Mamata reopens 20-yr-old case involving rival Dasmunsi

Brother of well-known artiste blames Cong MP for his disappearance

A 20-year-old case has returned to haunt Congress MP Deepa Dasmunsi. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday ordered the resumption of a CID probe into the disappearance of Biman Bhattacharjee, a well known theatre artiste and musician. His family blames Dasmunsi, then Deepa Ghosh, for his disappearance.

Biman, a member of the theatre group Bohurupee, went missing on June 14, 1992, from Beniatola Lane in central Kolkata. His elder brother Bidhan Bhattacharjee and NGO All India Legal Aid Forum had approached Mamata, demanding that the case be reopened.

In a written complaint, Bidhan had blamed Deepa for his brother's disappearance. He had stated that Biman and Deepa lived together for three years at her house on Panditya Road in south Kolkata, and that Biman was abducted with prior planning and later murdered. An FIR was lodged with the Gariahat police station and Deepa was questioned by the police.

The Raiganj MP and wife of former Union minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Deepa said that while Biman was known to her and used to visit her house, "there was no relationship with him". "Biman was a musician involved with theatre. His home was located outside Kolkata.

At that time a lot of friends from the world of culture used to visit our house. Often they stayed in my guestroom on the ground floor. Biman too stayed in the guestroom for three months," she told The Indian Express.

Questioning the timing of the probe, Deepa added: "Why was everyone silent on his disappearance for so long? Now his family is saying a lot of things. Are they really concerned about Biman? I don't know about the All India Legal Aid Forum. The matter has been highlighted after a long time with political motive in mind."

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