KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted bail to a man who was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police in 2016 for allegedly being a member of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Stating that the petitioner Abdul Kalim alias Azad is in custody for more than eight years, his lawyer prayed for bail claiming that there is no possibility of the trial concluding in near future. Lawyer for the state submitted that the petitioner was convicted in the 2014 Khagragarh blast case, which was investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. Two persons died in a blast in a house at Khagragarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal on October 2, 2014. Links of banned JMB were found by the investigators in connection with the blast. The petitioner's lawyer submitted that the period of sentence awarded in the previous conviction has come to an end and he is entitled to concurrent running of the sentence with the said period in the event he is convicted in the present case. A division bench presided by Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that the allegation was serious in nature and relates to Azad's membership of a banned organisation. The court said that no overt act has, however, been attributed to the petitioner and his complicity to the offences is primarily based on uncorroborated statement of a co-accused. The bench, also comprising Justice Gaurang Kanth, said that the petitioner has already served out sentence in another case and is entitled to seek concurrent running of the two terms of imprisonment even if he is convicted in the present case. Observing that there is no possibility of conclusion of the trial in the near future, the bench granted bail to Azad. The court directed the accused to pay two sureties of Rs 10,000 each and ordered him to stay within the jurisdiction of Kolkata and South 24 Parganas districts. He was also directed to report to the officer in-charge of the state STF once a week.
Senior Citizen Arrested For Sexually Abusing 3-Year-Old In Bengal's Katwa
A senior citizen at Katwa in West Bengal's East Burdwan district has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing a three-year-old girl.
CBI Grills Two Suspended Doctors in RG Kar Medical College Rape-Murder Case
Kolkata : Two suspended doctors, close to Trinamul Congress, were summoned and grilled by the CBI at its office in CGO Complex of Salt Lake beyond midnight of Saturday in the brutal rape and murder of an-duty female doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH). They are Birupaksha Biswas and Avik Dey, known to be close aides of arrested former principal of RGKMCH Sandip Ghosh. Both of them were earlier posted at Burdwan Medical College but were present at the crime scene in the seminar hall of RGKMCH on August 9. CBI wanted to know about their purpose there. Both were allowed to go after 1.30 am following their questioning and recording of their statements. They were however summoned on Sunday again. Dr Biswas turned up in the morning. Meanwhile, a junior doctor of RGKMCH Sourav Pal was summoned and questioned by the CBI during the day. He also faced questioning on Saturday. On the other hand, a cop in the rank of a sub inspector of the Tala police station also appeared before the CBI and handed over some official documents.
Junior doctors resume work in RG Kar hospital after 42 days of protest
KOLKATA: Amid partial resumption of duties by protesting doctors after a gap of 42 days since the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, CBI sleuths on Saturday started questioning another doctor, allegedly close to Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the college, a CBI officer said. Birupaksha Biswas is one of the three doctors against whom an FIR has been lodged. The two other doctors Avik De and Ranjit Saha and Biswas have been charged with threatening students at different medical colleges and hospitals across West Bengal. They have been booked under Section 351 (assault as making a gesture or preparation causing someone to believe that they are about to be subjected to criminal force) of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. RG Kar incident: Junior doctors resume duties partially at state-run hospitals in Bengal after 42 days Biswas, who was recently transferred by the health department from Burdwan Medical College and Hospital to remote Kakdwip hospital in South 24 Parganas district, appeared before CBI officers at its CGO Complex office in Salt Lake area. Biswas, allegedly part of a North Bengal lobby operational in medical colleges, was seen at RG Kar Hospital on August 9, when the body of the woman medic was found, the CBI officer said. The North Bengal lobby is being cited by medics in West Bengal to a group of doctors and officials posted at state-run medical establishments who allegedly threatened students. He is being questioned about his presence at RG Kar Hospital on August 9 despite having no official engagement, apart from other queries, the officer said. In a tenuous peace with the government, junior doctors on Saturday rejoined their duties partially at various government-run hospitals in West Bengal after a gap of 42 days. The cease work protest culminated in direct talks with the chief minister Mamata Banerjee where strikers stuck to their demands but yielded some ground citing patient care. The prolonged agitation was a spontaneous outpouring of outrage after the rape-murder of an on-duty woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Junior doctors rejoined their duties following Kolkata doctor rape and murder case The junior doctors rejoined their duties in essential and emergency services across all state-run hospitals, excluding the OPDs. We have started rejoining duties today. Our colleagues have started returning to their respective departments since this morning only in essential and emergency services. Please do not forget that this is only a partial resumption of duties, said an agitating doctor. He said his other colleagues have already left for flood-hit districts of the state where they would start Abhaya clinics (medical camps), to demonstrate their commitment to public health even amid ongoing protests. It is a great relief for us. We support their cause but it had become very difficult for regular patients like us to get treatment for the last one month or so because of the agitation, said a patient at Bankura Medical College and Hospital. Several patients were seen pouring in at an Abhaya clinic in flood-hit Panskura in Purba Medinipur district. We have received very good response in these clinics. Several people have visited the clinics and our colleagues have attended to them. We are ready to provide 24/7 service... it is our commitment, Aheli Chowdhury, a junior doctor manning one such clinic, said. The agitating doctors said that they would wait for another seven days for the administration to fulfill their demands for justice for the deceased doctor and the removal of state health secretary or else they would start another round of cease work.
RG Kar case: CBI questions close aide of arrested ex-principal Sandip Ghosh
CBI sleuths on Saturday started questioning another doctor, allegedly close to arrested former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh, in connection with their probe into the rape and murder of a woman doctor at the medical establishment, an officer of the agency said. Birupaksha Biswas, who was recently transferred by the West Bengal Health Department from Burdwan Medical College and Hospital to remote Kakdwip hospital in South 24 Parganas district, appeared before officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its CGO Complex office in Salt Lake area. Biswas, allegedly part of a 'North Bengal lobby' operational in medical colleges, was seen at RG Kar Hospital on August 9, when the body of the woman medic was found, the CBI officer said. The 'North Bengal lobby' is being referred by medics in West Bengal to a group of doctors and officials posted at state-run medical establishments who allegedly threatened students. He is being questioned about hi
Bengal College Student Sets Record Of Chanting Om For Longest Duration
Anirban Dutta hails from Katwa in Purba Bardhaman (East Burdwan) and has been practising yoga for a long time with utmost diligence every day.
Now, audio clip threat emerges from Kolkata govt- run Burdwan Medical College
KOLKATA: An audio clip of a senior resident of Burdwan Medical College Birupaksha Biswas threatening an intern has gone viral, raising further questions on the affairs of the state-run hospitals in West Bengal. In the clip, the senior resident can be heard threatening to cancel registration of the intern if he flags issues concerning some doctors in the hospital. In the purported clip, Dr Biswas can be heard telling the intern that he can ruin his career if he opens his mouth. Dr Biswas told the intern that everybody knows me very well and nobody has got the audacity to complain against me. The clip, which has gone viral on social media, was before rape-and-murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Didi again writes to Modi seeking Central laws, hikes salary of civic volunteers When contacted, Dr Biswas said, It is not my audio clip. I have not threatened any student in my college. As I am close to Trinamool Congress, a nexus of doctors is trying to malign my image. The intern said that he was surprised to get a call from Dr Biswas as he hadnt spoken anything against anybody. Sources in the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that Dr Biswas is very powerful and close to Dr Sudipto Roy, an MLA of the ruling party. Dr Biswas takes bribes from medical students and doctors if he helps them in tranfer and posting. He often threatens doctors not to highlight any irregularities. And if they do, then their registration will be cancelled, sources said. Dr Biswas was seen in the seminar hall of RG Kar with police officers and others soon after the rape-murder of the trainee doctor on August 9. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has decided to move to Supreme Court against the bail granted to Sayan Lahiri, one of the three students who organised the Nabanna Abhiyan on Tuesday. Lahiri was granted bail on Saturday by a lower court. The government on Saturday appointed Manoj Panth as chief secretary in place of BP Gopalika. West Bengal: Doctors say getting threat calls, will intensify stir Shreya Shosal backs protest, postpones concert Popular singer Shreya Ghoshal on Saturday announced postponing her concert in Kolkata, stating she was deeply affected by the rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar. In a post on X, she said that the concert scheduled on September 14 was highly anticipated but it was absolutely imperative to take a stand and join those protesting in solidarity. I am deeply affected by the gruesome and heinous incident that recently took place in Kolkata. Being a woman myself, the very thought of the sheer brutality that she must have gone through is unthinkable and sends shivers down my spine, she said. Winner of Banga Ratna returns award to protest Kolkata rape-murder At night, drunk civic volunteer hits student A civic volunteer was arrested for allegedly riding his motorbike into a no-traffic zone and injuring a student of Rabindra Bharati University on Saturday. The students were protesting against the rape-murder of the 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident occurred at 2 am when the drunk civic volunteer entered the no-traffic zone where a night vigil seeking justice for the doctor was on and hit a student. The students of the Rabindra Bharati University had the necessary permission to hold the protest. Agitating students then blocked BT Road for nearly five hours, alleging that a traffic sergeant helped the civic volunteer escape from the spot. A senior police officer said the civic volunteer has been arrested and an FIR has been lodged. Necessary legal steps have been taken, he said. Meanwhile, the state government has decided to cancel the licence of civic volunteers who will be found drunk during duty office hours.
Flood Crisis Grips West Bengal Amidst Heavy Rains and Water Release Warnings
Kolkata: Wes t Bengal is currently facing a flood-like situation due to heavy rains over the past few days. In Arambagh, located in the Hooghly district, houses and roads are submerged. Additionally, flood warnings have been issued for Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts in north Bengal. In southern Bengal, the state government has expressed grave concern over the release of 1 lakh cusecs of water into the Damodar River. Officials have warned that such an action, taken without consultation with the state government, could have catastrophic consequences. A flood alert has been issued for southern parts of West Bengal due to water releases from two upstream dams in Jharkhand. Heavy rain has already impacted Kolkata, where the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport experienced flooding, though flight operations remained unaffected. Meanwhile, the Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport in Andal, West Bardhhaman district, had to suspend operations due to flooding. On Friday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) recovered the bodies of three people who drowned in Asansol. Although the rain has temporarily eased, the potential release of water upstream could worsen the situation, particularly along the Damodar and Ajay rivers. In south Bengal, rainfall of 150-200mm has created flood-like conditions in several districts, including Hooghly, Howrah, Bankura, Birbhum, East Burdwan, and West Burdwan. Visuals from Arambagh show inundated streets and villages, with locals struggling to navigate the floodwaters. Alapan Bandopadhyay, Chief Advisor to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stated, In the next 4-5 days, water levels may rise in areas like Cooch Behar and Alipurduar. Mamata Banerjee is closely monitoring the situation and holding discussions with senior officials. She has instructed them to stay vigilant. The Chief Minister is in constant communication with district magistrates (DMs) and superintendents of police (SPs), issuing directives as needed. The Chief Secretary has also held meetings with DMs and relevant departments, and officers have been dispatched to various districts to oversee the evolving situation. Bandopadhyay added, The Member Secretary of the Damodar Valley River Regulatory Committee has informed us about the release of another 1 lakh cusecs of water. This decision was made unilaterally without consulting the state government, which expects severe consequences for the people. We are requesting the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) to avoid releasing such a large volume of water without proper discussion. Efforts are being made to stagger the release process. He urged the public to remain calm but vigilant, especially on the 5th and 6th of the month. If the administration advises people to move from dangerous areas like riverbanks, please comply, Bandopadhyay said. SP MP Awadhesh Prasad Accuses UP Government of Communal Bias in Crackdown on Gangrape Accused Moeed Khan Former UP CM Mayawati Backs Yogi Government's Actions Against Ayodhya Gangrape Accused Bangladesh Witnesses Renewed Protests Over Anti-Quota Agitation Deaths
Swimmer Sayani Das, From Bengals Burdwan District, Set To Conquer North Channel
Sayani Das is a resident of Kalna town of East Burdwan.
