West Bengal Governor RN Ravi inaugurates Dhakuria Durga Puja pandal
The News Mill
Loans for SIR hearing, lost wages, but no clarity on voter status for Bengali workers in Bengaluru
More than 3,500 people, according to the Karnataka Bengali Kalyan Samiti, formed by and for West Bengal-based workers in Bengaluru, are under adjudication for logical discrepancy
West Bengal BJP must get rid of its 'garbage': RSS magazine
TCG chairman by his side, CM Adhikari says group to invest Rs 10k crore in Haldia
Skidding Bikes Spark Road Safety Debate Over Kolkata flyover Rainbow Paint
Social Messages & Inclusive Infra At Kolkata Pandals
Tolly-Bolly Bonhomie: 9 Films Up For Release, No Conflict Over Showtime
After accident, Garia couple faces extortion bid
SRFTI alumnas A Chronicle of Minor Things wins top Busan awards
Auto curbs leave thousands stranded
STF uncovers illegal arms factory in Kolkata
Bike-car collision: Woman suffers multiple injuries
HC allows 2 pujas in Sealdah park
BJP to have 5,000 book stalls near puja pandals to reach out to youths, voters
6k cops help ease Chaturthi traffic jams
KMC wraps up desilting of box drains
Puzzle authors from across the globe share their experiences at 33rd World Puzzle Championship
Kolkata is hosting the 19th World Sudoku and 33rd World Puzzle Championship (WSPC) 2026. The tournament, organised by Logic Masters India (LMI), is showcasing elite mind sports athletes from 35 countries this year
Jatayu returns to Amherst Row through Sukeas St puja theme
Mamata assailant gets bail, CP says charge baseless
Met office assures no dampening of festivities, puja clubs all set to repel rain effect
Chatbot down, KMC birth cert backlog crosses 20k
Caught with mobiles, 15 examinees lose enrolment for Higher Secondary 1st part
8 SRFTI students get show-cause notices
Eastern Railway bars last-minute platform changes during Durga Puja
Calcutta High Court rejects Soham Chakrabortys anticipatory bail plea
WBBSE president wants biometric attendance
West Bengal's Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced plans to make the state an investment hub within the next year. New industrial and incentive policies will be introduced before Diwali to support this initiative. The HPL Adperma plant in Haldia, the largest of its kind, will enhance domestic chemical production. HPL is investing heavily in the new facility, which aims to strengthen Haldia's chemical manufacturing capabilities.
Watch: Bikers skid on Kolkatas rainbow-painted flyover after rain ahead of Durga Puja
West Bengals sacred soil shapes citys Durga idols
Rediscovered in 2025, rare Borna snakehead fish faces fresh poaching crisis
Native exclusively to the Chel River basin in northern West Bengal, the species was first described in 1845 before virtually disappearing from scientific records for more than 80 years
Jkhand youth held over offensive post on PM
Two killed, two injured as ex-TMC MLAs SUV hits toto
Tusker electrocuted in Jalpaiguri, 4th death in a month
Odisha: ED uncovers organised network behind SI exam paper leak
Digital Desk | Bhubaneswar, Oct 14 (IANS) The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bhubaneswar Zonal Office, has conducted a search operation at 12 premises located in Odisha and West Bengal between October 9, 10 and 12, in connection with the leakage of the question paper of the Sub Inspector Recruitment Exam-2024 in Odisha, the agency informed on Wednesday. The searches were carried out at the premises of M/s Silicon Techlab Private Limited, M/s Panchsoft Technologies Private Limited, M/s PSIL International Limited, their directors and other associates. During the searches, the ED sleuths unearthed and seized various incriminating documents, electronic devices and records under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The seized materials are under further examination. The case dates back to October 2025, when Odisha Police registered an FIR after intercepting three buses carrying 114 SI recruitment candidates near Ichhapuram on September 30 last year. The case was later taken over by the CBI. Candidates were also allegedly asked to pay Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh each for leaked question papers. The exam was scheduled for October 56, 2025, the ED said. The ED found that the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) assigned the examination to Central PSU ITI Limited, which subsequently outsourced the work to Bhubaneswar-based Silicon Techlab Private Limited (STPL). However, STPL, through its director Suresh Chandra Nayak, allegedly sublet the work of handling sensitive candidate information to Panchsoft Technology Private Limited without the written permission of ITI Limited, in connivance with Panchsoft Technologys director Sankar Prusty. Subsequently, the persons linked with Silicon Techlab and Sankar Prusty approached the candidates and lured them with the promise of providing the confidential information of the exam paper in place of money and mobilised them, the ED noted. The sleuths came across a set of transactions between accused Prusty and STPL even before the commencement of the SI Recruitment Exam-2024 process, which shows their connivance. It is also revealed that PSIL International Limited (formerly Patnaik Steel International Limited) and its directors, Sameer Rath and wife Saswati Mishra, acquired a majority stake in Silicon Techlab under a purported share purchase agreement dated August 5, 2023, which is under further examination. Investigation revealed that the said agreement was never submitted before the Registrar of Companies by either of the two companies, ED stated. The agency found that despite PSIL directors acquiring a controlling stake and management control of STPL, Nayak remained its director and corresponded with ITI Limited on the SI examination without authorisation. Despite knowing that Nayak was handling the examination work without authorisation, Sameer Rath and Swasti Mishra did not inform ITI Limited. Subsequently, Nayak unauthorisedly accessed the examination papers. Investigations and searches conducted so far have unearthed the role of companies/entities which have so far remained outside the investigative net of agencies. Further, searches have also revealed the possible role of other persons, including those associated with OPRB & other companies/ entities. Such entities are intricately linked with the entire examination cycle, ED added. The agency concluded on the basis of evidence collected during searches that the question paper was leaked in an organised manner, generating substantial proceeds of crime through cash collected from candidates.
Kolkata High Court Orders Removal of Old EVM Data Ahead of Local Elections
The Kolkata High Court has directed the West Bengal Election Commission to delete old EVM data in preparation for upcoming urban body elections. Kolkata High Court Orders Removal of Old EVM Data Ahead of Local Elections
West Bengal offers 5,000 and 50 kg rice to families hit by tea garden closures
The festive package will cover workers aged below 60, while the state government also plans to reopen 21 closed tea gardens
Bengal govt: Feed street dogs and cats only at designated spots or face action
Bengal BJP must get rid of garbage within it, says RSS mag
7th pay panel seeks staff data from state depts
Tripura CM Manik Saha Urges Restoration of Agartala Flight Routes
3 get life term for 2022 beheading over affair
'No substance or truth': Kolkata Police dismisses claim of knife attack on Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand on Wednesday rejected allegations that former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was attacked by a woman outside her residence while she was on her way to inaugurate a...
Bengal cabinet passes resolution thanking Modi for 25 years of public service
Bengal urges investors to use allotted land or surrender it for projects
West Bengal urged investors to use or surrender unused land as an HPL subsidiary inaugurated a 6,000 crore phenol and acetone plant in Haldia to boost self-reliance
NLC to set up BESS projects at multiple locations in West Bengal
NIRL emerged as the successful bidder under Tariff- Based Competitive Bidding and accordingly has received Letter of Award from WBSEDCL for the development of aforesaid project
Durga Puja celebrations in Bengal to be rain-free: IMD
According to the India Meteorological Department, rain-free weather is expected in West Bengal during Durga Puja. Light to moderate rain may occur until October 17 in Kolkata and surrounding districts. The festival starts on October 18 and continues until October 22 with dry conditions. North Bengal could experience light rain on the first day but will have dry weather afterward.
Fake RTO app used to hack phone, siphon Rs 24.40 lakh; Gujarat Police nab account provider in Bengal
Digital Desk | Surat, Oct 14 (IANS) The Surat City Police Cyber Crime Branch have arrested a 54-year-old man in West Bengal for allegedly providing a bank account to cyber fraudsters to route proceeds from a Rs 24.4 lakh fraud in which a complainant's mobile phone was hacked through a fake Regional Transport Office (RTO) e-challan APK file, officials said on Wednesday. The accused, Arikul Islam, a resident of Basubati village in West Bengal's Hooghly district, allegedly opened a current bank account in the name of a charitable trust he had established and handed it over to an absconding accused in exchange for a commission of Rs 50,000. Police said the accused had allegedly sent the complainant a fake digital RTO e-challan application, named E-Chalan.apk, and induced them to download it. The application was used to hack the complainant's mobile phone, following which Rs 24.4 lakh was transferred from their bank account to three separate bank accounts without their knowledge. A case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under Sections 318(4), 336(2), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 61(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, as amended in 2008. Investigators found that Rs 12,42,117 had been transacted through the current account held at Ujjivan Small Finance Bank between November 29, 2025, and May 3, 2026. The arrest followed technical investigations conducted by a team led by Police Inspector M.C. Nayak, acting on instructions from senior officials. Two other accused, Ritik Bali, 26, and Tinku Parmar, 44, both residents of Badnagar in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district, had been arrested earlier in the case, the police said. In its public advisory, the Cyber Crime Branch cautioned people against downloading APK files or applications sent by unknown persons under the pretext of RTO challans, banking services, customer support, KYC updates, government schemes, appointment bookings or grocery services. Police also urged people not to click on suspicious links received through SMS or email and advised victims of financial cyber fraud to call the national cybercrime helpline, '1930', immediately, as prompt reporting can improve the chances of freezing the funds in beneficiary bank accounts.
Mamata Banerjee condemns the arrest of CJP leaders
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 14 (IANS) Former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday condemned the arrest of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on charges of trespassing at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and also committed to always side with the CJPs movement. We, and many generations before us, have fought strongly for our democratic rights. We must continue to do so. I strongly condemn the arrest of Ashutosh and Saurav of the CJP. These moments are about us all, pledging and standing up to fight unitedly to protect our great democracy. This is an attempt to intimidate and silence an entire generation. This is unacceptable. We must never surrender our constitutional rights, said the former Chief Minister in a social media message. She also claimed that the murder of democracy was happening in many parts of the country. 14,000 of our people in Bengal are facing the brunt of police and political atrocities. A government that has forgotten that it is of the people, by the people, for the people is nearing its end. To the millions of young people, I say: Your Didi is with you - today and forever! Let us stand together and save our Mother India, she said. Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, were in the national capital recently to take part in the CJP movement demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. Delhi Police had already banned protest demonstrations at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar. However, on the very next day after the ban was imposed, a total of 14 CJP supporters, including Ashutosh and Saurav, climbed the wall of Jantar Mantar and entered the premises. They were carrying the Tricolour and were initially detained, but the Delhi Police arrested them late on Tuesday. Ashutosh, Saurabh and others were produced before the court of an executive magistrate on Wednesday and were remanded to five-day judicial custody. They have been sent to Tihar Jail.
Sundeep Bhutoria Brings Bengals Mahalaya to the Nation in Hindi Mahishasur Mardini ki Gatha
Culturist Sundeep Bhutoria, with Shubha Mudgal, Sourendra, and Soumyojit, teamed up to release Mahalaya Mahishasur Mardini ki Gatha in Hindi for the first time Kolkata (West Bengal) [India],
Calcutta HC directs deletion of old EVM data for upcoming urban civic polls in Bengal
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 14 (IANS) A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal Election Commission (WBEC) to erase old data stored in electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in previous elections in wake of the polls for different urban civic bodies in the state, including that of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Howrah Municipal Corporation. However, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Om Narayan Rai directed the WBEC not to erase the old EVM data in cases of three specific wards of the KMC and the Contai municipality in East Midnapore district. Incidentally, in the previous hearing on this matter on October 12, the Chief Justice's bench had asked the WBEC whether it was possible to save data from the voting machines (EVMs) involved in the case on a hard disk and whether it was necessary to delete the previous data before using the EVMs in the forthcoming civic body polls. In response, the WBEC told the court that it was possible to delete the old data. In the past, several EVMs were preserved due to cases surrounding urban civic body elections conducted in the past. This year, the polls for several urban civic bodies are scheduled to be held in November this year and the results are expected to be announced in December. But since the WBEC did not have enough EVMs, they approached the Calcutta High Court for permission to delete the data of the EVMs involved in the case and use them again. State Additional Advocate General Bilabial Bhattacharya on Wednesday told the court that the Supreme Court's stay order was applicable only to certain wards under Contai municipality and in case of specific wards in other municipalities they were under consideration of the Calcutta High Court. Thereafter, the division bench directed the deletion of old data from EVMs except for those in cases of three specific wards of the KMC and the Contai municipality in East Midnapore district.
Himadri Speciality Chemical Ltd Wins Golden Peacock Award for Sustainability 2026
VMPL Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 14: Himadri Speciality Chemical Ltd has been declared winner of the prestigious Golden Peacock Award for Sustainability (GPAS) 2026 in Chemical sector, by the Institute of Directors (IOD), India, in recognition of its steadfast commitment to embedding sustainability at the core of its business strategy and operations. The Golden Peacock Awards are regarded as a global benchmark of corporate excellence. The awards draw around 1,000 applications each year. Entries are evaluated by independent assessors through a rigorous, multi-stage process, and the final selection is made by an eminent jury. Out of 456 nominations received this year, 197 organisations were shortlisted, and Himadri's performance surpassed the benchmark required to qualify for this prestigious honour. The award will be presented at the Golden Peacock Awards Presentation Ceremony during IOD India
Holiday on Maha Saptami Puja: Bankers in West Bengal are appealing for an additional holiday on October 17 to celebrate Maha Saptami Puja. While days off are currently set from October 18 to 21, the absence of a holiday on the 17th has prompted the All India Bank Officers' Confederation to reach out to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 14 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Wednesday that the new industrial policy of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government that will be released just before the forthcoming Diwali festival will also have a transparent land policy as well as an incentive policy to attract big ticket investment in the state. He made this announcement while speaking at the inauguration of the Rs 6,000 crore phenol and acetone plants of Haldia Petrochemicals Limited at the industrial township of Haldia in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, which is also the native district of the Chief Minister. The Group of Ministers entrusted with the task of formulating the new industrial policy had already submitted the proposals on this count. Before the forthcoming Diwali festival, the final industrial policy will be presented to the industry fraternity. The new policy will also have a transparent land policy as well as a transparent incentive policy. The incentive policy will provide details of incentives, including power tariff subsidy, that will be provided to the investors, Chief Minister Adhikari said. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister also launched a scathing attack against the previous Left Front and Trinamool Congress governments in West Bengal, accusing both the regimes of systematically destroying the industrial ambience in the state. Militant trade unionism and even assault of industrialists during the previous Left Front regime had driven away several industrial units from West Bengal during the 34-year Left Front regime from 1977 to 2011. Thereafter, during the previous 15-year Trinamool Congress regime from 2011 to 2026, the flawed land policies of the state government, rampant corruption and extortion had made industrialists averse towards West Bengal. Now time has come to move on and move out of that bad phase, Chief Minister Adhikari said. He also made a promise that the state government will operate on the industrial front in such a manner that in the next one year West Bengal will become the industrial destination for industrialists throughout the country. Let us go to Bengal -- will be the new aim of the industrialists within a year. No one can stop the tide of industrial inflow in the state in the coming days. West Bengal will move forward with a double-engine government. More industrial investment will be made in the state in the coming days, the Chief Minister said.
Sundeep Bhutoria Brings Bengal
PNN Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 14: On the occasion of Mahalaya, cultural enthusiast Sundeep Bhutoria has lent his voice to the narration of Mahishasura Mardini Ki Gatha, the saga of Goddess Durga
West Bengal has to become self-reliant from being dependent on doles says CM Suvendu Adhikari
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari laid the foundation of 6,000 crore phenol and acetone plant at Haldia
Kolkata Police Constable Result Out: Nearly 48,000 Shortlisted For Physical Tests
West Bengal Police announced the Kolkata Police Constable and Lady Constable 2026 preliminary exam results on the official WBPRB website.
Bengal STF busts illegal arms factory in Kolkata
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 14 (IANS) In a sudden operation late on Tuesday night after a tip off by their sources, the sleuths of the Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police busted an illegal arms manufacturing factory on the southern outskirts of Kolkata, the state police informed on Wednesday morning. Several single-shot guns, pistols, and cartridges were recovered during the raid operation. In addition, the STF sleuths also recovered cartridges and firearm-manufacturing equipment. An insider from the state police said that this illegal arms manufacturing factory was found after a raid was conducted on a house in Ayubnagar under Nadial Police Station on the southern Kolkata on Tuesday. However, the state police official added, the owner fled the house before the STF raid was conducted. It is alleged that he had set up an arms manufacturing factory in the house. In this raid, two 7 mm guns, two country-made pistols were recovered. It is also reported that firearms manufacturing equipment and cartridges were also found. It is learnt that the STF had registered a case under the Arms Act at Nadial Police Station. According to the state police official, it has been possible to identify the accused. The STF has started search operations at various places in search of him. The investigating officials are trying to get answers to other questions related to the matter, namely for how long had the accused been secretly making weapons in that house, from whom did he get the orders and from where he bought the equipment According to police sources, once the accused is nabbed, a lot of crucial information would be obtained through interrogation. It will also be possible to know then whether anyone else is involved in this gang or not, the state police officer said. It is learnt that during the last few days, there have been a series of instances of firearms recovery from various areas in and around Kolkata. The police have started an investigation to get to the bottom of all these incidents and find the main source of arms smuggling. While collecting information, the STF sleuths came to know that all these weapons spread across different parts of the city are being manufactured in a very secretive manner somewhere. Thereafter, the raids were conducted, and the illegal firearms manufacturing factory was busted.
West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday alleged that fair and independent elections were not held in the state for the past 50 years, claiming electoral results changed after people were allowed to vote freely. Commenting on elections in West Bengal, Ghosh said, It is true that for the past 50 years in Bengal, fair and independent elections were not held; people were not allowed to vote. As soon as fair elections began here, the results turned around. The party that had been ruling here for 15 years did not even get 3 per cent of the votes, so it has become clear where the vote theft was happening. Ghosh criticised the Congress leader's approach, questioning the practical implementation of his ideas. He said, Rahul Gandhi will remain a student all his life. We will never get to see the practical application of his teachings. Responding to the Trinamool Congress's allegations that former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was attacked outside her residence in Kolkata's...
West Bengal minister alleges no fair elections held in past 50 years
The News Mill
West Bengal By-elections and what they mean for Opposition politics in the State
Despite these trends, the margin of victory of the BJP in the recently concluded bypolls at Nandigram and Rejinagar is something that must ring alarm bells for the Opposition parties.
Gold themed Pandal in West Bengal: Durga idol adorned with 100kg gold
New Delhi, Oct 13: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to introspect over his partys electoral setbacks instead of blaming the Election Commission (EC) or the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. According to The Times of India, Amit Shah cited the BJPs victories in recent Assembly bypolls in West Bengal and the Lok Sabha by-election in Assam, along with the Congresss defeat in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation polls, to question the oppositions allegations against the poll body. I also wish to ask Rahul ji: is this the result of an SIR? You dismiss the popularity of the BJP and Modi ji by attributing it to an SIR. You need to introspect, Amit Shah said. Referring to Gujarat, where the BJP has been in power for several years, the Home Minister said the Congress had repeatedly failed to secure electoral victories in the state. In a major state (Gujarat) where you once held power, you have failed to win a single election in 41 years. This is a matter that demands serious introspection on their part, he said. Amit Shah also cited the results of recent by-elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, claiming that the Congress had failed to win a single seat. In Nagaon, the BJP candidate won by a margin of 1,42,000 votes, wresting the seat from the Congress. In Nandigram, the BJP candidate won with 76% of the vote, securing a massive lead of 1,22,000 votes. In Rejinagar, the BJP won by over 75,000 votes, snatching the seat from the Trinamool, while in Puducherry, the NDA candidate from ally AINRC won by 8,482 votes. The Congress secured only 22% of the votes, Amit Shah said. Amit Shahs remarks came shortly after leaders of the Congress-led INDIA bloc held a joint press conference at Rahul Gandhis residence in New Delhi and vowed to continue their campaign seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the invalidation of the SIR exercise over alleged irregularities. Rahul Gandhi had said the oppositions political resistance would continue, but declined to disclose its next course of action, saying he did not want to spoil the surprise.
Drunk civic police approaches Didi with knife, FIR registered
Your fave roll, chowmein to pinch pockets this Durga Puja as LPG and kitchen staples bite
Kone to double connected elevators in India to 1 lakh within a year
Jaipur (Rajasthan)/ New Delhi/ Mumbai (Maharashtra)/ Kolkata (West Bengal)/ Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 13: This Diwali, Bvlgari, the Magnificent Roman High Jeweler, unveiled a new expression of the festival with Passing the Light. Marking the Maison's first-ever global Diwali campaign, it was an intimate evening celebrating art, craftsmanship, and shared ritual. Conceived as an ode to India and to light in its most authentic form, the event invited guests to experience a beloved tradition through the lens of contemporary art, transforming the familiar glow of the diya into something deeply rooted yet strikingly unexpected. Conceived as a profound ode to India, the intimate evening brought together cultural luminaries to unveil a monumental, artisan-crafted tribute to the festival of lights.
Trans people unveil Ardhanarishvara Durga Puja in S Kol
Traffic slowdown in festive season a worry, expect relief from Panchami: CP
Durga Puja numbers grow to a record 3,319 in Kolkata
VIP or no VIP? Pass culture divides Kolkata pujas
Digital detox, heritage & peace shape housing complex pujas
SRFTI to boost exposure for students & faculty at Goa film fest
Campus-level decentralised BTech counselling gets state nod
State asks KMDA to draft Kumartuli heritage hub plan
4-wheelers behind most Kol accidents in 2025: KP survey
Mayer Bari beautification clears another hurdle, 100 more families to shift
Pre-puja hoarding blitz may put roadside trees at risk: Experts
New WBCERC panel begins hearing cases, plans e-plaint system
WBBSE and WBCHSE get new presidents
SRFTI students continue protest, list vice-chancellors qualifications
700 new clamps to curb puja illegal parking
Cops bust multiplex piracy racket, arrest 1
Rs 15L jewellery thefts in Kalighat temple complex, Behala
Store employee held for stealing gold in Gariahat
Undertrial dies in Howrah: Kin allege poisoning
Impact-resistant sunglasses for Kol cops on field duty
Global Diplomats Emphasize Investment Potential at ICC Event in Kolkata
Diplomats from Thailand and Australia highlight investment opportunities in West Bengal during an ICC event in Kolkata. Global Diplomats Emphasize Investment Potential at ICC Event in Kolkata
EPIC demand in Tolly polls raises SIR queries
Voters removed from rolls merely on suspicion: Ex-EC
