Netaji's family gets threat from building mafia

KOLKATA: Construction syndicates that operate with impunity across Kolkata came to haunt Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's grandnephew, Jadavpur MP Sugata Bose, on Monday.

A gang of bike-borne youths descended on the MP's Sarat Bose Road home and threatened his mother Krishna Bose, herself a former MP, of dire consequences for not purchasing building material from them.

Acting on a complaint, the Ballygunge police later arrested six youths. All of them are labour contractors and material suppliers operating in Ballygunge.


During interrogation, two of the accused Raju and Balaram, who have political connections -dropped the name of a railway employee believed to be close to a political party. They said they went to the MP's house at his behest. Police might question this man in due course, sources said.

Around 1.30pm on Monday, 10-12 youths arrived on motorcycles at 90, Sarat Bose Road, a two-storeyed structure that served as the home and paediatric chamber of former MP Sisir Bose, Subhas Chandra Bose's nephew. According to Sugata Bose, the youths barged into the house and confronted his 86 year-old mother, demanding an explanation on how they dared to carry out repairs without keeping them in the loop.

The Boses had broken a cardinal rule that exists in all neighbourhoods: they had not purchased stone chips, sand and bricks from the local syndicate.

Shaken by the incident, Krishna said she felt threatened and vulnerable in the house she had lived in for decades. “I had heard about such incidents, but never thought it would come to haunt me. The chief minister has been repeatedly speaking against syndicates, but the menace seems to continue unabated. This is a cause for concern, not only because it has happened to me in my home but because it has become a reality in neighbourhoods,“ she said.