Kolkata Artist Vanishes With Over 10 Lakh From Guwahati Puja Committees

Guwahati: A Kolkata artist has vanished from Guwahati after taking over 10 lakh rupees from two Durga Puja committees. Sudipta Pal left organizers in a panic just days before the festival. The Chatribari Durga Puja Committee filed a formal complaint against him. The Nayan Tara Puja Committee in Kumarpara is now weighing its own legal options.

Chatribari organizers signed a contract with Pal for 8 lakh rupees to handle their entire pandal theme and structure. They paid him 5.35 lakh rupees. He finished only half the work. Kamaljit, a committee member, explained the betrayal. "We had engaged him for the entire theme and structural design of the pandal for Rs 8 lakh. We had already paid him around Rs 5.35 lakh, but he completed only 50 per cent of the work and left. Initially, he demanded money regularly and later resorted to blackmailing. We did not even know when he left Guwahati," Kamaljit said.

Pal later demanded another 1 lakh rupees to finish the job. He never showed up to do it. His laborers stayed at the site until Monday, but Pal himself disappeared. The Nayan Tara committee faces a similar mess. Pal walked away with 5.50 lakh rupees from them as well. Both groups are now scrambling to salvage their pandals before the celebrations start.