Trinamool Congress MP Falls Victim to Online Fraud, Loses ₹55 Lakh

Kalyan Banerjee's Financial Loss

Kolkata, Nov 7: Kalyan Banerjee, a four-time Lok Sabha member from the Trinamool Congress, has reportedly been defrauded of ₹55 lakh in an online scam in West Bengal.

Banerjee, who previously served as the chief whip of the Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha, revealed that he had a bank account with the State Bank of India (SBI). This account was used to receive his salary during his tenure as a legislator from the Asansol (Dakshin) constituency between 2001 and 2006, which was part of the undivided Burdwan district, now known as West Burdwan.

Due to prolonged inactivity, the account had become dormant.

Recently, he discovered that ₹55 lakh had been transferred from his personal account at the Kalighat branch of SBI to this dormant account, and subsequently, the entire amount was withdrawn.

Banerjee promptly reached out to SBI officials, who have since lodged a complaint with the cybercrime division of Kolkata Police. An investigation is currently underway.

"The case is under thorough investigation. Bank officials are being consulted, and efforts are being made to identify the fraudsters. Additionally, the bank is reviewing any potential lapses on their part," stated a police official.

It has been reported that the fraud involved the use of Banerjee's image and mobile number.

While Banerjee has not commented publicly on the situation, a close associate from the Trinamool Congress expressed optimism that the police would resolve the case swiftly and recover the lost funds.