Trinamool Congress supremo and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s niece Bristi Mukherjee has been found dead by hanging at her residence in Birbhum on Tuesday.
According to Birbhum Police, the body of the 31-year-old woman was found in a room on the second floor of her house in Kusumba village, Rampurhat in Birbhum.
The deceased is said to be the daughter of Mamata Banerjee’s cousin brother.
According to media reports she had been suffering from depression for the past few years and was receiving treatment.
The deceased’s family said that she had lost her job following the Supreme Court’s order cancelling the recruitment of staff for government-aided schools over alleged corruption.
Her body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, while an investigation into the incident is underway, an officer said.
The officer said the circumstances surrounding her death would be established after the post-mortem examination and completion of other procedural inquiries.
Family members immediately informed the police about the incident. Acting on the information, officers from Rampurhat police station reached the spot and took charge of Bristi Mukhopadhyay’s body. It was later sent to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital for an autopsy.
The reason behind Bristi Mukhopadhyay’s extreme step remains unclear.
Her father, Nihar Mukhopadhyay, said, “The girl had been suffering from mental health issues for about five-six years. We used to take her to a doctor regularly. Today, I don’t know how all this happened. We were on the ground floor of the house at that time.”
Rampurhat police have launched an investigation into the incident.
It is worth noting that Bristi Mukhopadhyay had faced allegations of corruption in connection with the recruitment of primary teachers and Group C posts in state-run schools. It was alleged that she had secured the job through irregularities.
Her name also appeared on the list of job cancellations released by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission following an order of the Calcutta High Court. Bristi’s name was listed at number 608. However, she resigned from the job a few days after joining, citing personal reasons.
Local sources also said that a divorce case involving Bristi and her husband had been ongoing for the past few months. She was married in Ayash village under Rampurhat police station and is also known to have a 12-year-old child. Police are investigating whether her death was linked in any way to the family situation.
Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s ancestral home is located in Chakaipur village of Rampurhat Block No. I. Her maternal uncle’s house is situated nearby in Kusumba village.
Mamata Banerjee’s maternal uncle Anil Mukhopadhyay and his son Nihar Mukhopadhyay’s family reside there.
Bristi’s death has left the area in mourning. Police said the exact cause of her death will become clear after the autopsy report is received.
(with agencies input)
