Trinamool Congress chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s niece was found dead at her residence in Birbhum on Tuesday.
According to Kolkata Police, Brishti Mukherjee, 28, died by suicide at Birbhum’s Rampurhat.
Reports say that she had lost her job as a non-teaching staff member in March 2023 after the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court nullified the appointments of thousands of jobs over alleged corruption.
Family sources who spoke to local media said that the house belongs to Brishti’s father, Nihar Mukherjee, who is Mamata’s cousin.
She had reportedly been living at her father's house for a few months.
Family members called the police after the 28-year-old did not respond from the room.
She was found hanging on the second floor of the residence. The exact cause and the circumstances leading to her death are unknown.
Bristy also reportedly had a deteriorating relationship with her in-laws and husband and was proceeding with a divorce. She was said to have been suffering from depression for about 4 years and was undergoing treatment.
One of her relatives spoke to Sangbad Patridin, saying, "She was in depression and undergoing treatment. She used to live alone in his house. She did not talk to us much. She was in the house this morning too. We did not see anyone outside. Then I heard that she was found with a rope around her neck. I do not know what happened suddenly."
Nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching jobs in government schools were removed in 2016 because they gained employment through unfair means and alleged exchange of cash, according to the Supreme Court.
Police have sent the body to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination and are investigating the death.
With inputs from Prema Rajaram
