Kolkata: Four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member, Kalyan Banerjee, reportedly lost Rs 55 lakh in an online financial fraud in West Bengal.
According to Banerjee, former Trinamool Congress’ chief whip in Lok Sabha, he had a bank account with State Bank of India (SBI), where his salary as a member of West Bengal Assembly was credited in the period between 2001 and 2006, when he was a Trinamool Congress legislator from Asansol (Dakshin) constituency, which was then a part of undivided Burdwan district and now a part of West Burdwan district.
The account had become dormant due to inactivity for a long period.
However, recently it came to his notice that an amount of Rs 55 lakh was first transferred to that dormant account from his personal account with the Kalighat branch of SBI, and subsequently that entire amount of Rs 55 lakh was debited from that dormant account.
He immediately contacted the SBI authorities, and the latter had already filed a complaint on this count with the cybercrime division of Kolkata Police. The police had already started an investigation into the matter.
“The entire matter is being investigated thoroughly. Bank officials are also being contacted. Attempts are being made to track the fraudsters. At the same time, the bank authorities are also investigating whether there was any lapse on their part as well,” confirmed an official of the city police.
It is learnt that the picture and mobile number of the four-time Lok Sabha member were used in conducting that forgery.
However, Banerjee himself has refrained from making any comment to the media persons on this issue.
“However, Banerjee is quite hopeful of the cops solving the case at the earliest and getting his money back,” said a Trinamool Congress leader close to Banerjee.
