Bristy Mukherjee, the 28-year-old niece of Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was found dead at her family home in Kusumba village in Birbhum district on Tuesday, September 1, news agency PTI reported.
Police recovered Mukherjee’s body from a room on the second floor of the house after she was found hanging. Authorities are treating the death as a suspected case of suicide, while an investigation is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding her death.
Body Sent for Post-Mortem
Following the discovery, police reached the residence and recovered the body. It was sent for a post-mortem examination, with media reports indicating that the examination is being conducted at Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital.
Police have said the exact circumstances of the death will be established after the autopsy and further investigation. No definitive conclusion about the cause or circumstances has been announced by authorities at this stage.
Mukherjee’s Link to Bengal SSC Recruitment Case
Mukherjee was the daughter of Nihar Mukherjee, described as a maternal cousin of Mamata Banerjee and a local TMC leader.
She had previously worked as non-teaching staff at an upper primary school in Bolpur. Her appointment was among nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching positions cancelled in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment case.
The Calcutta High Court had ordered the cancellation of the appointments, and the decision was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court.
Mukherjee’s name reportedly appeared on the list of candidates whose appointments were cancelled. Her family had previously maintained that she resigned after working for only a day because of health-related reasons and had not drawn a salary.
Family Cites Mental Health Struggles
According to family members, Mukherjee had been dealing with depression for several years and was undergoing treatment. Sources cited in reports have linked her difficulties to the loss of her job and the legal developments surrounding the SSC recruitment case.
Some reports have also stated that she was undergoing divorce proceedings.
However, the precise circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation, and no official finding has established a direct connection between these issues and her death.
Investigation Underway
Police are continuing their inquiry and are expected to examine the circumstances leading up to Mukherjee’s death as part of the investigation. The post-mortem examination is expected to provide further information.
As of the latest reports, there had been no detailed public statement from Mamata Banerjee regarding the death. Further details are expected as police proceed with the investigation and the post-mortem findings become available.
The case remains under investigation, and the police are yet to establish the complete circumstances surrounding the death.
