legal provisions.
“Further investigation is under progress,” the ED said in its statement.
There was no immediate reaction from the Trinamool Congress faction loyal to Mamata Banerjee and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Sen was also not available for comment.
Meanwhile, the ED’s investigation into the separate “Mass Art” case continued this week. On Tuesday, agency officials conducted a prolonged search operation at the residence of Sen and his wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, in Kasba in south Kolkata.
Sen was subsequently questioned for around 10 hours at the ED’s Salt Lake office on Wednesday in connection with that case.
The agency also issued him a fresh notice on Thursday directing him to appear at its Salt Lake office next week for another round of questioning.
The “Mass Art” investigation concerns allegations surrounding the sale of Durga Puja Preview Show Passes during 2024 and 2025. Sen has been under the ED’s scrutiny in that matter, with the agency continuing to examine financial transactions and other records.
The latest case involving Octave Records has now brought Banerjee into the agency’s investigation based on the financial transactions and allegations outlined in its statement. The ED has not indicated that its investigation has reached a final conclusion, and further proceedings are expected as the agency examines the documents and digital evidence seized during the searches.
