8 wagons of goods train derail in Bihar, rail traffic disrupted
The accident took place between Lahabon and Simultala railway stations under the Asansol division of Eastern Railways around 11.25 p.m. on Saturday (December 27)
10 goods train wagons derail in Bihars Jamui, rail traffic hit on HowrahPatnaDelhi route
PATNA: Train services on the JhajhaJasidih railway section were disrupted around midnight after a freight train derailed near Telwa Bazar Halt in Bihars Jamui district, with around 10 wagons falling off the bridge and operations of 34 pairs of express trains affected. According to railway sources, the wagons jumped off the tracks between Lahaban and Simultala stations of the Asansol division under Eastern Railway. The derailment disrupted train operations on both the Up and Down lines of this section. After receiving information about the incident, Accident Relief Trains (ARTs) from Asansol, Madhupur and Jhajha were rushed to the site, and restoration work was taken up on a war footing. The goods train was travelling from Jasidih to Jhajha when the wagons suddenly derailed with a loud noise. The train was carrying a large quantity of cement bags, which were scattered across the bridge and the surrounding area after the derailment. Several passenger and goods trains running on the KiulJasidih railway section were stopped at different stations. There were no reports of any casualties in the accident, sources said. Railway officials said restoration work has begun. However, several express and passenger trains on this route may be cancelled, while many others are likely to be diverted over the next two days. Passenger train services originating from Jhajha station are expected to operate as scheduled.
Tenfold increase in Minority Affairs dept budget since TMC came to power in Bengal: Mamata
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the state Minority Affairs department's plan budget has seen a tenfold increase since the TMC came to power in the state. In a post on X on the occasion of Minority Rights Day, Banerjee extended greetings to the people and stated that the department's plan budget had increased from Rs 472 crore in 201011 to over Rs 5,602 crore in 202526. It is my pride that our government has done unprecedented work and continues to do so for minority development. The plan budget has been increased more than tenfold, Banerjee said in a post on X, reaffirming her government's commitment to protecting minority rights and ensuring equitable development in the state. The chief minister claimed that West Bengal ranks first in the country in the distribution of minority scholarships, with 4.85 crore students having benefited from the state-funded 'Aikyashree' scheme at a cost exceeding Rs 10,200 crore since 2011. She added that minority students are being provided education loans of up to Rs 30 lakh for higher studies in India and abroad, while minority and OBC students are covered under the 'Medhashree' scheme. Over the last nearly 15 years, around 16.31 lakh beneficiaries have received self-employment loans amounting to about Rs 3,926 crore, Banerjee wrote. She also highlighted the state's top ranking in the implementation of the Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP), under which more than Rs 4,500 crore has been spent on infrastructure creation in minority-dominated areas. Additional investments have been made through the state-funded IMDP scheme and other infrastructure projects, Banerjee said. Referring to education and social infrastructure, the CM said English-medium model madrasas and integrated schools are being established, Aliah University campuses have been developed in New Town and Park Circus, and maintenance allowances for students in minority hostels have been enhanced. She further said Urdu has been granted official language status in areas with over 10 per cent Urdu-speaking population, a new Haj House has been built at Rajarhat New Town, and outreach on welfare schemes is being strengthened through imams, muezzins and dedicated minority development bodies. Urdu has been given the status of an official language wherever more than 10 per cent of the population is Urdu-speaking, she said, adding that regional centres of the Urdu Academy have been opened in Islampur and Asansol.
The police played videos of Sharjeel Imam speaking at Chakhand, Jamia, Aligarh and Asansol in the years and months before the riots in February 2020, saying he had both instigated and provoked the crowd
Shatrughan Hails Bihar, Nitish For NDA Win, Stumps TMC
Congratulations! To the people of our Bihar for getting the Govt they deserve, voted for & the leadership of the most admired, gentleman politician, @NiteshKumar for being Bihars longest-serving, trusted, tried, tested & successful CM: Asansol Trinamul Congress MP Shatrughan Sinha
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee loses Rs 56 lakh in online bank fraud, cybercrime probe underway
NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Member of Parliament from Serampore, Kalyan Banerjee, have reportedly lost over Rs 56 lakh in an alleged case of online banking fraud. According to official sources, cybercriminals gained access to one of his dormant accounts at the State Bank of India (SBI) and siphoned off the funds through multiple unauthorised transactions. The incident came to light after the SBI High Court branch in Kolkata lodged a formal complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station, seeking an investigation into the matter. Preliminary findings suggest that the fraudsters used forged Know Your Customer (KYC) documents, featuring a morphed photograph of the MP along with falsified PAN and Aadhaar details, to reactivate Banerjees dormant account. The account in question was originally opened at SBIs Legislative Assembly branch between 2001 and 2006, during Banerjees tenure as an MLA from Asansol (Dakshin). It had reportedly remained inactive for several years before being reactivated through fraudulent means. According to the complaint, the perpetrators changed the registered mobile number and other contact details linked to the account, gaining full control over it. Following the change, approximately Rs 56,39,767 was transferred from Banerjees SBI Kalighat branch account into the reactivated dormant account. The funds were subsequently withdrawn through a series of online transfers, ATM withdrawals, and jewellery purchases. Bank officials detected the irregular transactions and immediately alerted both Banerjee and the police. The cybercrime division of Kolkata Police has initiated an inquiry to trace the flow of funds and identify those responsible for the fraudulent activity. SBI officials have stated that all necessary security and legal procedures are being followed, and efforts are underway to recover the stolen amount. Investigators are also examining how the forged KYC documents passed verification checks and whether any internal lapses contributed to the breach.
Tahsin Ahmed, Son Of Trinamool Leader, Arrested In Bengal Chit Fund Scam
The main accused in the massive chit fund scam in West Bengal's Asansol, Tahsin Ahmed, has been arrested by the Asansol North police station. He was arrested near the Jubilee More area on National Highway on Saturday evening, police sources said.
Indian Railways starts playing Chhath songs at over 100 stations across nation
NEW DELHI: Ahead of Bihars Chhath festival, Indian Railways has introduced a unique arrangement of playing popular folk songs dedicated to the Chhath festival at over 100 prominent stations across the country. In the first phase, this initiative has been implemented at 30 different stations, where announcements of train departures or arrivals pause for a while. During these intervals, folk songs sung by well-known singers such as Sharda Sinha, Nitu Kumari Navgeet, Vindyavasni Devi and others are played when no train information is being broadcast over the automated announcement system. The Railways has started playing Chhatha songs at more than 30 stations in Bihar, including Patna, Danapur, Hajipur, Bhagalpur, Jamalpur, Sonepur and others. Similar arrangements for playing Chhatha songs have also been made at New Delhi, Ghaziabad and Anand Vihar Terminal, which are now witnessing heavy footfall of passengers travelling to Bihar and other Hindi-speaking states for the festival. Confirming this to the newspaper, ED (I&P) Dileep Kumar of the Ministry of Railways said on Friday, Indian Railways has started broadcasting Chhatha songs at railway stations on the auspicious occasion of Chhatha Puja. The aim of this initiative is to connect the passengers with the auspicious spirit of the festival and make their journey more pleasant. This has been launched at almost all those stations that now witness large numbers of Bihar-bound passengers travelling for the Chhatha festival across the country. Savita Kumari, a passenger travelling from Kolkata to Patna with her family members for the Chhatha festival, said These devotional songs being played at railway stations during Chhatha Puja surcharge the ambience of station with religious festivity for the devotees, who either remain in wait to take trains or boarding in trains. A senior railway official told the newspaper that the Chhatha folk songs being played make passengers feel the fragrance of their home and culture, thereby infusing devotion and joy into their journey even when they remain away from their states. Begun on Friday, the initiative through the automatic announcement system will continue for several days after the end of Chhatha, covering the period when passengers make their return journeys. Others stations such as Banaras, Gorakhpur and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, Burdwan, Durgapur and Asansol in West Bengal, as well as Ludhiana and Amritsar in Punjab, are among the hundreds of stations where this initiative has been introduced. Currently, Indian Railways is operating more than 12,000 special train trips to manage the surge of passengers travelling from across the country to states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where the Chhatha festival is celebrated on a large scale.
Fresh Ponzi scam surfaces in West Bengals Asansol, 350 crore siphoned
LOP Suvendu Adhikari demanded the arrest of Tahsin Ahmed, the accused behind chit fund scam, return of money of the investors and investigation by SEBI-ED into the money trails.
According to BJP, Tahsin Ahmed, son of TMC Minority Cells state leader Shakil Ahmed, is accused of luring thousands of investors with promise of unusually high returns on deposits
ED raids eight West Bengal sites in crackdown on sand-smuggling racket
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted simultaneous raids at eight locations across West Bengal in connection with a sand-smuggling racket. Operations targeted areas like Jhargram, West Midnapore, and Asansol, including a Chartered Accountant's office in Kolkata. This follows previous ED actions against illegal sand mining, driven by high demand and forged permits.
ED raids multiple West Bengal sites in crackdown on alleged sand smuggling racket
KOLKATA: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday started simultaneous raids at various places in West Bengal, targeting individuals and businesses found to be allegedly involved in a sand smuggling racket, a senior official said. ED teams raided offices in Kolkata's Bentinck Street area, Lalgarh and Gopiballavpur in Jhargram district, while another search operation was conducted at the residence of a businessman in Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district, he said. These raids are part of our investigation into illegal sand mining. The ED operations started from early morning, the official said. The ED sleuths are combing through business records, financial documents, and properties linked to the racket, he said. The residence of a sand trader in Murugashol under the jurisdiction of Asansol South police station, is being searched as part of the probe, the ED official said. The businessman is accused of operating sand quarries across multiple districts and engaging in financial transactions worth crores of rupees, he said. Allegations against him also include financial irregularities in government-owned sand ghats and illegal money laundering, he said.
ED conducts raids in several areas of West Bengal over sand smuggling racket
A search operation was conducted at the residence of a businessman in Asansol
Vandalism Of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi's Statues In Bengal Sparks Row
Political tension escalated in West Bengal's Asansol after the statues of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were allegedly vandalised.
