{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}} '''Shibaji Panja''' is a businessman from Kolkata, known to be close to Mamata Banerjee.<ref name=toi> {{cite news | title = Mamata's close aide Shibaji Panja arrested for fraud | author = Somreet Bhattacharya | newspaper = Times of India | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mamatas-close-aide-Shibaji-Panja-arrested-for-fraud/articleshow/46330332.cms | date = 22 February 2015 }}</ref><ref name="hindu">{{cite news |title = Mamata's aide arrested, released on bail|work = The Hindu|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/mamatas-aide-arrested-released-on-bail/article6923199.ece?homepage=true|date = 23 February 2015}}quote: Panja is known for his proximity to the Chief Minister and considered one of her closest aides.... While Panja is referred often as a "prominent businessman" the nature of his business is unclear. "He has no business as he is a plain racketeer, who takes loans from banks and never returns," said one of his former associates.</ref> Shibaji did his education in Kolkata and started RP Infosystems which was manufacturing the very popular PC brand CHIRAG. Under his guidance, CHIRAG became one of the top indigenously manufactured computer brands in India. He was arrested in February 2015<ref name=mint> {{cite news | title = Businessman Shibaji Panja in Mamata Banerjee entourage held | publisher = Livemint | url = http://www.livemint.com/Politics/ykp9Lrjx5CbU2SvsCM7neK/Businessman-in-Mamata-Banerjees-entourage-held-in-fraud-cas.html }}</ref> on charges of having forged papers for taking a Rs. 18 crore loan from Industrial Finance Corporation of India. The arrest occurred while Panja was accompanying Mamata as part of the team returning from a visit to Bangladesh,<ref name="mint" /> causing widespread media coverage and opposition accusations of harbouring criminals in her court.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/man-in-mamata-s-dhaka-entourage-arrested-opposition-hits-out-115022200638_1.html|title=Man in Mamata's Dhaka entourage arrested, opposition hits out|last=IANS|date=2015-02-22|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2018-09-28}}</ref> Banerjee has said that what businessmen in her entourage may have been doing is not related to her.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/east/story/mamata-banerjee-shibaji-panja-trinamool-congress-west-bengal-delhi-police-241475-2015-02-22|title=Mamata refuses responsibility over aide Shibaji Panja's arrest|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2018-09-28}}</ref> The Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police investigated and claimed that the purchase order, invoices, ferry receipts and acknowledgement notes were all forged,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/businessman-in-mamata-entourage-held/|title=Businessman Shibaji Panja in Mamata Banerjee entourage held|date=2015-02-23|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-09-28|language=en-US}}</ref> <ref name=factoring> {{cite news | title = Fabrication charge in factoring deal | author = Imran Ahmed Siddiqui | newspaper = The Telegraph | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150223/jsp/frontpage/story_5010.jsp#.VOqotJtfaSo | archive-url = https://archive.today/20150223025530/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1150223/jsp/frontpage/story_5010.jsp#.VOqotJtfaSo | url-status = dead | archive-date = 23 February 2015 }}</ref> and the firm address was found to be non-existent. The matter is still sub-judice and Panja was granted bail for the case in question by the competent Court.
==Profile==
Panja had been appointed to several high-powered West Bengal committees related to film and culture and is an official advisor for industrial promotion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wbidc.com/wb_singapore/list_delegates.html |title=WBIDC |accessdate=2015-10-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122050230/http://wbidc.com/wb_singapore/list_delegates.html |archivedate=2015-11-22 }}</ref>
Panja was one of the founders of the RP Group,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rpchirag.com/about-us/group-companies.aspx |title=Chirag : Greenputer : : About Us : Group Companies |accessdate=2015-02-23 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20150223054336/http://rpchirag.com/about-us/group-companies.aspx |archivedate=2015-02-23 }}</ref> a set of businesses marketing a computer branded "Chirag" and also in film production. The RP Group also is in control of the popular TV News Channel Kolkata TV.
With the revoking of excise benefits, the Indian Computer brands such as HCL, Wipro, Zenith, PCS and CHIRAG were all competing directly with the MNC's without any price advantage which was not the case earlier. This proved to be the bane for all these brands and all of them are today non-existent in the market.
Since then, Panja resigned from the board of the RP Group in early 2013 by officially striking off his name from the Registrar of Companies. He is now a successful producer of content for Bengali Entertainment channels such as STAR Jalsa and ETv Bangla.
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Panja, Shib}} Category:Indian fraudsters Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from Kolkata Category:Crime in West Bengal Category:Indian prisoners and detainees Category:Year of birth missing (living people)