A 31-year-old woman died by suicide at her Birbhum district house on Tuesday, the West Bengal police said.
Police said they received a call from the family on Tuesday morning and rushed a team to the village. “Prima facie it appears that she died by hanging. The body was sent for autopsy,” a senior police officer said.
The woman, who was found dead in the first-floor balcony of a two-storey house, is the daughter of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s cousin.
Her family said she took a bath, and had her breakfast with her grandfather before she went to the first floor. When she didn’t come down for a long time, her grandfather went looking for her and found her hanging.
The woman was separated from her husband and was being treated for depression.
Her mother said she was under medication and had attempted suicide on more than one ocassions. “A few days back, she slashed her wrists. She was rushed to the hospital where she received 11 stitches. Earlier too, she had slashed herself and even tried to set herself ablaze,” her mother said.
She, however, denied reports that her daughter lost her job following the Calcutta high court verdict in 2024 that cancelled the appointments of around 26,000 teachers and non-teaching staff in state run schools.
“She got the job. But she resigned. I asked her to resign as she was suffering from severe depression and couldn’t have continued in the job,” her mother said.
During rallies and public meetings Banerjee had often referred to her ancestral house in Birbhum where she spent some days during her childhood.
(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secunderabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000, ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290)
Joydeep Thakur is a Special Correspondent based in Kolkata. He focuses on science, environment, wildlife, agriculture and other related issues.
