The Great Escape

 My wife's and my Great Escape on January 17th, 2026 was nothing short of Netaji's great escape from Calcutta to Berlin through #Uttarpara. 

Image Courtesy: Sandipan Chatterjee

Let me start with a famous picture of Dr. Bidhan Roy in our family. Not sure about the exact date but the year was 1952. The government passed as act on land ceiling and like many other royal/zamindar families were asked to either buy back all the real estate from the government or hand it back at an agreed price. On this day a certain terms and conditions were agreed upon with Dr. Roy. The amount agreed upon for ~50 lakh acre across Bengal (including the Sunderbans) was ~Rs. 10 lakhs. I could be wrong. If you read my blog https://kpax72.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-untold-truth-what-liberals-dont.html , the gory details are provided how Roy cheated my grandfather.

L-R - Raja Bhupendranath Mukherjee, BC Roy, Governer Harendra Coomar Mukherjee

My father bought the house on Gariahat Road, one of the prime real estates in Kolkata in 1962. A very historic house with a history of close to a 100 years. Initially owned by a subsidiary of East India Company, followed by Maharaja Prodyot Tagore and then Jyoti Basu. We lived in a joint family with my portion being 77% of the 4 storied house. Each floor ~ 3000 sq ft. My father was the default family patriarch for 17 people who moved from Uttarpara Palace. As the worthy descendent of Rajay Joykrishna Mukherjee and Raja Peary Mohan Mukherjee, he volunteered to support the free riders. I am certain many of you can relate to the story.

Life would have it that the burden of being the patriarch of the house would fall upon me at a rather young age supporting 3 other infertile families fleecing my father for decades. It was okay for a few years but spending Rs. 20 lakhs every 2-3 years alone on maintenance of a 100 year old house was rising up to be a significant challenge monetarily and my world trotting with one of the world’s largest consulting companies. The problem started when one of my cousin living on the ground floor started talking to the likes of Bapi Haldar, Sona Pappu, Mim, Bappa & Mahadev. Top political henchmen and leaders of South Kolkata syndicate. This cousin and even I grew up with such characters often playing soccer at Vivekananda Park or the Lakes. In my youth, the lakes were not walled and gated and thus had free access. What is now Nazrul Manch, was an amazing Open Air Theater where the best artists in the world would perform. Our own version of a Colosseum.

As one of the oldest families in the neighborhood and because of our lineage, we were well revered and loved. The rich and the scums from Panchantala , Bedi Bhavan and Lake camp were our friends. We as a family were literally untouchable and often considered as benevolent. Something changed from 2011. Unknown faces started knocking at my door asking me if I wanted to sell the house. From normal inquiries it evolved into threats. The knows faces in the political and thug world suddenly became unfamiliar. The tones changed as did their posturing. People that I thought I knew, literally started raising a heist openly threatening us "After 2026 election we will just take your house". I was determined to sell the house before elections

 Between 2019 and 2025 it was becoming untenable. We were being dictated at what price we needed to sell the house at and the buyers. Most buyers these days are from a special community offering significant cash component. A popular method of luring buyers into lower tax payments. Between 2019 and 2025 December when I finally sold the house to one of the most prominent businessman in Kolkata and even maybe in India, I spoke close to 10 top developers, including my friend from the Todis to Poddars to Mohtas. I met 45 direct buyers most that came through the real estate syndicate. While the rest of the family was ONLY concerned with the price, I was determined not to sell it to a plebian and definitely not folks from a special community. 

One fine day someone from the syndicate showed up with a VERY POWERFUL special community buyer who offered the BEST price among all the 55 odd that I met over 4-5 years. It was only after I rejected life took an eerie scary turn. Death threats at midnights, calls in the day time hurling death threats with dire consequence in the middle of meetings. People tailing me and my family. It came to a point where I even stopped walking by dog at the lakes. Not afraid of my life, afraid that these people would hurt my Jess. I became weary of the maids in the house the driver, the gardener. They all were known to the syndicate operating around Golpark, Gariahat, Southern Avenue, Purna Das Road, Ballygunge etc. I increased the close circuit cameras in the house from 6 to 9. I installed cameras inside the house, hired a private security for me and my wife and added one more security at the gate. My monthly expense suddenly shot up by an additional Rs1 lakh to stay alive. 

Coming from a family like ours has it perks. My wife and I were connected at different circles for guidance – school alumni, business acquaintances and top cop/lawyer/judge/aristocrat friends at Tollygunge and Calcutta Club and explained our situation. Everyone we spoke with had only one thing to say “Times are bad, if you are getting a price, sell it”. 22^nd December was the turning point. I was at work and my wife was home alone. A few men from the syndicate and the M buyer showed up (Video attached) at my house and started openly threatening the family. Asked my security to call me and immediately meet them. With some warning they left promising to return soon. Their parting words “It’s Didi’s reign and it’s our time. We will buy this house and if the owners sell it to anyone else we will finish them too”. While I tried to file a formal complaint at Rabindra Sarovar PS, there was a significant resistance from SI Jehangir Hossain. 

My wife called 2 top cops (DGP ranks) she knew well. They asked us to file a written complaint and assured their support. I must say, Kolkata Police was very helpful. I even reached out to some very senior leaders in BJP for their support. They assured me of their help if in the end, we could not find formal institutional help from any other sources. I was also tentative to give this a political color just before elections. Without their help, we would have been mauled by now. 

In parallel I started making frantic calls within friends and family to find me an alternate buyer. The word was spread in the right circuits. Who’s who of Kolkata. Luckily I got a call from this top businessman who I knew from Calcutta and Bengal Club. He said he was interested in inspect my property. I explained to him my existing impasse and he assured me that I have nothing to worry about. If required, he assured me, that he would speak with the CM. He is often seen with the CM actually. For the 1^st time in weeks I sensed peace and closure. I knew he would use my situation as a bargaining chip and he did. He offered Rs. 1.5 crore less. I was caught between the devil and the deep sea. What good is any money if my family is slaughtered? I agreed and decided to move on.

While the open death threats stopped the harassment continued. A member of the syndicate would put a barricade in from of my house every night. He would scream curses with my name in the dead of the night, urinate on my house boundary wall and kick the iron gates. All this was also caught on the camera I installed outside. Called one of the top cops again, and it stopped.

Just when we thought we were out of imminent danger, I got a call again. The man from the syndicate again threatened me and challenged me. He said “I want to see how you load your furniture and leave on XX date”. I knew there was an informant in the house. My wife & I meticulously released all the maids that worked in our house with 6 months pay telling them that their services were not required. I changed the travel date. Changed from air travel to train travel. Flew in my father in law who lives in a different State. I let go of one driver and kept the other. I wanted to keep everyone confused and guessing. I sold 2 of the 3 cars. Who in the sane mind would leave without a car? Right? I did. I handed over the key to a cousin of mine who works at Beltala Motor Vehicle. He assured me that he will help me sell the car and with all paper work after I had safely left. Good samaritans exist. I connected this gentleman with the buyer of the property who was also nice enough to allow me to keep the car in the garage for a few days. On the day we were leaving, I paid the other driver over UPI and informed him that we have left. Paid him a 6 months buffer, like to everyone.  

While I was absolutely certain that these blokes could not physically muster up the courage to harm me, they can surely cause serious damage to my furniture. Some of items I was carrying were from the Palace and were 400-500 yrs old. I crafted a new strategy with the transport company. Instead of one big bang move we decided to move piece meal. We started moving smaller lots every night over 7 nights in small trucks to a godown. It costed me 3 lakhs extra for loading, warehouse charge and transportation. 

As we are not settled in a different city I have time to ponder. What happened to my beautiful birthplace? What happened to all that culture? How did we end up here? How would ordinary people survive in the toxic malevolent environment survive when people like me with the best resources barely got out of the city alive? 

Ponder when you vote tomorrow Kolkatans!