Page 16 - West Bengal

NCW takes cognisance of plea from widows of riot victims in Murshidabad

NCW said that the letter sent by the widowed mentions a "chilling episode in which their temporary shelter in Kolkata was allegedly stormed by a large contingent of male police officers"

Mamata Banerjee defends Digha Jagannath Temple amid sacred wood row

Speaking in Murshidabad on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the claims of using 'sacred neem wood' from Odisha's Jagannath Temple in Puri as "baseless and fabricated"

Stability has returned to Murshidabad; have no clue about Guv's report: CM

Stating that the situation in violence-hit Murshidabad has stabilised, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she has no knowledge of Governor CV Ananda Bose's report on the riots to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), nor of his mention of the possible implementation of Article 356 in the state. Banerjee, who left for a two-day visit to Murshidabad on Monday afternoon, said she could have visited earlier, but chose to wait until the situation had normalised. "I have no information about Bose's report to the MHA. The Governor's health is not okay. Let us pray to God for his speedy recovery," Banerjee said before boarding the helicopter to Murshidabad. "I could have gone to Murshidabad earlier, but if there is no peace and stability there, we should not go and disturb. Stability has returned to Murshidabad long back. Today, I am going there," she added. The CM said she will hold a district review meeting in Berhampore later in the day. "Tomorrow, I will visit ...

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to visit violence-hit Murshidabad today

West Bengal Agriculture Minister Shobandeb Chatterjee said the Chief Minister was unable to go to the place because of the unrest

Bengal riots: Guv files report to MHA, says radicalisation posing challenge

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has submitted a report on the recent riots in Murshidabad district to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, mentioning that the "twin spectre of radicalisation and militancy" poses a serious challenge to the state. In his report, he suggested a slew of measures, including setting up an inquiry commission and outposts of central forces in districts bordering Bangladesh, besides writing, "needless to add, the provisions under Article 356 of the Constitution also remain". Asked about the mention of "the provisions under Article 356 of the Constitution" in the report, an official told PTI, "The governor has not proposed for implementation of Article 356. He meant to say that the provisions of Article 356 of the Constitution are open to the Centre if the situation in the state further deteriorates." The imposition of Article 356 of the Constitution refers to the President's rule in a state. The governor also expressed apprehension about a "spillover" o

Odisha Minister objects to naming Digha Temple as 'Jagannath Dham'

Recently, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the newly constructed Shri Jagannath Temple in Digha

After Kolkata hotel fire, KMC orders closure of rooftop restaurants in city

Days after the Kolkata hotel fire that claimed the lives of 14 people, the KMC on Friday ordered the closure of all rooftop restaurants in the city. Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor and Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said all the rooftop restaurants will have to be shut down to ensure unhindered access to premises in case of an emergency. "A roof, being a common space, cannot be sold for commercial purposes," he said. Asked if the authorities will use force to shut down the rooftop restaurants in Kolkata immediately, Hakim said, "We are issuing notices to them for immediate closure of restaurants on rooftops and shifting such eateries to lower floors of a building or other places. If they fail to comply with the order, we will take appropriate steps." The mayor said a meeting among the municipal commissioner, fire brigade officials and police officers would be held soon to chalk out steps to prevent any recurrence of the April 29 fire inciden

Over 86% students clear West Bengal class 10 state board examination

A high 86.57 per cent out of 9,69,425 candidates passed this year's Class 10 Madhaymik examination, the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education announced on Friday morning. Purba Medinipur, Kalimpong and Kolkata were among the top three districts with the highest percentage of successful candidates, WBBSE president Ramanuj Ganguly told reporters here. Sixty-six candidates feature among the top 10. Adrit Sarkar from Raiganj Coronation High School in Uttar Dinajpur district occupied the top rank, scoring 696 marks and 99.43 per cent. Anubhav Biswas and Soumya Pal jointly stood second with 694 marks. While Biswas is a student of Vivekananda Vidyamandir of Malda, Pal studied at Bishnupur High School in Bankura. With 693 marks, Ishani Chakraborty of Kotulpur Sarojbasini School, Bankura, occupied the third spot, the WBBSE said. She emerged the topper among female candidates in this year's secondary exams. When approached by reporters, Adrit said he studied eight-nine hours a day whil

Uproar in Odisha as West Bengal govt calls Digha temple 'Jagannath Dham'

Odisha and West Bengal locked in fierce cultural clash as Bengal's naming of Digha temple as 'Jagannath Dham' sparks religious and political controversy

WBBSE Class 10 results 2025 out at wbresults.nic.in, Adrit Sarkar tops

WBBSE Class 10th board results 2025 were declared today, May 2. Students who have appeared for the WBBSE Madhyamik 10th exam can access the results at wbresults.nic.in

Bengal Guv grants sanction to ED to prosecute ex-minister Partha Chatterjee

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has granted sanction to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to prosecute former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in a money laundering case related to the recruitment of primary teachers in state-run schools, a Raj Bhavan official said on Thursday. The governor had earlier granted sanction to the CBI to prosecute Chatterjee, who is a Trinamool Congress MLA from Behala Paschim assembly constituency, in a case relating to irregularities in secondary school job recruitment. Besides Chatterjee, Bose also granted sanction to the ED to prosecute Manik Bhattacharya, the then president of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, in the case relating to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary school teachers, the official said. The Calcutta High Court had in December refused bail to Chatterjee, who held the education portfolio from 2011 to 2021, in a school jobs case pertaining to recruitment in secondary schools in the state. Chatterjee

Kolkata hotel fire: Owner, manager arrested after blaze kills 14 people

The owner and the manager of the central Kolkata hotel, where a devastating fire killed 14 people, were arrested on Thursday, police said. Akash Chawla, the owner of Rituraj Hotel, and manager Gaurav Kapoor were taken into custody in the morning, they said. A suo motu case was registered at the Jorasanko police station under various sections of the BNS, including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and the West Bengal Fire Services Act against them, they added. Police said 12 of the 14 bodies recovered from the hotel were identified and their post-mortem examinations completed. These bodies have been handed over to their families, they said, adding that efforts were underway to ascertain the identities of the remaining two bodies. There were 88 guests in 42 rooms of the six-storey budget hotel, located in Mechhua in the congested Burrabazar area, when the fire broke out at 8.10 pm on Tuesday.

15, including 2 children, killed in Kolkata hotel fire; rescue underway

The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, though a short circuit is suspected, according to media report

I have lost faith in India's legal system, says RG Kar victim's father

Father of the RG Kar rape and murder victim claims that the CBI is aware of the perpetrators behind his daughter's rape and murder but is withholding details, eroding his trust in the agency

Pahalgam attack deepens Bengal's identity rift, sparks fresh polarisation

The return of four coffins from Kashmir to Bengal three deceased of the Pahalgam terror attack and one soldier killed in Udhampur has not only stirred grief, but also ignited a volatile mix of religion, politics and emotion deepening polarisation and marking a turning point in the state's identity politics. With the 2026 assembly elections less than a year away, the killings have swiftly taken on a political charge, threatening to become the emotional nucleus around which competing narratives and electoral strategies will revolve. The brutal killing of tourists Bitan Adhikari, Samir Guha and Manish Ranjan Mishra in Kashmir, allegedly after being asked to reveal their religion, has sent shockwaves through the state. The chilling nature of these targeted killings has thrust the politics of religious identity into the spotlight, with the faith of the victims now becoming a potent political tool. As parties scramble to frame the narrative through religion, nationalism and victimhood

Bengal Police warns of fake social media profiles spreading disinformation

The West Bengal Police has cautioned people to be alert of fake social media profiles claiming to be residents of Murshidabad district and spreading disinformation. Police said that they found these fake profiles posting "anti-national comments and inciting communal hatred". "We have noticed that some fake profiles on Facebook and other social media are claiming to be from residents of Murshidabad by mentioning various places there and are making anti-national comments and spreading communally provocative messages," West Bengal Police posted on Facebook. "Appropriate legal action is being taken against all such profiles. Many accounts have been and are being blocked. We earnestly request everyone not to share or forward any such provocative message that spreads division and hatred among people," it added. At least three people, including a father and son, died, and several were injured in the riots over the anti-Waqf (Amendment) Act protests that engulfed these Muslim-majority area

Murshidabad violence: 5 more held for rioting, total arrests now at 307

West Bengal Police arrested five more persons for their alleged involvement in the Murshidabad riots, taking the total number of arrests to 307, a senior officer said on Thursday. The arrested persons, nabbed from different places in the district on Wednesday, had direct links to the riots in which three people were killed and several injured, he said. "These five persons were involved in rioting. We arrested them on Wednesday," a senior officer of the Special Investigative Team (SIT) formed to probe the incidents of violence said. Efforts are on to bring back the younger son of arrested prime accused Ziaul Sheikh, who is currently in the custody of Odisha Police, the officer said. Communal clashes broke out in Shamsherganj, Suti, Dhulian and Jangipur in Murshidabad district on April 11 and 12, during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The violence had resulted in three deaths.

Submit report on probe against Kailash Vijayvargiya, others: SC to WB govt

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal government to submit a report on the status of investigation against BJP leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya, Arjun Singh and others in criminal cases lodged against them in the state. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that the appeals were filed in 2020 and directed the state to file a comprehensive affidavit within a month and inform it about the stage of probe in the matter. The top court also extended their interim protection till July 23, the next date of hearing. "You want investigation to be transferred to CBI. Are you sure CBI will carry out a fair investigation?" the bench asked. The petitions sought the transfer of investigation in FIRs registered at multiple police stations in West Bengal. "The petitions are of year 2020. This court had earlier only protected the petitioners for coercive action but no stay was granted. Therefore, we direct the state of West Bengal to file a comprehensive affidavit sta

3 from Bengal died in Pahalgam terror attack, grim hour for state: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday confirmed that three persons from the state were killed in the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead. Describing it to be a "grim hour" for the state, Banerjee said that her government was making all the arrangements to get family members of the victims back home from New Delhi and she was personally overseeing it. "As per the latest updated information made available to us, three persons from our state have died in the most unfortunate Kashmir violence," Banerjee said in a post on X. The three deceased are Bitan Adhikari of Baishnabghata in Kolkata, Samir Guha of Sakher Bazar in Kolkata and Manish Ranjan of Jhalda in Purulia district. "All arrangements are being put up by our administration at Delhi Airport to help the family members of the victims and their onward journey to Kolkata. Flight is likely to arrive in Kolkata at 8.30 pm today," she said. The resident commissioner's office in Delhi is in

Murshidabad violence orchestrated by 'outsiders': Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that outsiders were responsible for the violence that erupted in parts of Murshidabad over the Waqf Act, and said she would visit the troubled areas in the first week of May to evaluate the situation. Banerjee also said her government would soon expose the conspirators behind the riots that took place in two wards of Dhulian in the district. "The violence was unfortunate. We do not want riots. Some outsiders orchestrated it, but we will expose them and their conspiracy," she said at an administrative programme in Midnapore. "I have promised the families of those killed in the violence to give a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each. We will also rebuild their houses under the 'Banglar Bari' scheme... I will be going there in the first week of May and evaluate the situation, Banerjee said. Governor C V Ananda Bose had on April 19 met family members of a man and his son, who were killed during violence over anti-Waqf (Amendment