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Former Union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury died in Kolkata due to age-related ailments, his family said. Choudhury, popularly known as Dalu, was 89. He is survived by wife and a son, Congress's Malda Dakshin MP Isha Khan Choudhury. His death marks the end of an era in the politics of Malda district, where he remained a key figure for decades. Choudhury, a veteran Congressman, had been suffering from multiple age-related complications. He died at a private hospital in Kolkata late on Wednesday, his family said. The last rites will be performed in Malda on Thursday. Born on January 12, 1938, into the prominent Khan Choudhury family of Malda, Dalu Choudhury entered politics under the guidance of his elder brother, the venerable ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, also a former Union minister. After his brother's demise, he emerged as the principal political figure in the family and played a crucial role in maintaining the Congress's hold over the district. He served as an MLA of the Kali
An unmanned third-party vehicle on the apron hit a parked IndiGo aircraft at Kolkata airport on Tuesday, prompting the airline to ground the plane for inspection, the carrier said. "A third-party unmanned vehicle on the apron moved and came in contact with a parked IndiGo aircraft at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata on April 7, 2026. The relevant authorities have been informed," an IndiGo spokesperson said. The aircraft has been grounded and is undergoing thorough inspections and necessary maintenance before being cleared for operations, the spokesperson added. The plane was scheduled to operate flight 6E 6663 from Kolkata to Guwahati, but the airline arranged an alternate aircraft to operate the service. No injuries were reported.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not raise Pakistan's threat to attack Kolkata, during his poll rallies in West Bengal a day earlier. "You (PM) target Bengal during election rallies; but when Pakistan talks of attacking Bengal, you do not utter a word. You should resign," she said at a poll rally here in Nadia district. "Why did the prime minister not raise the issue during his rally in Bengal? When Pakistan's defence minister says they will attack Kolkata, why didn't the prime minister say that 'we will take strong action'?" she posed a day after Modi addressed a poll rally in West Bengal's Cooch Behar. "Just like we do not accept any threat to the country, we will also not take the threat to Kolkata lying down," she said. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday warned India that it would respond with a strike in Kolkata to any "future misadventures". "If India tries to stage any false flag operation this
Twenty months after the rape and murder of a young doctor inside Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital triggered nationwide outrage, the politics of that crime has caught up with Bengal's election battlefield. In Panihati, a constituency that for nearly six decades changed hands only between the Left and the Congress and later TMC, the April 29 contest is no longer just another election. In this north Kolkata suburb, now regarded as a safe TMC seat, voters are being asked less about local grievances and more about a question that has haunted Bengal since August 2024: "Who failed the RG Kar victim, and who can still deliver justice?" With the BJP fielding the victim doctor's mother, the TMC defending a fortress built over three decades, and the CPI(M) trying to reclaim a protest movement it helped lead, Panihati has become the constituency where Bengal's most emotionally charged issue is headed for its fiercest political test. The BJP has fielded the victim doctor'
A man died after allegedly getting trapped in a lift at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata on Friday, sparking a political storm ahead of the Assembly elections, with the opposition BJP alleging negligence and demanding a murder probe. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari termed the death "murder" and held Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also heads the health department, along with Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam and hospital authorities, responsible. "I have documents with me... they intentionally killed (the man) using a lift that was being repaired. A case of murder should be immediately registered," Adhikari told reporters while campaigning in Purba Medinipur. According to the victim's family, the man, in his early 40s, got stuck inside the elevator when it suddenly malfunctioned. They alleged that the lift was under maintenance, had no operator on duty, and was not properly secured. A senior hospital official said the man was ..
Earthquake tremors were felt in Kolkata and adjacent districts in West Bengal on Friday afternoon, triggering panic among people. There was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property. The magnitude and epicentre of the quake are not yet known. The tremors, which lasted for a few seconds, were felt in several parts of the city and adjoining areas, including high-rise residential complexes and busy marketplaces. Residents in many neighbourhoods said ceiling fans swayed, furniture shook and windows rattled during the tremors, with the impact more noticeable in multi-storey buildings. Further details are awaited.
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority (SMPA) on Thursday said it has, for the first time in its 155-year history, carried out night-time pilotage in the Upper Reaches of the Hooghly river, a move expected to reduce vessel turnaround time and improve overall port productivity. Upper Reaches refers to the upstream stretch of a river closer to the inland port, and, in this case, the segment of the Hooghly River between Diamond Harbour and Kolkata. Kolkata Port said its experienced pilots safely navigated container vessel Sinar Pangalam Susu on her inward voyage through the narrow channel of the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) during hours of darkness on the night of February 25, a statement said. SMPA said the successful night transit follows a trial movement undertaken on May 2, 2025, with outward-bound container vessel Sinar Penida, which laid the groundwork for round-the-clock navigation. The inbound vessel, with a length overall of 128 metres and a draft of 6.1 metres, completed the ...
A Shillong-bound aircraft was stranded at Kolkata airport for around four hours on Saturday following a bomb threat, an official statement said. The IndiGo flight 6E 7304 was moved to the isolation bay after the discovery of a handwritten note claiming that a bomb had been placed on the plane, it said. The threat, however, later turned out to be a hoax, and the flight left for its destination at 1.33 pm following a thorough search as per standard security protocols. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) spokesperson said the note was discovered in the lavatory by one of the crew members around 9.15 am, around 15 minutes before its scheduled departure time. Some of the 60 passengers had already boarded the plane. The passengers were safely deboarded, and the aircraft was moved to the isolation bay. Standard security protocols were followed and a thorough inspection was conducted by the agencies concerned, he said. Upon completion of all safety checks and clearance by security ...
Bombs were hurled and bullets fired during a clash between two groups here, leaving two persons injured, police said on Monday. At least 10 people were arrested in the clash that broke out in south Kolkata's Golpark area under the Rabindra Sarobar Police Station limits on Sunday night, a senior officer said. "The situation is now under control. Ten people were arrested early on Monday, and raids are underway to arrest others involved in the clash," he said. The violence broke out on Kankulia Road around 8.30 pm on Sunday when a group of youths from another area entered the locality and were confronted by locals, he said, adding that "two persons were injured in the incident". Stones were hurled from both sides, creating panic in the area, the policeman said. "Crude bombs were thrown, and at least one round of bullets was fired during the clash. Empty cartridges and splinters have been recovered from the area," the officer said. A mob later vandalised several motorcycles and made
Budget carrier SpiceJet on Friday said it will enter Imphal with the launch of its first-ever flight services to the Manipur capital, strengthening air connectivity to the Northeast. Starting February 10, SpiceJet will operate daily flights to Imphal from Kolkata, Guwahati and Mumbai, using Boeing 737 aircraft, the company said in a statement. "The new routes will significantly improve access to the northeastern state, offering passengers seamless and reliable connections to the region while enhancing travel options for both leisure and business travellers," it added. Passengers flying from Kolkata and Guwahati will benefit from non-stop services, while those travelling from Mumbai will enjoy a single-aircraft journey with a short stopover in Kolkata, eliminating the need to change aircraft, the company said. "The launch of these services assumes particular significance for Manipur, a state that currently has limited air connectivity options. The new daily flights are expected to .
The toll in the fire near Kolkata on January 26 has risen to 21 with more 13 bodies found from gutted buildings, while 28 people are still missing, raising fears that the number of fatalities are likely to increase, the police said on Thursday. The authorities imposed prohibitory orders in the area, restricting public movement ahead of the proposed visit by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP leaders. The devastating fire reduced to ashes two godowns and a manufacturing unit of a momo company at Anandapur in South 24 Parganas district, close to the city. "Given the nature of the incident and the extent of damage, the possibility of the toll going up cannot be ruled out," a senior police officer said. In view of the situation and ahead of a proposed visit by BJP leaders, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were imposed in the area from Wednesday midnight. "A prohibitory order has been imposed to maintain law and order and to ...
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday launched search operations at multiple locations here in connection with its probe into an alleged bank fraud involving around Rs 1,000 crore, an official said. The searches are underway simultaneously at the offices and residences of the promoters of a Kolkata-based finance company, he said. Additional central forces have been deployed at the sites where raids are going on, he said. "The searches are being carried out in several locations, including Alipore, in connection with a case of large-scale bank fraud involving a public sector lender," a CBI official said. The bank had accused an East Kolkata-based finance company of siphoning off funds under the guise of availing loans, following which the central agency initiated a probe. The CBI official said the alleged diversion of funds took place between 2014 and 2020. The main allegations are against the two directors of the finance company and one of its associate firms, he .
Police on Tuesday evening arrested the owner of the momo manufacturing unit and godown gutted in a devastating fire in South 24 Parganas district in which eight people were killed, a senior officer said. The owner, Gangadhar Das, was arrested from the Garia area of Kolkata and will be produced before a Baruipur court on Wednesday, police said, adding that he had been evading arrest since the incident. The West Bengal government will give an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of those killed in the blaze, said Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim. The compensation will be handed over once the bodies or body parts are identified, Hakim said, adding that permission would be sought from a court on Wednesday to conduct DNA tests. "Gangadhar Das has been arrested and will be produced before the court tomorrow. The investigation is continuing, and all angles are being examined," the officer said. Earlier, an FIR was lodged against Das in connection with the fire that broke
The Enforcement Directorate told the Supreme Court on Thursday that the West Bengal government's "interference and obstruction", including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its probe and search operation at the I-PAC office and its chief's residence reflects a very shocking pattern. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, told a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi that in the past also, whenever statutory authorities exercised statutory power, Banerjee barged in and interfered. "It reflects a very shocking pattern," Mehta said while contending that this will only encourage such acts, and the central forces will be demoralised. "The states will feel they can barge in, commit theft, and then sit on a dharna. Let an example be set; officers who were explicitly present there should be suspended," the solicitor general said. The ED's plea in the apex court follows events from January 8, when ED's officials faced obstructions during the probe ...