Swapna Barman cries foul play over fire at old house in Jalpaiguri's Kaliaganj
Telegraph | 17 May 2026
Swapna Barman, the heptathlete and Asian Games gold medallist, alleged on Friday that goons set fire to her old house in Ghoshpara, in Kaliaganj on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town.
However, some relatives and neighbours claimed that her brothers had set fire to the kitchen, a bamboo and straw structure, at the house because of a family dispute.
Swapna, the Trinamool candidate from the Rajganj Assembly constituency who lost to the BJP's Dinesh Sarkar, posted about the fire on social media on Friday. Police and fire tenders rushed to the spot and doused the flames.
A source said that some firewood and documents kept in the kitchen were gutted.
On Saturday morning, Swapna went to the Kotwali police station to file a complaint, seeking an investigation into the incident and demanding security for her family.
Speaking to newspersons, she said: “Had I known politics could be so cruel, I would never have entered it. I am a fighter in sports. I now doubt whether any non-political person like me would want to join politics in the future.”
She alleged that many who had supported her until the morning of May 4, when the election results were announced, have now joined other political camps and are threatening her family.
“The children in my family are afraid to step outside the house to play. My entire family is living in fear. I have requested police protection,” Swapna said.
Swapna said she suspected a few of her relatives and neighbours might be involved in the arson, adding that they have raised various complaints against her after she lost the polls.
“I am concerned and am not thinking about the party (TMC) and politics right now,” she said.
Some of her relatives and neighbours in Ghoshpara accused her of trying to blame them for a family dispute.
Her aunts, Nanibala and Lakshmi, and an uncle, Shyamal Barman, went to the police station with some neighbours and filed a counter-complaint against the athlete’s family.
“My own house is right next to hers. If we had set the fire, our house would have been gutted. Swapna’s brothers themselves started the fire, extinguished it and are now falsely accusing us,” said Lakshmi.
Swapan Sen, a neighbour, claimed that after winning gold at the Asian Games, Swapna and her family became arrogant.
“Many residents were upset with the behaviour of Pabitra and Asit, her brothers, for a long time. They often resort to highhandedness. They have implicated some neighbours in false cases and made them spend days in jail. We have now approached the police together to prevent such acts,” said Swapan.
“Now that she has lost in the elections and a new government has been formed in the state, her family is apprehensive of a backlash and legal steps. That is why she is playing the victim card by planning such arson to draw sympathy from people,” he added.
Bimal Roy, another neighbour, said: “We were proud of her achievements. But gradually, her family, especially her brothers, would often threaten us in the name of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the police.”
“If the police do not take any steps against Swapna and her family, we will launch a movement,” he added.
Abhishek Banerjee, the national general secretary of Trinamool, accused the BJP of orchestrating the arson in a social media post, without naming the party.
Dinesh Sarkar, the BJP MLA of Rajganj, said: “After losing the polls, Swapna is resorting to theatrics. The fire incident appears to be a family matter. Police should investigate properly.”
Amarnath K, the superintendent of police of Jalpaiguri, said they have received two complaints.
“We have initiated a probe. Security and surveillance around her residence have been increased,” he said.