Who Was Bristy Mukherjee? Mamata Banerjee’s Niece Found Dead at Home in West Bengal's Birbhum
Bristy Mukherjee, 28, niece of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, was found dead at her residence in Birbhum’s Rampurhat on Tuesday, Kolkata Police said. Mukherjee had lost her non-teaching school job in 2023 after courts cancelled thousands of appointments in the alleged cash-for-jobs case. Police said her body was sent for post-mortem and an investigation is underway.
Bristy Mukherjee, 28, the niece of Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was found dead at her residence in Birbhum's Rampurhat on Tuesday, according to Kolkata Police. Police said an investigation is underway and her body has been sent for post-mortem examination.
Mukherjee had worked as non-teaching staff at a government school before losing her job in March 2023 after the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court nullified thousands of teaching and non-teaching appointments over alleged corruption in the recruitment process. Asish Banerjee, Former West Bengal Deputy Speaker, Found Dead at TMC Office in Birbhum (Video).
Who Was Bristy Mukherjee?
Mukherjee hailed from Kusumba village in Rampurhat, Birbhum. Her father, Nihar Mukherjee, is Mamata Banerjee's maternal cousin and a local Trinamool Congress leader, according to The Telegraph.
Her body was recovered from a room on the second floor of her house at Kusumba village. Family members said Mukherjee had been suffering from depression over the past few years following her job loss and was undergoing treatment.
A senior police officer told news agency PTI, “The body has been sent for post-mortem examination. An investigation is underway. The circumstances leading to the death will be established after the post-mortem and other procedural inquiries,"
Bristy Mukherjee's Name In School Jobs Case
Mukherjee's name was at the 608th position on the list of candidates who lost their jobs following the Calcutta High Court's order in the cash-for-jobs case. The order was later upheld by the Supreme Court.
The court action followed allegations that appointments to government school posts had been secured illegally through favouritism and alleged exchange of cash. Nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching appointments were struck down in the case.
What Was The Cash-For-Jobs Case?
The recruitment case became one of the biggest corruption controversies during Mamata Banerjee's 15-year tenure as West Bengal chief minister. The case triggered widespread political and public outrage in the state.
Then state education minister Partha Chatterjee, several MLAs from the ruling party and senior officials of the School Service Commission and education board were arrested and named in the chargesheet.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Mukherjee's death. Officials said the post-mortem examination and other procedural inquiries will help establish the circumstances leading to her death. Authorities have not yet provided further details regarding the investigation. The case remains under investigation as police examine the circumstances surrounding the death.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 01, 2026 03:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
