“More than one lakh worth currency notes damaged by termites were recovered from two suitcases in a college union room in Central Kolkata on Tuesday (June 2, 2026), prompting a police probe,” an officer said.

“The cash, comprising mostly ₹100 and ₹500 notes, was found during a cleanliness drive undertaken at Surendranath College ahead of the monsoon,” a senior police officer of Muchipara Police Station said.

The civic authorities had recently advised educational institutions to clean their premises before the onset of the rainy season. During the exercise, workers entered the college union room and found two old suitcases inside an almirah.

"When the suitcases were opened in the presence of college authorities, bundles of currency notes damaged by termites were found inside. The notes appeared to be old and in a severely deteriorated condition," the police officer said. A police team rushed to the college after being informed and seized the suitcases along with certain documents found at the spot.

"At this stage, we are trying to ascertain the exact amount of money recovered and how long the suitcases had been lying there. We are also examining who had access to the room and how the cash came to be stored there," he said. “The suitcases were opened in the presence of representatives of both the day and evening sections of the college,” he said.

"Most of the notes are damaged and soiled. A detailed inventory is being prepared, and further steps will be taken after verification," the officer added. Police said the source of the money and the identity of the person or persons who kept it in the room were yet to be established.

The recovery soon snowballed into a political row, with BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh alleging corruption and demanding a thorough investigation into the incident. He questioned how such a large amount of cash could remain inside a college union room without anyone's knowledge and called for action against those responsible. The college authorities were yet to issue any official statement on the recovery.