Former Bengal CM’s sister-in-law found living on footpath

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya ran the Bengal government for more than 10 years. He emerged as a key leader in West Bengal politics. But, sadly, his sister-in-law Ira Basu has been living on the footpath for two years now. She is the sister of Buddhadeb Bhattacharya’s wife Mira.

Thin with grey hair, she is roaming on the streets of Dunlop in the Barabazar area of the North 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal and sleeping on the footpath and taking food from the street vendors. Pictures of Ira are currently going viral on the internet.

Ira Basu holds a PhD in virology. She was a state-level athlete and used to play table tennis and cricket. She started her career as a teacher at Priyanath Girls’ School in 1976 and retired in 2009. Since then, she has been seen on the roads of Dunlop.

However, on the eve of Teachers’ Day, Ira Basu was honoured by some local community leaders. Upon learning that she was living on the footpath, the authorities immediately took her to Kolkata in an ambulance. She was taken to a hospital for a medical checkup and treatment. She is likely to be taken care of by the government.