Mamata Banerjee’s close aide arrested after committing an economic felony

Photo: India Today

Shibaji Panja, a businessman and film-producer, who accompanied the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was detained at the airport in connection to a fraud case by the Immigration department at West Bengal’s NSC Bose International Airport. He was then handed over to the Bidhannagar City Police.

“Four days ago, a lookout notice was issued for Panja at all the airports. Our investigating officer will now go to Kolkata and then he (Panja) will be formally arrested and brought to Delhi for questioning,” said DCP Economic Offence Wing (EOW) B K Singh.

Shibaji Panja was arrested soon after his arrival from Dhaka; a lookout notice was issued on February 19.

Panja had allegedly taken a Rs.18 crore loan from the Industrial Financial Corporation, a government organization, which lends short term loans to firms, after submitting some fake documents. Panja is quite close to the CM and has been seen around her at various programs. He is also one of the most influential and eminent businessman of Kolkata.

He has been handed over to the city police and shortly, the Delhi police will take over him. He has complained of illness and is presently admitted in Bidhannagar hospital.

He is also a member of the Kolkata International Film Festival committee, which organizes Banerjee’s pet program every year. He is believed to be one of the prime organizers of exhibitions of her (Banerjee) paintings. He has co-produced the bollywood film ‘Byomesh Bakshi’ in 2010.

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About Shruti Dabholkar

Shruti Dabholkar is a young and an aspiring journalist who covers political news on the national front. She is an ambitious and desiring girl who finds politics interesting. She writes articles for Spectralhues. She can be followed on Twitter: @Shruti_d9.