The Chhattisgarh

Tag: West Bengal

  • Cyclone Dana Makes Landfall On Odisha Coast; Brings Heavy Rains And Gusty Wind| Top Updates |

    The storm began making landfall on the Odisha coast on Thursday night, with landfall expected to continue into Friday morning. Heavy rains and gusty winds are likely to hit southern West Bengal so the people were evacuated in preparation for severe cyclonic storm Dana.

    The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) informed that moving north-northwest at 15 kmph, Dana reached wind speeds of around 110 kmph, impacting areas between Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara and Dhamra in Bhadrak.

    Here’s Is The Top Development

    – Strong winds and heavy rain continue in Bhadrak as the landfall process of Cyclone Dana unfolds, impacting the region with intense weather conditions and safety concerns for residents.

    – “The landfall process has commenced and the forward sector of the wall cloud region is entering into land. The process will continue till Friday morning,” Umashankar Das, senior scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, PTI reported.

    – Flight operations at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata are disrupted as Cyclone Dana’s landfall process begins, affecting schedules and potentially leading to cancellations and delays.

    – Gusty winds and heavy downpours cause destruction in Dhamra, Bhadrak of Odisha. The landfall process is currently underway, leading to concerns about damage and safety in the affected coastal areas.

    – The coastal districts of Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, and nearby Jagatsinghpur experienced a sudden surge in wind speeds, reaching 100 to 110 kmph, accompanied by extremely heavy rainfall. A revenue department official reported receiving reports of uprooted trees at the office of the Special Relief Commissioner. 

    – Authorities at Bhubaneswar Airport informed that flight operations will be halted from 5 PM on October 24 until 9 AM on October 25 due to the cyclone Dana. 

    – The impact of cyclone Dana has impacted around 40 domestic and international flights, affecting the travel plans of many passengers.

  • RG Kar Rape-Murder Case: Court Rejects CBI’s Plea For Narco Test Of Sanjay Roy |

    In a setback for the Central Bureau of Investigation in the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder case of a trainee doctor, the Sealdah Court in Kolkata has rejected the probe agency’s plea for the accused Sajay Roy’s narco-analysis test. The accused had earlier refused to give consent for Narco analysis test. Earlier, the CBI has conducted a polygraph test on Roy and several others involved in the case.

    In 2010, the Supreme Court had ruled that narco-analysis tests cannot be performed without the accused’s consent. While narco-analysis holds legal validity, courts may allow its limited admissibility, depending on the specific conditions under which the test was carried out.

    What is Narco Test?

    A narco test, or narcoanalysis, is an investigative technique used to gather information from an individual by administering a drug that induces a hypnotic or semi-conscious state. Sodium pentothal, commonly referred to as “truth serum,” is the drug typically employed in this process. This drug reduces a person’s self-awareness, enabling them to speak more openly and without restraint, which helps investigators gather more truthful responses.

    What Is The Case?

    The incident in question involves the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The following day, Kolkata Police arrested Roy, identifying him as the prime suspect. Roy has maintained his innocence, asserting that he is being framed. On August 23, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation to the CBI.

    Sanjay Roy is currently being held at the Presidency Jail in Kolkata. Last week, a Kolkata court denied his bail request and extended his judicial custody until September 20. On Thursday, the CBI obtained dental impressions and saliva samples from Sanjoy Roy. These samples will be compared to the bite marks discovered on the trainee doctor’s body to help determine his potential involvement in the crime.

  • CBI Arrests Ex-RG Kar Principal Sandeep Ghosh In Graft Case |

    The Central Bureau of Investigation today arrested the former Principal of RG Kar Medical College Sandeep Ghosh in an alleged corruption case related to the medical college. While Ghosh was subjected to a polygraph test as well in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor of the RG Kar Medical College, the CBI is yet to find concrete evidence in the case. The trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. Ghosh was transferred to another college after an uproar over the case.

    The hospital’s former deputy superintendent Dr Akhtar Ali had lodged complaints of financial irregularities on multiple counts at the establishment during Ghosh’s tenure as principal.

    Sandeep Ghosh was accused of mishandling the rape-murder case and not registering the case even hours after the dead body was found. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has conducted lie detector tests on Ghosh and others as part of their investigation into the rape and murder of a female medical student at the institute. The CBI has also registered a case concerning alleged financial irregularities at the facility.

    The medical college gained significant media attention following the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in a seminar hall on August 9, leading to the arrest of a civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy.

    On August 29, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) suspended the membership of Dr. Sandip Ghosh amid an ongoing CBI investigation.

    The rape-murder case was transferred to the CBI after an order from the Kolkata High Court. The Calcutta High Court has granted the CBI three weeks to submit a progress report on the investigation, which is to be presented on September 17.

    Meanwhile, junior doctors from various medical colleges in Kolkata staged a rally on Monday, marching toward the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar. They demanded the resignation of Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, accusing him of inaction in preventing the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 14. The rally was halted by police at guardrails on BB Ganguly Street, short of reaching Lalbazar. The doctors insisted that their protest was peaceful and requested a meeting with the police commissioner. Despite being stopped, they called for the rally to proceed closer to the headquarters and eventually sat on the street, chanting slogans in protest.

  • ‘Mamata Banerjee Is A Liar’, BJP Demands Explanation For Failing To Protect Women In West Bengal |

    Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: In a heated exchange over women’s safety, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday called West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a ‘liar’ and demanded she puts forward an explanation for her government’s failure to enforce stringent protections for women. This sharp rebuke comes after Banerjee’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which she advocated for tougher central laws and faster judicial proceedings for heinous crimes like rape and murder. Amit Malviya, BJP’s co-incharge for West Bengal, accused Banerjee of not only neglecting existing legal frameworks but also failing to establish fast-track courts to address these serious issues.

    7 rapes (mostly minors) and in some cases murders too, reported from Mamata Banerjee’s West Bengal in last 48 hours….

    But in last 48 hours, Mamata Banerjee has been engaged in every deplorable act, that a civilised Chief Minister would be ashamed of – from issuing open letters… pic.twitter.com/009JvQx3ld


    — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 30, 2024

    Recently, Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating her request for stringent central legislation and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes like rape and murder. She also sought mandatory provision for time-bound disposal of cases of rape/rape and murder. “It is incumbent on Mamata Banerjee to explain why the West Bengal government hasn’t done anything for implementing the stringent rules and regulations, which exist for protecting women and girls,” BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya said in a post on X.

    Mamata Banerjee is a LIAR.

    Smt Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, responded to West Bengal Chief Minister on 25th Aug 2024.

    In her letter, in point 4, she specifically mentions West Bengal Govt NOT setting up even a single Fast Track Court for… https://t.co/mtNgQNLlnx pic.twitter.com/bu2Tf9Ptm2
    — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 30, 2024

    “Stop writing letters. Answer the questions. You are accountable,” he added. In her letter, Banerjee said that she was yet to receive a reply from the prime minister on the issue that she had flagged in her previous letter to him. The chief minister, however, said that she received a communication from the Union Women and Child Development (WCD) minister Annapurna Devi.

    Maintaining that the letter by the WCD minister “barely attends the gravity of the issue” raised by her, Banerjee wrote, “The seriousness of the subject and its relevance to the society have not been adequately appreciated while sending out this generic reply.”

    Banerjee, in her letter to the PM, mentioned that 88 fast-track special courts and 62 POCSO-designated courts are already functioning in West Bengal on state funding. Reacting sharply, Malviya said, “Mamata Banerjee is a Liar”.

    “Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, responded to West Bengal Chief Minister on August 25, 2024. In her letter, in point 4, she (the WCD minister) specifically mentions West Bengal government not setting up even a single fast track court for addressing rape and POCSO related cases,” the BJP leader said. He also posted on X a copy of the WCD minister’s letter to the West Bengal chief minister. Malviya said that as many as seven cases of rape, mostly of minors, and in some cases murders too have been reported in West Bengal in the last 48 hours.

    “But in the last 48 hours, Mamata Banerjee has been engaged in every deplorable act – that a civilised chief minister would be ashamed of – from issuing open letters to clarifications, from threatening and abusing doctors to inciting nationwide arson,” he said in another post on X.

    He called Banerjee a “failed Home and Health Minister” of the state and alleged that she is preoccupied with suppressing evidences of her corruption and incompetence in the RG Kar Hospital rape-and-murder case.

    “But, enough is enough. The awakened conscience of Bengal now calls for accountability,” the BJP leader added.

  • Thousands Of Bangladeshis Gather Along West Bengal Border, BSF Averts Infiltration Bid |

    COOCH BEHAR: The BSF averted an infiltration bid when thousands of residents from Bangladesh gathered along the Indo-Bangladesh border at Cooch Behar raising slogans and tried to enter the Indian side on Friday morning. Ikramul Haque, a local from Pathantuli in Sitalkuchi, Cooch Behar, West Bengal said, “Around 9-9.30 am, a few people from Bangladesh gathered at the border and tried to infiltrate into India. Many of them are still there. The crowd has thinned out a little now, though. Their arrival in India all of a sudden is not possible. There is a protocol for it. There is a large presence of the BSF.”

    The Ministry of Home Affairs has constituted a committee that is to be headed by the ADG, Border Security Force, Eastern Command to monitor the current Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) situation. In a letter dated August 9, Under Secretary to the Govt of India Smitha Viju said, “It has been decided to constitute a Committee consisting of the following members for the above-mentioned subject a. ADG, BSF, Eastern Command as the Chairman, b. IG, BSF Frontier HQ South Bengal, c. IG, BSF Frontier HQ Tripura, d. Member (Planning and Development), LPAI and e. Secretary, LPAI.”

    The office memorandum further stated that the the above committee will maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh. The Additional Director General of BSF, Eastern Command, is the chairman of the five-member Committee.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah also made the announcement through a post on X and informed that the committee has been constituted to monitor the current situation on the India-Bangladesh border. “In the wake of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the Modi government has constituted a committee to monitor the current situation on the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB). The committee will maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals, Hindus, and other minority communities living there. The committee will be headed by the ADG, Border Security Force, Eastern Command,” Shah posted on X.

  • Post-Poll Violence: No Reservation If Central Forces’ Stay In Bengal Extended, Home Ministry To HC |

    The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday informed the Calcutta High Court that it has no reservation if the deployment of central forces in West Bengal is extended if the situation demands in the light of allegations of post-poll violence in the state.

    The court directed the Centre and the West Bengal government to assess the situation following the charges of post-poll violence as made by petitioners and disclose all relevant facts relating to these on the next date of hearing on June 21.

    During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Asok Chakrabarti, representing the Union Home Ministry, submitted before the court that it has no reservations about extending deployment of central forces in the state if the situation demands.

    The counsel for Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, one of the petitioners in two PILs, submitted that a report by the West Bengal government states that till June 12, a total of 107 FIRs have been lodged and that 18 of these are not related to post-poll violence, claiming that thus it admits that post-poll violence was indeed occurring in the state.

    The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal concluded on June 1 and results were declared on June 4.

    A division bench presided by Justice Harish Tandon directed that the matter be listed for hearing again on June 21, till which date the central forces have already been directed by the court to stay put in Bengal.

    It was alleged by Adhikari and lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal in their separate PILs that people belonging to a particular political party were being subjected to atrocities following the conclusion of the Lok Sabha election process.

    The division bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, said that its main concern is the safety and security of the citizens as serious allegations have been made by the petitioners in the PILs.

    Appearing for the state, Advocate General Kishore Dutta said that the state government was doing its job in maintaining law and order.

    Petitioner-lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal claimed that she has a list of 250 people who were ousted from their homes for their political beliefs and were staying in a dharamshala in Kolkata.

    She sought to submit a supplementary affidavit in this regard before the court on the next date of hearing.

  • Day After Attack On NIA Team, Probe Officials Booked For Molestation By Bengal Police |

    New Delhi: Day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) team investigated the 2022 blast in West Bengal’s East Medinipur, the district police lodged charges of molestation against them. East Midnapore police filed a FIR against the NIA officers on Saturday night, citing sections 354 (molestation) and 441 (trespassing) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Bhupatinagar police station.  

    The complaint was lodged by family members of the arrested accused and TMC worker Manabroto Jana. As per reports, the police received a complaint alleging that NIA officials molested women by forcibly entering their homes late at night. While on Saturday, the NIA lodged a formal complaint regarding the attack at the Bhupatinagar police station. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with the incident. 

    The NIA team faced an assault in Bhupatinagar on Saturday after the apprehension of two TMC workers linked to the explosion on December 3, 2022, which resulted in the deaths of three individuals. Two NIA personnel sustained minor injuries when their vehicle was reportedly targeted following the interrogation of Balai Maiti and Manobrata Jana, identified as key conspirators. 

    A verbal clash ensued among the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the CPI(M), and the Trinamool Congress following the Bhupatinagar incident, with Opposition figures highlighting parallels with the January 5 Sandeshkhali incident in North 24 Parganas.  

    Attacking a Central agency means attacking the Indian Constitution. Charging NIA officials with molestation for carrying out their duties shows breakdown of all constitutional institutions. This is a direct war against the Indian Constitution, remarked BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya. 

    Chakraborty was reacting to comments by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, delivered during an election rally in Balurghat. Banerjee asserted that the attack was instigated by the NIA, not by the women… NIA officials intruding into homes late at night, what more can be anticipated? Women defending their dignity is a natural response. In 2022, there was an explosion in Bhupatinagar, and now the NIA has been sent… to create fear. The BJP’s objective is to detain all our booth presidents, added Banerjee. 

  • NIA Team Probing Medinipur Blast Case Stopped By Protesters In West Bengal, Car Vandalised |

    Kolkata: In a distressing repetition of past events, a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) encountered stiff resistance in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, while conducting investigations related to a blast case on Saturday. The latest incident is reminiscent of a similar attack on the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) team in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas where the officers were besieged and allegedly assaulted during a raid linked to an alleged food scam.

    According to sources within the NIA, the team dispatched to Purba Medinipur faced hostility during their probe into the blast case. Reports indicate that the vehicle transporting the NIA officers was targeted and vandalized amidst efforts to apprehend a suspect connected to the ongoing investigation.

    A video footage circulating on social media purportedly depicts residents gathering around the NIA vehicle, attempting to obstruct the apprehension of the suspect. The situation escalated as villagers resorted to pelting the vehicle with stones, further escalating tensions.

     

    #WATCH | West Bengal: NIA officers had to face protesters in Sandeshkhali while they were carrying out an investigation in connection with the Bhupatinagar, East Medinipur blast case. People allegedly tried to stop the NIA team from taking the accused persons along with them.… pic.twitter.com/UVoAO6uuPQ
    — ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2024

     

    Sandeshkhali, situated within the Sundarbans, has become a focal point of political discourse following allegations of sexual abuse and land encroachment against suspended TMC politician Shajahan Sheikh and his associates. The recent remarks by the Calcutta High Court condemning the events in Sandeshkhali also underscored the gravity of the situation.

    Earlier this year, Shahjahan Sheikh, the suspended TMC leader, triggered a political storm when an ED team conducting a raid at his residence in connection with a ration scam was met with mob violence. This incident came as a grim reminder of the escalating tensions and recurring confrontations in the region.

  • PM Modi Reaches Out To Lok Sabha Candidates In Bengal, Kerala; Know Why It’s Important For BJP |

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reached out to BJP candidates of two crucial states – Kerala and Bengal. While the BJP is looking to open its account in Kerala Lok Sabha polls, the party is trying hard to boost its seat count in TMC-ruled West Bengal. The BJP is fighting tooth and nail against the popularity of the TMC led by Mamata Banerjee while in God’s own country Kerala, the saffron party is yet to taste victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Thus, PM Modi’s attempt to speak to the women candidates from both the states is an attempt to boost the morale of the party cadre. 

    PM Modi’s Speaks To Kerala BJP Candidate

    Prime Minister Modi talked to Prof TN Sarasu who is the BJP candidate from the Alathur Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. During the conversation, she informed PM Modi that there is a problem with cooperative banks in Kerala which are governed by the CPI(M) leaders. “They loot the money that the poor people deposited in the bank. They are not getting back their money. So, there is a great complaint from the people here…Could you do something against this?” said Sarasu.

    PM Modi then told her, “I am happy that as a candidate, you are taking up the issues of the people. It’s a good thing for any public servant…Yes, I have heard about it. I have some details about it and you are right that a lot of poor people have been affected. Our government will take strict action against everyone involved and we will ensure that the poor get justice…I will take the legal advice and whatever property the ED will attach, if the common man’s money is involved, I will see that every penny should return to the person concerned. We will do that strictly.”

    #LISTEN | The conversation between PM Narendra Modi and Prof TN Sarasu, BJP candidate from Alathur in Kerala.

    She tells the PM, “…”There is a problem in Kerala with cooperative banks which are governed by the CPI(M) leaders. They loot the money that the poor people deposited… pic.twitter.com/AlpeQOkyNs
    — ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2024

    PM Modi’s Conversation With Bengal Candidate

    Prime Minister Modi also spoke to Rekha Patra, BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bengal’s Basirhat and one of the Sandeshkhali victims. The senior BJP leader spoke to Patra about her Lok Sabha campaign preparations. While talking to her, PM Modi called her ‘Shakti Swaroopa’. Shakti is a Hinduism term associated with goddesses like Durga and Kali. Patra narrated the ordeal faced by women of Sandeshkhali. 

    #LISTEN | The conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rekha Patra, a BJP candidate from Basirhat and one of the Sandeshkhali victims.

    She says, “…The situation in Sandeshkhali has been a matter of concern since 2011. If we were allowed to vote freely then this… pic.twitter.com/Y4KB7k1OKE
    — ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2024

    Boosting Cadre’s Morale

    The BJP has been galvanising its grassroots cadre in Kerala and West Bengal besides southern states like Tamil Nadu and Telangana. While the BJP has bettered its presence and vote share in Bengal, in Kerala, the saffron party is yet to open its account in the Lok Sabha. There are at least five seats in Kerala where the BJP has increased its vote shares and the party is now looking to translate it into the winning seats. PM Modi’s conversation with the candidates will send out a message that the person sitting on the highest echelons of the BJP is looking after the party candidates. This will boost the cadre’s morale ahead of the voting for the Lok Sabha polls. 

  • TMC Files Complaint Against BJP MP Dilip Ghosh’s ‘Derogatory And Offensive’ Remark Against CM Mamata Banerjee |

    New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal against BJP MP Dilip Ghosh for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The complaint alleged that the former BJP state president made derogatory and offensive remarks about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 

    Reacting to Dilip Ghosh’s controversial remark on Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress termed the former BJP state chief a disgrace in the name of a political leader. In a statement posted on X, the official handle of Trinamool criticised the BJP leader, “From challenging the lineage of Maa Durga to now questioning the ancestry of Mamata Banerjee, he has wallowed in the filthiest depths of moral bankruptcy.”  

     

    .@DilipGhoshBJP is a disgrace in the name of political leadership!

    From challenging the lineage of Maa Durga to now questioning the ancestry of Smt. @MamataOfficial, he has wallowed in the filthiest depths of moral bankruptcy.

    One thing is crystal clear: Ghosh has ZERO RESPECT… pic.twitter.com/25uvaDPXsi
    — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) March 26, 2024

     

    Addressing media during his campaign trail, the BJP MP said, “Didi goes to Goa and says, ‘I am Goa’s daughter’, then goes to Tripura and says, ‘I am Tripura’s daughter’. Decide who your father is? It is not good to be just anybody’s daughter,” he said on the camera. 

    The TMC said that Ghosh has zero respect for women of Bengal. “One thing is crystal clear: Ghosh has ZERO RESPECT for the women of Bengal, whether it be the revered goddess of Hinduism or the only woman Chief Minister of India,” said the ruling party.

    This criticism echoes a previous controversy surrounding Dilip Ghosh’s remarks on Goddess Durga in 2021, where he questioned Maa Durga’s lineage. “Lord Ram was an emperor. Some consider him an avatar. We know the names of his ancestors. Do we know the same about Durga?” Ghosh said.

    Meanwhile, BJP released the list of 19 candidates for Bengal. BJP has fielded Rekha Patra from Basirhat, who is a resident of Sandeshkhali. It was she who first raised the voice of the women of Sandeshkhali.