Kolkata, Oct. 2 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said its money laundering probe into alleged financial irregularities linked to Durga Puja 'preview shows' case found that former West Bengal tourism minister Indranil Sen's proprietorship concern transferred nearly Rs.30 lakh to former chief minister Mamata Banerjee through banking channels. The agency said Sen claimed the payment was made as "royalty." It however, did not explain what the royalty payment was for or attribute any criminality to the transaction in its statement. The disclosure came a day after ED questioned Sen for around 10 hours in connection with the case. The agency had on Tuesday searched 15 premises in Kolkata linked to Sen and his associates. The probe relates to alleged financial irregularities involving massArt (Mahanirban Road Mass Art), an NGO associated with Sen's wife, Madhuchhanda Sen, which organised Durga Puja "Preview Shows". ED alleged that the organisers commercialised Durga Puja by selling tickets priced between Rs.1,749 and Rs.5,499 for preview shows at 24 selected pandals in Kolkata. "More than one lakh tickets were issued in 2023 and 2024," it said, alleging that the proceeds were subsequently siphoned off through cash withdrawals or shown as miscellaneous expenses. The Mamata-All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) faction rejected the allegations and questioned the timing of the ED statement. "ED may do or whatever it likes. The masters of the ED are all vote chor...," Mamata-AITC spokesperson Anirban Banerjee said....