Kolkata, Nov 13 (IANS) A lower court in Kolkata on Friday extended till November 17 the police custody of Dhrubojyoti Basu, alias Subho, a top executive of Mass Art, the corporate entity through which fake UNESCO-tagged Durga Puja passes were allegedly sold.

Basu was arrested on November 4 and remanded to police custody until Friday by the same court on November 5. Following a hearing on Friday afternoon, the court extended his remand for four more days.

During the proceedings, Basu’s counsel did not move a bail petition, informing the court instead that his client was willing to cooperate with the ongoing police investigation.

Seeking an extension of custody until November 18, the public prosecutor submitted that investigators had conducted searches at multiple locations, including Basu’s office, during his initial remand.

“A total of 21 documents were seized. The investigating officers have received sufficient evidence. After questioning Dhrubojyoti, the names of some organisations have surfaced, which need to be investigated,” the prosecutor told the court.

Mass Art is owned by Madhuchhanda Sen, the wife of former West Bengal Tourism and Information & Cultural Affairs Minister Indranil Sen.

The singer-turned-politician was arrested by the Kolkata Police on October 28 for his alleged involvement in the fake pass racket and is currently remanded in judicial custody. Both his wife and daughter, Avery Sen, have also been questioned by city police in connection with the probe.

Alongside the Kolkata Police investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting a parallel money laundering probe against the former minister. Sen was arrested by city police on the evening of October 28 immediately after exiting the ED’s Salt Lake office following hours of interrogation by central agency officials.

The police investigation was initiated based on an FIR registered at the Bowbazar Police Station following a complaint lodged by Joydeep Mukherjee, who accused Sen and his associates of orchestrating the scam.

Meanwhile, Mukherjee’s counsel on Friday moved a plea before the same court seeking police protection for his client, alleging that the complainant has been receiving death threats since Sen’s arrest.

The court has sought a report from the police on the matter.

–IANS

src/dan