Efforts on to bring Sushmita’s body from Afghanistan: Mukul Roy

Kolkata: Trinomool Congress leader Mukul Roy after meeting Chief Election Commissioner of India speaks to journalists at Jyoti Basu Nagar, on the north-eastern fringe of Kolkata on Tuesday. Photo: Sushanta Patronobish. 22.03.2011

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken an initiative to bring back the body of slain author Sushmita Banerjee to Kolkata from Afghanistan.

State government officials have already in touch with External Affairs Ministry on her instruction in this regard, Trinamool Congress general secretary Mukul Roy said.

Subsequently, the author’s brother Gopal Banerjee met him during the day Mr. Roy said on Saturday.

“I arranged an appointment of Gopal Banerjee with the Chief Minister’s secretary Gautam Sanyal with regard to bringing the body of Sushmita Banerjee,” he said.

Mr. Gopal had told on Friday that the family had contacted the External Affairs Ministry pleading that the body be brought to Kolkata.

Sushmita Banerjee, whose memoir about her dramatic escape from the clutches of Taliban was made a Bollywood film, was killed outside her home in eastern Paktika province on September 4 by Taliban militants.

She was married to Afghan businessman Jaanbaz Khan and recently moved back to Afghanistan to live with him.