Sona Papu fraud victims seek CM Adhikari's help at Janata Darbar
Synopsis
An elderly Kolkata couple forced into rented accommodation after land mafia duo Sona Papu and Joy Kamdar allegedly withheld their promised flat brought their case directly to West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari's 'People's Court' — and left with a personal assurance from the Chief Minister himself.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari held a 'Janatar Darbare' session in Kolkata on 25 May .
Probir Mukhopadhyay , aged above 80 , and his wife from Bhabanipur alleged they were cheated of a residential flat by arrested land mafia Biswajit Poddar (Sona Papu) and Joy Kamdar .
Mukhopadhyay was forced into rented accommodation after the duo allegedly failed to honour the agreement post project completion.
CM Adhikari assured personal intervention and a resolution 'at the earliest.' 'Untainted teachers' who lost jobs in the West Bengal school jobs scam also appealed for reinstatement; CM assured sympathetic consideration.
Senior BJP leaders Locket Chatterjee and Sashi Agnihotri accompanied the Chief Minister at the session.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday, 25 May gave a patient hearing to an elderly couple cheated by recently arrested land mafia-promoters Biswajit Poddar, widely known as Sona Papu, and Joy Kamdar, at his 'Janatar Darbare' (People's Court) session in Kolkata. The Chief Minister assured the couple of his personal intervention to resolve the matter at the earliest.
The Couple's Grievance
Probir Mukhopadhyay and his wife, both senior citizens and residents of the Chief Minister's own constituency Bhabanipur, appeared before Adhikari and recounted how they were defrauded by the Poddar-Kamdar duo. Mukhopadhyay told the Chief Minister that he had handed over his ancestral property to Poddar and Kamdar for real estate development, but after the project was completed, the duo failed to provide him with the residential flat promised under the agreement.
Forced out of his own property, the above-80-year-old was compelled to live in rented accommodation. Following the Chief Minister's assurance, a visibly relieved Mukhopadhyay told reporters, 'I am feeling much relaxed now. After the assurance has come from the Chief Minister himself.'
The Sona Papu Connection
Biswajit Poddar alias Sona Papu and Joy Kamdar have been recently arrested in connection with alleged land fraud cases in West Bengal. The Bhabanipur couple's complaint adds to a growing list of victims who have reportedly been deprived of properties or promised flats by the duo. This comes amid heightened scrutiny of land mafia networks operating in and around Kolkata.
Teachers Demand Jobs Back
Separately, a group of self-described 'untainted teachers' — who lost their positions following orders by the Calcutta High Court and subsequently the Supreme Court in the multi-crore cash-for-school-jobs scam in West Bengal — also appeared at the session. They pleaded for a concrete solution to restore their employment, arguing they were removed without any fault on their part. Chief Minister Adhikari assured them he would look into the matter seriously and sympathetically and make an all-out effort to find a workable resolution.
BJP Leaders Accompany CM
The 'Janatar Darbare' session was attended by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders including Locket Chatterjee and Sashi Agnihotri, underlining the political significance of the public outreach programme for the party in West Bengal. The session, pre-announced by the Chief Minister's office, drew a range of citizens with grievances spanning property fraud to employment disputes.
With the Sona Papu case already under active investigation, the Chief Minister's direct intervention in the Mukhopadhyay matter is expected to add pressure on authorities to expedite relief for fraud victims across the state.
Point of View
His own constituency, maximises visibility in a district where the BJP is working to consolidate urban middle-class support. The Sona Papu case, already a flashpoint in West Bengal's land mafia discourse, now has a Chief Ministerial stamp on it, which raises the stakes for investigators. What the session does not answer is why an above-80-year-old had to seek a CM's personal assurance to recover a flat he was legally owed — pointing to a systemic failure in property dispute resolution that a single public hearing cannot fix.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Sona Papu and Joy Kamdar?
Biswajit Poddar, alias Sona Papu, and Joy Kamdar are recently arrested land mafia-promoters in West Bengal, accused of defrauding property owners by failing to deliver promised flats after using their land for real estate development.
What did the elderly couple allege at CM Adhikari's Janata Darbar?
Probir Mukhopadhyay and his wife alleged that they handed over their ancestral property in Bhabanipur to Sona Papu and Joy Kamdar for real estate promotion, but were never given the residential flat promised in the agreement after the project was completed. The couple was forced to live in rented accommodation as a result.
What did CM Suvendu Adhikari promise at the session?
Chief Minister Adhikari assured the elderly couple of his personal intervention to find a solution at the earliest. He also promised to look seriously and sympathetically into the demands of teachers who lost jobs in the West Bengal school jobs scam.
Who are the 'untainted teachers' who appeared at the session?
They are a group of teachers who lost their jobs following court orders — first by the Calcutta High Court and then by the Supreme Court — in the multi-crore cash-for-school-jobs scam in West Bengal. They claim they were removed without any personal wrongdoing.
What is the 'Janatar Darbare' programme?
'Janatar Darbare,' or People's Court, is a pre-announced public grievance session held by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, where citizens can directly present their complaints and seek intervention from the Chief Minister.
