Sister-in-law of former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was found homeless on the streets of Dunlop in the Barabazar area of the North 24 Paraganas district of the state.
Ira Basu holds a PhD in virology and can speak both English and Bengali fluently. She was a state-level athlete and used to play table tennis and cricket.
Ira Basu, sister of Bhattacharya's wife, who ran the Bengal government for more than 10 years, was formerly a life sciences teacher at Priyanath Girls High School in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. She has been living on the footpath for two years now.
Ira Basu joined Priyanath Girls High School as a life sciences teacher in 1976. On June 28, 2009, she retired from her job. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was still the West Bengal chief minister.
At the time, she lived in Baranagar and later moved to Lichu Bagan area in Khardah in West Bengal. But shortly thereafter, she suddenly vanished from this address. Since then, she has been seen on the roads of Dunlop, not very far from Kolkata.
After the news of Ira Basu’s current living conditions went viral on social media, the administration sent an ambulance from Khardah municipality to take her from Dunlop area to Baranagar police station on Thursday. She was taken to a hospital in Kolkata for medical check up and treatment.