Adani News

Tag: West Bengal

  • West Bengal To Get Second Vande Bharat Express On Howrah-Puri Route

    West Bengal To Get Second Vande Bharat Express On Howrah-Puri Route

    West Bengal is set to get its second semi-high speed Vande Bharat express train, which is most likely to run in the busy Howrah-Puri route.

    A South Eastern Railway official said that a trial run of a newly allocated rake was being held on the Howrah-Puri route on Friday.

    The route and date of commencement of service of the Vande Bharat express train is yet to be received officially, he said.”We have received a Vande Bharat rake from the ICF, Perumbur, and a trial run is being held today on the Howrah-Puri route,” he said.

    This would be the second Vande Bharat express train that West Bengal will get, with the first running on the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri route since December 30, 2022.

    With pilgrims and tourists flocking to Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath, throughout the year from the West Bengal capital, the new semi-high speed train is likely to be an instant hit among the visitors, travel operators said.

  • Sukanya Mandal arrested in cattle smuggling case

    Sukanya Mandal arrested in cattle smuggling case

    West Bengal. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), probing the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal, had summoned Sukanya Mandal, daughter of Trinamool Congress stalwart Anubrata Mandal, for questioning. According to information received from ED sources, it is being told that Sukanya Mandal has been arrested. Let us tell you that Sukanya’s father Anubrata Mandal was arrested by Eden on November 17 last year.
    Sukanya Mandal, daughter of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mandal, arrested in West Bengal’s famous cattle smuggling case, has been arrested by the ED in Delhi today after a long interrogation. According to the information, ED had summoned Sukanya Mandal for questioning in Delhi. The ED was trying to find out from Sukanya, a teacher by profession, whether her accounts were used in the cattle smuggling case. How did they suddenly get so much money in their accounts. There are many other questions which the ED wanted to know from him.
    CBI has also interrogated Sukanya
    In the animal smuggling case in Bengal, on 23 September 2022, the CBI also reached the house of jailed Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mandal in Nichupatti area of Bolpur. A CBI team interrogated his daughter Sukanya Mandal in a cattle smuggling case. It is being told that there was also a woman officer in the three-member team. The investigating officer stayed at the house for about an hour. The team also visited a nearby post office. Sukanya Mandal is a shareholder in a rice mill owned by her father.
    CBI officials visited the rice mill and seized some vehicles. Mandal was arrested by the CBI on August 11 in the cattle smuggling case and is currently lodged in jail. During the investigation, the CBI also got information about one of the rice mills, ‘Bhole Bam Rice Mill’. Shyamal Mandal, the former owner of the said rice mill, was called to the temporary camp office of the CBI for questioning, where he was questioned on Friday.

  • Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal Contributed Immensely To Development Of Punjab: WB CM Mamata Banerjee

    Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal Contributed Immensely To Development Of Punjab: WB CM Mamata Banerjee

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed her sorrow over the demise of former Punjab Chief Minister and veteran Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal. The Trinamool Congress supremo described Badal as a mass leader of indomitable courage contributing immensely to the development of Punjab.

    “I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Shri Parkash Singh Badal, Former CM of Punjab. A true mass leader and a man of indomitable courage, he contributed immensely to the progress of his state. My heart goes out to his family and supporters during this time of grief,” she tweeted. Badal (95) died on Tuesday, after a brief illness at a private hospital in Mohali.

    I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Shri Parkash Singh Badal, Former CM of Punjab.

    A true mass leader and a man of indomitable courage, he contributed immensely to the progress of his state.

  • Demonstration against the death of a teenager in West Bengal, police station set on fire

    Demonstration against the death of a teenager in West Bengal, police station set on fire

    Kolkata (IANS) | The situation turned tense on Tuesday in parts of Kaliaganj in West Bengal’s North Dinajpur district following violent protests by locals against the alleged rape and murder of a teenage girl last week. Tension was prevailing in the area for some time, which erupted on Tuesday. An angry mob set a local police station on fire and also torched some police vehicles. Sources said some policemen received minor injuries.

    It is learned that a local pressure group, allegedly backed by the BJP, started the protest in front of Kaliaganj police station on Tuesday. The protest was announced in advance and the police had put up three-tier barricades in front of the police station.

    District police officials claimed that initially the protest was peaceful, but the situation turned violent after some protesters tried to break barricades. To bring the situation under control, the police had to resort to lathi charge and lob tear gas shells.

    Some protesters reportedly scaled barricades, entered the police station and destroyed public property. They also set the police station on fire and set ablaze some police vehicles.

    Meanwhile, a political tussle has started in the state regarding the violence.

    The BJP has claimed that the police resorted to an unprovoked attack on the ‘peaceful’ movement. The ruling Trinamool Congress has accused the saffron forces of destabilizing the law and order situation in the area over an unfortunate incident.

    On April 21, the body of a 17-year-old girl was found in a canal in Kaliyaganj. Accusing her of rape and murder, the locals blocked roads besides setting ablaze some shops. A large number of police forces had to be sent to the area to bring the situation under control.

    Four ASIs have been suspended in connection with the death of the minor girl, who were seen dragging the body of the teenager.

    The victim’s family has already approached the Calcutta High Court demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident.

    –IANS

  • Mamta-Nitish meeting today

    Mamta-Nitish meeting today

    Kolkata (IANS) | The meeting between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has now been fixed for Monday. Earlier, sources in the state secretariat had said that the meeting would be held at Kalighat, Banerjee’s residence in south Kolkata, on Tuesday. We were told that Nitish Kumar would be coming to Kolkata for a few hours on Monday and his meeting would be held at the state secretariat Nabanna instead of the chief minister’s residence, a state government official said.

    It is learned that after his brief visit to Kolkata, Nitish Kumar will leave for Lucknow, where he is to meet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

    Significantly, both Mamata Banerjee and Nitish Kumar have been active in uniting the opposition against the BJP for the 2024 elections.

    Last month, Akhilesh Yadav met Mamata Banerjee in Kalighat. During this both the leaders agreed to maintain distance with Congress and focus on unity of regional forces against BJP in 2024.

    On the other hand, in an attempt to unite the opposition, the Chief Minister of Bihar also met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

    Soon after meeting Akhilesh, Mamata Banerjee went to Odisha and held a meeting with her counterpart Naveen Patnaik.

    After this Janata Dal (Secular) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy had met Mamta Banerjee.

    Last week, Banerjee asked her Tamil Nadu counterpart M.K. Discussed with Stalin the unity of the opposition against the role of governors in the state.

    –IANS

  • Opposition unity: Nitish will meet Mamta in Kolkata, Akhilesh in Lucknow

    Opposition unity: Nitish will meet Mamta in Kolkata, Akhilesh in Lucknow

    Patna (IANS) | Taking forward his efforts to unite the country’s opposition parties, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is going to meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday. Sources said that Nitish Kumar will go to Kolkata in the afternoon by a special plane and will meet Mamta Banerjee. He will discuss the points on which the opposition parties are uniting against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    He is expected to stay in Kolkata for three to four hours, including a one-and-a-half or two-hour meeting with his West Bengal counterpart.

    However, leaders of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress had earlier scheduled the Nitish-Mamata meeting for April 25.

    Trinamool insiders said Nitish Kumar is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on Tuesday morning and meet Mamata at her Kalighat residence in south Kolkata the same evening.

    A member of the West Bengal cabinet said the meeting would focus on unity of opposition forces against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    In the last few months, Mamata Banerjee has held several meetings with several non-BJP and non-Congress leaders on the issue of opposition unity against the BJP in the 2024 elections.

    Last month, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav went to Kalighat and met him.

    In the meeting, both the leaders agreed to maintain distance with Congress and focus on unity of regional forces against BJP in 2024 elections.

    Soon after meeting Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee went to Odisha and held a meeting with her counterpart Naveen Patnaik.

    After this, he met Janata Dal-Secular leader H.D. Kumaraswamy met.

    Last week, he asked his Tamil Nadu counterpart M.K. The unity of opposition forces against Stalin and the role of governors in opposition-ruled states in the country was discussed.

    In recent times, Mamata has emphasized in all her public meetings that if the opposition unites before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it is possible to end the BJP-led rule.

    However, she has always avoided the thorny issue of whether the Congress is part of her blueprint for a united opposition against the BJP.

    According to JDU, after meeting Mamta, Nitish Kumar will directly go to Lucknow to meet Akhilesh Yadav and discuss the same points.

    Nitish Kumar had earlier met Congress presidents Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, leaders of Left parties D. Raja and Sitaram Yechury to discuss opposition unity.

    –IANS

  • Calcutta HC directs CBI to probe municipal recruitment scam in West Bengal based on ED’s findings

    Calcutta HC directs CBI to probe municipal recruitment scam in West Bengal based on ED’s findings

    The Calcutta High Court has directed the CBI to investigate an alleged scam in municipal recruitments in West Bengal, taking note of the Enforcement Directorate’s findings during its probe into the school jobs for bribes scam. The ED told the high court that common agents like one arrested Ayan Sil in connection with the school jobs for bribes scam were also involved in alleged illegalities in the recruitment of clerks, sweepers, peons, drivers, etc in various municipalities in West Bengal.

    “I direct CBI to carry on investigation in the Municipality Recruitment Scam also which have got common agents like Ayan Sil and common beneficiaries and the victim in both the cases (that is the Education Scam and the Municipality Recruitment Scam) is public/common people at large,” Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay said in the order.

    In the order passed on Friday, he directed that if necessary, CBI may file one FIR for investigating the case relating to the alleged municipality recruitment scam which the court said was revealed from an application filed by ED Justice Gangopadhyay directed the DGP of West Bengal and the state’s chief secretary to instruct all departments concerned under them to help and assist the CBI and ED in their functioning while investigating the alleged scam in municipal recruitments if so requested by the central agencies.

    The court directed the CBI to file a report on April 28 to inform it of steps taken on the basis of this order. The ED filed the application stating that while investigating the money trail in the teachers’ appointment scam, it came across the alleged scam in municipal recruitments in this state.

    The ED stated that a separate FIR for investigation of the alleged municipality recruitment scam under the relevant provisions of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act by the predicate agency (meaning thereby CBI) would be required. The ED further submitted that on account of the intermingling of the proceeds of crime of the teachers’ recruitment scam and the alleged irregularities in municipal recruitments and since CBI is investigating the school jobs for bribes scam, ED had shared detailed information with CBI with a request to investigate the latter as well.

  • Public opinion important in debate on same-sex marriage: Mamata

    Public opinion important in debate on same-sex marriage: Mamata

    Kolkata (IANS) | West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that it is important to understand the pulse of the people (opinion) in the debate on same-sex marriage in the country, an important aspect and the deciding factor. In response to a media person’s question, she said- Generally, I love those people who love others. But since a case related to this issue is pending in the Supreme Court, it would not be right for me to comment on the issue at this point of time. The matter is sensitive. All I can say is that we have to understand the pulse of the people in this matter.

    Banerjee also said that any detailed comment on the matter can be given only after the court’s order. His observation comes on the same day the apex court observed that there is no data to show same-sex marriage as an elitist concept highlighted by the central government. The top court asserted that the state cannot discriminate against an individual on the basis of a characteristic over which the individual has no control, and that something that is innate cannot have a class bias.

    So far, all opposition parties, except the CPI-M, have maintained a cautious stance on the issue of same-sex marriage. Only senior CPI-M leader Brinda Karat has openly stated that her party supports the right of homosexuals to have their relationship status legally recognized.

    Although not in so many words, the Chief Minister has made minor comments on this issue on Wednesday.

    –IANS

  • Shocked by Atiq Ahmed’s murder: Mamta

    Shocked by Atiq Ahmed’s murder: Mamta

    Kolkata (IANS) | West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday expressed deep grief over the killing of former MP Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in Uttar Pradesh and claimed she was “genuinely shocked” by the double murder. CM Mamta Banerjee tweeted on Sunday, writing, I am shocked by the shameless anarchy and complete breakdown of law and order in Uttar Pradesh. It is shameful that criminals are now taking law into their own hands unperturbed in the presence of police and media. Such illegal acts have no place in our constitutional democracy.

    Meanwhile, addressing a public meeting at Suri in Birbhum district on Sunday afternoon, West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister and Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim also referred to the double murder in Uttar Pradesh.

    Addressing the rally, Hakim said, an encounter like UP never happens in West Bengal. If you trust BJP then West Bengal will also become UP.

    He further said that Hakim also held the Uttar Pradesh government and the Union Home Ministry responsible for cattle smuggling in Bangladesh. The cattle mainly come from Uttar Pradesh and are then smuggled into Bangladesh, Hakim said. Therefore, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Union Home Ministry, which controls the Border Security Force, are the biggest beneficiaries of cattle smuggling.

    –IANS

  • Couple commits suicide, leaves ‘wish list’ for pet dog

    Couple commits suicide, leaves ‘wish list’ for pet dog

    Kolkata (IANS) | A couple in West Midnapore district of West Bengal committed suicide after leaving a wish list regarding the future of their pet dog. Local police recovered the bodies of Debasish Ghosh and Jolly Ghosh from their residence in Alamganj area on Friday night, along with a suicide note near their bodies.

    Sources at Ghatal police station said that in the suicide note, the couple had written that the debt burden forced them to take such a drastic step. The rest of the note contained a wish list for her pet Golden Retriever dog ‘Jango’.

    In the note, the couple expressed their wish that ‘Jango’ be handed over to an NGO working for the welfare of animals.

    The note also contained details of ‘Jango”s eating habits along with a daily diet chart, police said. The note mentions the name and contact details of a veterinary doctor who had ‘Jango’ under his care.

    The note ends with a heartfelt prayer that any person or organization adopting ‘Jango’ should take care of him as per the points mentioned in the wish list.

    Police further said that they will make every effort to hand over ‘Jango’ to any NGO or any dog-lover who is ready to adopt him. But the question is where to keep it in the interim. It seems that the dog is in a completely confused state and is unable to track down its owners.

    –IANS