KOLKATA: The woman known as Sudipta Sen's shadow in the Saradha Group was at her appointed place during arrest too — right by the boss.
The story of 27-year-old Debjani Mukherjee, who joined as a receptionist and became the executive director of the group's flagship company within three years, can dwarf any tale of corporate rise. Nothing moved without the permission of 'madam' as she was known in the company's Sector V headquarters, and nothing escaped her eye. Such was her influence that she shared Sen's office chambers as the group's de facto number two and signed all cheques valued at over Rs 20 lakh as well as appointment letters. She was Sen's eyes and ears, the lady who the chairman seemed to trust even more than his family.
Her brisk climb up the corporate ladder started after she was moved to the Midland Park HQ, nine months after she joined Saradha Tours & Travels' office at 64, Shakespeare Sarani as a receptionist and telephone operator. In 2011, she became the director of Saradha Realty. Soon, she was also given charge of the banking and HR verticals.
What led to her meteoric rise? Debjani is the daughter of Timir Baran Mukherjee, a close family friend of Sen. It is believed Mukherjee helped Sen go from estate manager to the owner of the sprawling Saradha Gardens off Joka in the mid-2000s. Mukherjee's close proximity to local CPM leaders also helped Sen.
Mom, lawyer say Debjani wanted to surrender
Sources say when one of project's original promoters, Biswanath Adhikari, was shot dead in the complex on January 29, 1999, it was Mukherjee who kept the heat off Sen. Sen appears to have repaid that "debt" by making Debjani a full-time director of his group. Debjani was promoted as director with Saradha Realty on July 20, 2011. The other directors were Sen's wife Madhumita, son Subhojit and daughter Priyanka.
The cellphone Debjani used till her arrest on Tuesday was registered in the name of Saradha Tours & Travels. A mobile number Sen often used was also registered in Debjani's name. It was the "official" number given to Debjani as director in Saradha Realty.
Debjani, sources said, stopped attending office in March, several weeks before Sen disappeared, lending credence to a theory among Saradha employees that it was Debjani who had drafted the escape plan for the two before the companies were to be shut. Abhisekh Mukherjee, a lawyer claiming to represent Debjani, however, said, "Debjani was asked not to attend office. In fact, she hasn't been getting salary for several months. She was coerced into fleeing and called me up intending to surrender."
Debjani's mother Sarbari claims she has been framed. She said a tearful Debjani had called her up before she went missing saying she wanted to surrender. Sarbari didn't hear from Debjani after that.
A former editor in one of Sen's publications recollected, "Sen sat next to Debjani in his own chamber. Sen and she appeared co-owners. At meetings, they sat on one side and faced us across the table. She was an executive director and was Sen's eyes and ears. Debjani was also his constant companion on trips out of town."
The first change Debjani brought to Midland Park was the induction of young women. "After a while, only women were posted at the offices on the fourth and fifth floor of Midland Park. Except for Debjani, the others working in the newspapers, television or realty business were never attached to the same office for more than six months. They would be rotated constantly. And they all seemed afraid of Debjani," recounted an employee.
Sen had the gift of the gab and would manage to convince anyone. "But Debjani was always a reticent speaker and very matter-of-fact," the employee added. Another employee said visitors to Sen were always vetted by Debjani. Sen was called 'CMD sir' in Midland Park. However urgent the matter was, it was difficult for anyone to get a call though to Sen without being routed through Debjani.
The story of 27-year-old Debjani Mukherjee, who joined as a receptionist and became the executive director of the group's flagship company within three years, can dwarf any tale of corporate rise. Nothing moved without the permission of 'madam' as she was known in the company's Sector V headquarters, and nothing escaped her eye. Such was her influence that she shared Sen's office chambers as the group's de facto number two and signed all cheques valued at over Rs 20 lakh as well as appointment letters. She was Sen's eyes and ears, the lady who the chairman seemed to trust even more than his family.
Her brisk climb up the corporate ladder started after she was moved to the Midland Park HQ, nine months after she joined Saradha Tours & Travels' office at 64, Shakespeare Sarani as a receptionist and telephone operator. In 2011, she became the director of Saradha Realty. Soon, she was also given charge of the banking and HR verticals.
What led to her meteoric rise? Debjani is the daughter of Timir Baran Mukherjee, a close family friend of Sen. It is believed Mukherjee helped Sen go from estate manager to the owner of the sprawling Saradha Gardens off Joka in the mid-2000s. Mukherjee's close proximity to local CPM leaders also helped Sen.
Mom, lawyer say Debjani wanted to surrender
Sources say when one of project's original promoters, Biswanath Adhikari, was shot dead in the complex on January 29, 1999, it was Mukherjee who kept the heat off Sen. Sen appears to have repaid that "debt" by making Debjani a full-time director of his group. Debjani was promoted as director with Saradha Realty on July 20, 2011. The other directors were Sen's wife Madhumita, son Subhojit and daughter Priyanka.
The cellphone Debjani used till her arrest on Tuesday was registered in the name of Saradha Tours & Travels. A mobile number Sen often used was also registered in Debjani's name. It was the "official" number given to Debjani as director in Saradha Realty.
Debjani, sources said, stopped attending office in March, several weeks before Sen disappeared, lending credence to a theory among Saradha employees that it was Debjani who had drafted the escape plan for the two before the companies were to be shut. Abhisekh Mukherjee, a lawyer claiming to represent Debjani, however, said, "Debjani was asked not to attend office. In fact, she hasn't been getting salary for several months. She was coerced into fleeing and called me up intending to surrender."
Debjani's mother Sarbari claims she has been framed. She said a tearful Debjani had called her up before she went missing saying she wanted to surrender. Sarbari didn't hear from Debjani after that.
A former editor in one of Sen's publications recollected, "Sen sat next to Debjani in his own chamber. Sen and she appeared co-owners. At meetings, they sat on one side and faced us across the table. She was an executive director and was Sen's eyes and ears. Debjani was also his constant companion on trips out of town."
The first change Debjani brought to Midland Park was the induction of young women. "After a while, only women were posted at the offices on the fourth and fifth floor of Midland Park. Except for Debjani, the others working in the newspapers, television or realty business were never attached to the same office for more than six months. They would be rotated constantly. And they all seemed afraid of Debjani," recounted an employee.
Sen had the gift of the gab and would manage to convince anyone. "But Debjani was always a reticent speaker and very matter-of-fact," the employee added. Another employee said visitors to Sen were always vetted by Debjani. Sen was called 'CMD sir' in Midland Park. However urgent the matter was, it was difficult for anyone to get a call though to Sen without being routed through Debjani.
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