Page 8 - Kolkata

Kolkata overtakes Bengaluru as India's most congested city in 2024: Report

According to the traffic index released by TomTom, drivers in Kolkata needed an average of 34 minutes and 33 seconds to cover a distance of 10 km

Court verdict in Kolkata RG Kar hospital rape-murder case on Jan 18

Judgement in the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in August last year will be delivered on January 18 by the designated judge of Sealdah court here. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which was handed over the probe into the case from the Kolkata Police by the Calcutta High Court, prayed for awarding of death sentence to Sanjay Roy, who was charged with the gruesome crime. Hearing in the trial was concluded on Thursday, following which the additional district and sessions judge of Sealdah court said that the judgement will be delivered on January 18. Maintaining that other persons were also involved in the crime, the parents of the victim postgraduate trainee said that they expect that they will also be arrested and tried before the court. The victim's body was found in the seminar room of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Roy was arrested by the Kolkata Police the next day. The in-camera trial in the rape and mur

Around 1500 yellow taxis in WB to be phased out by end of next year

Around 1,500 metered yellow taxis in West Bengal would be phased out by the end of next year as commercial vehicles older than 15 years are not allowed to ply in the city, a transport department official said on Saturday. There are around 4,500 Ambassador metered yellow taxis in the state which will come down to 3,000 by the end of 2026, the official said. In 2008 the Calcutta High Court had ordered that commercial vehicles older than 15 vehicles would not be allowed to ply in the city, the official said. The yellow taxis are an integral part of Kolkata's heritage and many taxi unions have urged the Transport department for a viable revival package for the yellow taxis. Taxi drivers union claimed many Ambassador metered yellow taxis are road-worthy and can be allowed to run another five years at least with proper maintenance and change in engine if the transport authorities withdraw the age limit of 15 years. "From 25,000 in 2019-20, the number of yellow taxis witnessed a steady d

Iskcon Kolkata to hold daily prayers till normalcy returns in Bangladesh

ISKCON Kolkata on Friday said its followers will continue holding prayers till normalcy returns in Bangladesh, where Hindus and other religious minorities have been facing atrocities since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Kolkata, has been holding daily prayers at its Albert Road centre here for over a month for the safety and security of religious minorities in Bangladesh, and the release of jailed Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das and other monks in the neighbouring country. "We will continue with our daily prayers for the minorities in Bangladesh till normalcy returns there," ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das said. "Devotees are very anxious as to what the future holds for the minorities in Bangladesh," he told PTI. He said the devotees were, however, hopeful that Chinmoy Krishna Das will get justice before the high court in Bangladesh, challenging a Chittagong court order denying bail to ...

TMC councillor gunned down in Bengal's Malda, CM Mamata expresses shock

Trinamool Congress councillor Dulal Sarkar was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in West Bengal's Malda district on Thursday morning, police said. Sarkar, the TMC councillor from Malda, was shot in his head multiple times from close range by bike-borne assailants at Jhaljhalia More area, they said. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to injuries. A probe has been initiated and we are trying to identify the culprits, a senior police officer told PTI. Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee expressed shock over the killing of Sarkar, who was popularly known as Babla. My close associate and a very popular leader, Babla Sarkar, has been murdered today. From the beginning of the Trinamool Congress, he (and his wife Chaitali Sarkar) worked hard for the party, and Babla was also elected a councillor, she said in a post on X. ... I am so shocked and sad that I do not know how to convey my condolences to the bereaved family. May God give Chaitali strength to sur

Mamata demands crackdown on illegal encroachment by builders on govt land

Alleging that government land was being encroached by builders from outside the state to build flats, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed officials who were sanctioning such illegal constructions. Banerjee, who chaired an administrative review meeting at the state secretariat, directed police to arrest all such builders in accordance with the law and, in a few cases, "attach their properties like the way the CBI and ED do." She proposed forming a policy to impose penalties on those who were living in such flats for years. "I am talking about illegal occupancy of land owned by state government departments such as panchayat, forest, and urban affairs. I do not want further encroachments. The culprits come from outside, construct flats illegally and then leave. Arrest them from wherever you can and impose 100 per cent penalty. Attach their property like the way ED and CBI do," she said. She asserted that police would conduct a probe and all leaders behind su

Mamata accuses BSF of infiltration plot; border guards reject claim

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Border Security Force of facilitating infiltration from Bangladesh as part of a central government "blueprint" to destabilize the state, a charge the BSF denied, asserting it diligently guards the country's boundary. Speaking at an administrative review meeting at the state secretariat, Banerjee alleged that the BSF was allowing infiltrators to enter through areas like Islampur, Sitai, and Chopra. "We have information that the BSF is letting infiltrators enter India through various border areas. This is a deliberate attempt to destabilize the state. There is a deep-rooted conspiracy involving the central government," she said. Banerjee said she could sense a "blueprint of the Centre" behind this attitude of the BSF. "Goons are entering India. I want peace on both sides of the border. We have a good relationship with neighbouring Bangladesh," she said. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo further alleged that women

From Ambani wedding to Diljit's concerts: Here are top newsmakers of 2024

There were wedding bells and concerts, there were tears and smiles, there were controversies and questions- and there were moments when time stood still

Fake passport scam: Bengal DGP urges MEA to strengthen verification process

West Bengal Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar on Sunday said that he had written to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urging a total overhauling of the verification and distribution of new passports to combat misuse. Kolkata Police recently unearthed a fake passport racket and arrested at least eight persons for their alleged involvement in it. Talking to reporters, the IPS officer said in the letter to the MEA, they also pointed out software issues and proposed the idea of superintendents of police personally conducting the verification process. "We have written to the MEA requesting them to strengthen the passport verification system. We have proposed a new system where the district intelligence branch (DIB), local police stations, and senior officers will have a more significant role," Kumar said. "In the letter, we have also expressed our concerns about the distribution of passports through post offices. All the agencies must collaborate to address these ...

RG Kar case: Medicos protest over delay in probe, to protest till Dec 31

Demanding speedy justice for Abhaya, representatives of Abhaya Manch and the Joint Platform of Doctors continued their protest at Dorina Crossing in Central Kolkata

Five arrested in Bengal for issuing forged Indian passports to Bangladeshis

The group is believed to have illegally issued at least 73 counterfeit Indian passports, mainly to infiltrators, including Bangladeshi nationals, using fake documents

Mamata Banerjee inaugurates Infosys development centre in Kolkata

IT giant Infosys on Wednesday inaugurated a development centre built at a cost of Rs 426 crore at New Town near here. Inaugurating the development centre, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "This is a New Year gift to West Bengal". "This centre of Infosys will help other IT companies to come to West Bengal. West Bengal is a leading IT state in the country. Nearly 2,200 IT companies have presence in the state, including big ones like TCS, Wipro, IBM and Accenture," she said. The chief minister also said it is a historic day for the state. Banerjee said, "We wanted Infosys in the state and the company fulfilled our dreams." The chief minister said a new Silicon Valley is coming to New Town on 200 acres with the potential to create 75,000 jobs involving an investment of Rs 27,000 crore. "Twenty-eight companies have already started work with 11 data centres coming up," she said. The Infosys campus, built on 50 acres, will have an employment potential of 4,000 IT professionals. Ba

Bihar sees 15-fold jump in data consumption, state goes big on infra

Bihar has seen a 15-fold jump in data consumption in the last five years as the state goes big on developing infrastructure, investing in connectivity and building rail and road networks, its Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena said. Bihar has witnessed unprecedented growth in infrastructure development with its road density being the third largest in India that facilitates trade and transport. Its electricity generation has expanded from 700 MW to 7,000 MW while the state has built IT parks and data centres are in the offing. Infrastructure is the focus, Meena, the top-most bureaucrat in the Bihar government, said adding massive investments have gone into building infrastructure in the last two decades. "If I talk of the road sector, we have a network of 1.2 lakh kilometres of rural roads. It has been built completely during the last 20 years. We have a very strong network of national highways, state highways and major district roads. And I am happy to share with you that during the .

Left, Cong protest in Kolkata after RG Kar case suspects granted bail

A day after two key suspects in the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar hospital got bail, the Left parties and the Congress on Saturday staged protests at various locations in Kolkata, alleging that the CBI has "failed" to deliver justice in the case. They also alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and the BJP-led Centre have a "tacit understanding". The Congress took out a procession from Rabindra Sadan area to CBI's office at Nizam Palace in southern Kolkata and criticised the central probe agency for its alleged inability to frame charges against the two accused in the case. During the procession, Congress activists were seen holding the party flags aloft and chanting slogans like 'We demand justice' and 'Bichar chai Tilottoma' (Tilottoma wants justice). The police stopped the Congress activists from entering the Nizam Palace, which led to a scuffle between the protesters and the police personnel. SUCI activists marched from Karunamoyee to the

Mahadev betting case: ED conducts fresh raids in Kolkata, freezes Rs 130 cr

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has conducted fresh searches in Kolkata in the Mahadev online betting-linked money laundering case and has frozen securities and deposits worth more than Rs 130 crore. The searches were conducted on Thursday, the agency said in a statement. The case pertains to an ongoing investigation by the federal agency in which a number of high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are alleged to have been involved. During the searches conducted in Kolkata, securities, bonds and demat accounts worth Rs 130.57 crore were frozen under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED said. The agency has alleged that its probe into the Mahadev Online Book (MOB) gaming and betting app has shown the involvement of various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, the state where the two main promoters -- Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal -- of the app hail from. It has said the MOB app is an umbr

Bangladesh delegation likely to attend Vijay Diwas celebrations in Kolkata

A Bangladesh delegation is likely to attend the Vijay Diwas celebrations in Kolkata on December 16, which marks the Indian Armed Forces' historic victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, Defence sources said on Thursday. 'Mukti Jodhas' may also take part in the celebrations, they said. A Bangladesh delegation, comprising 'Mukti Jodhas', who were part of the guerrilla resistance force in East Pakistan opposing the Pakistan rule there, and serving officers of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, attend the Vijay Diwas celebrations held by the Indian Army's Eastern Command every year in Kolkata. The Defence sources, while saying that a Bangladesh delegation is likely to attend the celebrations on December 16, however, did not give details of the size of the delegation. The Army's eastern Command, which is headquartered at Fort William here, will hold a series of programmes on Vijay Diwas to mark the historic victory of the Indian Armed Forces in the 1971 war against Pakistan, a senior ...

Advocate Vrinda Grover not to represent RG Kar victim's family in courts

Senior advocate Vrinda Grover will no longer be representing the R G Kar Medical College rape-murder victim's family, sources said on Thursday. They said that the concerned trial court, before which the trial in the rape-murder case is being held, has been informed accordingly and that the counsels stand discharged from the matter. The sources said that at this stage, on account of "certain intervening factors and circumstances", senior advocate Vrinda Grover is constrained to withdraw from the case proceedings in this matter and will no longer be representing the victim's family. The chamber of advocate Grover, including advocates Soutik Banerjee and Arjun Gooptu, were requested by the victim's parents to provide legal representation before the Supreme Court, Calcutta High Court and the Sealdah sessions court and ACJM court, they said. Grover's chamber provided legal services and representation pro bono (free of cost) to the victim's family before all courts from September 2024, t

Kolkata-based Jain Group to invest Rs 500 cr in hospitality sector by 2030

The group aided Sarovar brand's re-entry into Kolkata after a gap of 5 years. Sarovar Portico Kolkata at Rajarhat was launched on Wednesday, a 128-key mid-market hotel

Will we have lollypop? Mamata slams 'occupy' claim of Bangladeshi politicos

Taking a dig at a section of Bangladeshi politicians, who said the country has legitimate claims over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wondered whether Indians "would have lollipop" when external forces would try to occupy Indian lands. Speaking in the West Bengal Assembly, she urged people to remain calm and not get provoked by statements made in Bangladesh, stating that West Bengal will always stand by any decision taken by the Centre. Mocking some Bangladeshi leaders, who have made provocative statements recently, she said, "Stay calm and healthy and have peace of mind." A Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) recently said in a public meeting in Dhaka that the country has legitimate claims over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Asking people of West Bengal to remain calm and not get swayed by provocative statements made by some people in Bangladesh, she said, "In our state, even imams have condemned the comments and attacks on minorities in ..

Hit by absence of B'desh tourists, Kolkata traders think of wooing locals

The ongoing crisis in Bangladesh and subsequent non-arrival of travellers from there has led to a blow to the traders of a particular area in central Kolkata, which is popular among tourists from the neighbouring country for shopping and staying. A section of those perplexed traders are staring at a void, while others are either looking at new avenues or decided to woo back the Indian customers they have lost in the past. An estimated 15,000 families are now affected by the situation. According to a trader, in the past, local customers and tourists from other states in India used to visit these areas for various purposes. They were more or less ignored by the traders and their population gradually dwindled over the years. "Now there is a big question mark. They don't know what to do they don't know in which direction their business will go since they are dependent only on the Bangladeshis," the National Committee Member of Travel Agents Federation of India (East India), Anil Punjab