Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (Img: Pinterest)
Birbhum: A relative of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was found dead in Birbhum’s Rampurhat on Tuesday, with reports suggesting she allegedly died by suicide.
The deceased, identified as Bristy Mukherjee, 28, had lost her job as a non-teaching staff member at a school in Bolpur after a court-monitored probe into the Bengal teacher recruitment case.
Bristy was among thousands of teaching and non-teaching employees whose appointments were cancelled after allegations of irregularities in the recruitment process conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).
Nearly 26,000 appointments were scrapped after the Calcutta High Court ruled that several recruitments were made through unfair means, including allegations of favouritism and exchange of money. The Supreme Court later upheld the decision.
According to reports, Bristy’s name appeared at the 608th position on the list of candidates who lost their jobs following the court order.
Sources said Bristy had been under stress following the verdict that led to the loss of her employment.
Her family had earlier claimed that she resigned from the post after working for just one day due to health-related reasons.
Bristy belonged to Kusumba village in Rampurhat, Birbhum. Her father, Nihar Mukherjee, is reportedly a maternal cousin of Mamata Banerjee and a local Trinamool Congress leader.
The Bengal school recruitment scam, linked to the 2016 state-level selection process, became one of the biggest corruption cases during Mamata Banerjee’s tenure.
Former education minister Partha Chatterjee, along with several officials and political leaders, faced investigation and arrest in connection with the case.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed authorities to complete the process of accommodating eligible candidates who secured appointments without using unfair means. The deadline was later extended.
