CPI(M) Mouthpiece Alleges ‘Shady’ Land Deals by CM’s Family

Kolkata:  Allegations of the involvement of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s family members in “corrupt” land deals related to “usurping over 15 houses and land plots” in a prime locality in Kolkata, have surfaced, creating ripples amid the ongoing election campaign in the state.

The issue came to light after a front-page report was published by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)) mouthpiece, that claimed to have “proof” of scores of tenants and house owners being evicted allegedly by the CM’s family members, using her ‘high office’, and the local police station refusing to register FIRs.

The report also alleged that after the evicted people protested, they were “beaten up by CM’s brothers.”

The report follows a similar news item published in the same daily last year alleging how the CMs’ family, after the rise of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the state after 2011, had amassed an estimated Rs 200 crore mainly through “shady land deals” in Kalighat and Harish Chatterjee Street area, where the CM stays with her family.

The Chief Minister’s family consists of her three brothers -- Kartik Banerjee, Swapan and Ajit -- and their spouses. Her nephew. TMC’s second in command, Abhishek Banerjee, also stays in the same house as his CM aunt.

The report alleged that the it was the land transfers that had made the CM’s family worth over Rs 200 crore, while not taking into account a “shady” company called Leaps and Bounds, floated  by her nephew and MP Abhishek Banerjee.

Interestingly, before coming to power in West Bengal, the TMC had projected their party supremo as an “icon of honesty” in hoardings across the state. However, after the CM and her party’s alleged involvement in the Narada and Saradha chit fund scams, the party has stopped using this phrase.

Though reports making such allegations have appeared in the CPI(M) mouthpiece earlier, too, sources in the newspaper said the newspaper is yet to get a legal notice, claiming that factual property deeds of the Kolkata Corporation had “proved the veracity” of their report. 

As per the report, the 17 plots in questions are situated at a distance of  400 metres  -- 29C,29D ,30A,45 A,45D, 12 , 82B,80A -- all off Harish Chatterjee Street, and  49C,63/8,76/3 (all off Kalighat Road ) and premises 3, Parvati Chakraborty Lane, and no 24, and 25 Ranishankari lane.

As per the report, some of the CM’s neighbours claimed they had complained of harassment by her brothers but the police refused to act.  Apu Ghosh, a resident of Kalighat Road, alleged that the whole operation was done covertly and even the media did not dare to report.

“Throughout the state, the names of land mafia and TMC are inter-linked,” said ace legal expert and CPI(M) candidate from Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, in reaction to the report.