A private firm employee, Abhishek Banerjee, and his wife, Sayani Ghosh, a schoolteacher, have been subjected to repeated questioning by police and civic authorities following a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) drive to recover pending property tax from the Trinamool national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee. The couple share their names with the Trinamool leader and Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh, respectively. The controversy centers on their 2BHK flat in Sinthee, Kolkata.
Property Tax Notice Triggers Confusion
During the KMC's assessment of properties owned or co-owned by the Trinamool leader, officials identified an address at 19B, 7 Tanks Lane, Kolkata-30, registered as co-owned by Abhishek Banerjee and Sayani Ghosh. This address was included in an initial list of 42 properties linked to the MP, later reduced to 17. Social media quickly circulated the address, claiming it belonged to the politicians.
Couple's Ordeal
Abhishek, 40, the private firm employee, expressed distress: "I have been defamed. My property address has been compromised. There have been a lot of speculations raised from different quarters. We are facing immense problems and so are the other residents of this building." He and his wife purchased the first-floor flat three years ago and live there with their two children. A nameplate outside reads 'Abhi-Sani'. He added, "I am still paying the EMI for my flat. This incident has turned our life topsy-turvy. I have lodged complaints at the Sinthi Police Station and KMC. I hope these speculations stop and we can go back to our normal life."
On Thursday, KMC officials visited the flat for inspection. Abhishek stated, "The problem cropped up just because my wife and I share our names and surnames with two well-known politicians. But those who spread the information should have checked our credentials before tagging our property to their names. They should have checked our parents' names, which are different from the MPs'." He requested media not to visit his home as his children were disturbed by the attention.
Political Reactions
Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh commented on X: "The unnecessary media trial and subsequent harassment... came across as a clear case of vendetta politics carried out against the two politicians, which solely aimed at maligning both their personal and professional image." Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "Abhishek Banerjee has no connection with the properties on this list. Whatever assets he has are already declared in his election affidavit. As for the remaining part where vindictive action is being taken, we are also taking appropriate steps."
