Page 35 - West Bengal

RG Kar case: BJP workers throng police stations to cleanse them over lapses

Activists of BJP's women wing on Monday thronged various police stations in West Bengal to "cleanse" them as part of their protest against the alleged lapses in the probe into the rape-murder of a doctor at the state-run RG Kar hospital here last month. BJP leaders Agnimitra Paul and Locket Chatterjee along with other party activists alleged that police stations lost their purity after the police personnel were found involved in alleged wrongdoings. They held protests in front of the police stations sprinkling holy water of the Ganga river and applying cow dung using broomsticks. Paul said, "We have come to the police station at Behala in south Kolkata as a symbolic protest to purify it." The BJP leader exclaimed where was the police force when the "body of the doctor was hastily cremated and a mismatch was noticed in the timings of the FIR and post-mortem examination". The doctor was allegedly raped and murdered at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The CBI is ...

Congress will continue to raise voice against ruling parties: Bengal chief

Newly appointed West Bengal Pradesh Congress (WBPCC) president Subhankar Sarkar on Sunday said that his party would continue to raise its voice against the ruling parties both at the Centre and in the state. Admitting that the Congress's organisation was weak in West Bengal, Sarkar said that he would work towards strengthening it in consultation with former PCC presidents Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Pradip Bhattacharya. "Congress will continue to raise its voice against the ruling parties at both the Centre and in the state," Sarkar said, addressing a press conference at the party's state headquarters Bidhan Bhavan here. He said that the party will, however, support any constructive effort such as setting up industries in the state by either of these dispensations. Sarkar said that the Congress, if voted to power in West Bengal, will ensure that law and order in the state will be such that no parent will have to "wait anxiously for their daughter to return home or whether she will .

Amidst war on DVC, Bengal Power secy Santanu Basu steps down from board

Amid a war of words between West Bengal government and Centre over release of water from reservoirs of Damodar Valley Corporation, state Power secretary Santanu Basu has stepped down from the Board of DVC, officials said on Sunday. The Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Waterways of West Bengal has also quit the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee (DVRRC), they said. Basu in an email to DVC chairman on September 21 said "In view of the unprecedented and uncontrolled release of water by the DVC from its dam systems, leading to widespread inundation causing immense sufferings to the people in vast areas of the state, I do hereby tender my resignation as the member of state from the Board of DVC." State Information and Cultural Affairs Department in a statement on Sunday said "apart from the Power secretary, the Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Waterways, West Bengal, also resigned to voice protest on the same issue from Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee (DVRRC)." The

Mamata writes to PM Modi on Bengal flood, says her govt not consulted

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote another letter to PM Narendra Modi on the flood situation in West Bengal, maintaining that Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) released water from its reservoirs without consulting her government, inundating several districts. Responding to Banerjee's earlier letter to the PM, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil had said the state's officials were informed at every stage about the release of water from DVC reservoirs, which was essential to prevent a major disaster. Banerjee said, "While the hon'ble minister claims that the release from DVC dams was carried out by consensus and collaboration with the Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee, including consultations with representatives of the government of West Bengal, I may respectfully disagree." "All the critical decisions are made unilaterally by representatives of the Central Water Commission, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India without arriving at a consensus," she said. Banerjee

RG Kar case: Doctors resume duties partially at some hospitals in Bengal

Junior doctors on Saturday rejoined their duties partially at various government-run hospitals in West Bengal after a hiatus of 42 days. They were on 'cease work' in protest against the rape-murder of an on-duty woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. While they returned to essential and emergency services at all state-run hospitals, the doctors continued to refrain from working in the outpatient departments (OPDs). "We have started rejoining duties today. Our colleagues are returning to their respective departments for essential and emergency services, but not at the OPDs. This is only a partial resumption of duties," said Aniket Mahato, one of the protesting doctors. Aniket, along with colleagues Lahri Sarkar and Raktim Majumder, even operated on a woman patient at the hospital. He said some of their peers had already left for flood-hit areas of the state to set up 'Abhaya clinics' (medical camps), underscoring their commitment to public health despite ongoing ...

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

Jharkhand-West Bengal border reopened for trucks after 24-hour closure

After remaining closed for around 24 hours, the West Bengal-Jharkhand border has been reopened for the movement of trucks for inter-state trade, officials said on Saturday. The West Bengal government had closed the border on Thursday evening after the release of water by Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) from its dams located along the inter-state boundary with Jharkhand, causing flooding in districts of south Bengal. "The inter-state border has opened and thousands of goods-laden trucks stranded on NH 2 and NH 6 have left for West Bengal," an Jharkhand government official said. Truck operators in West Bengal said that the border has opened but it will take some time to clear the 20-25-km-long queue of trucks stranded along the border. The closure, which was scheduled to continue for three days, led to the stranding of thousands of trucks, including those carrying perishable goods from northern states and even emergency services were affected. Reacting to the development, Leader of

Guv Bose seeks explanation from Mamata on Bengal-Jharkhand border sealing

Banerjee on Thursday ordered that vehicle movement between Bengal and Jharkhand would be sealed after the water level rose

RG Kar case: Junior docs resume duties partially in Bengal after 42 days

Junior doctors on Saturday morning rejoined their duties partially at various government-run hospitals in West Bengal after a hiatus of 42 days. They were on 'cease work' agitation in protest against the rape and murder of an on-duty woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The junior doctors rejoined their duties in essential and emergency services at all state-run hospitals but not in the outpatient department (OPD). "We have started rejoining duties today. Our colleagues have started returning to their respective departments since this morning only in essential and emergency services, but not at the OPDs. Please do not forget that this is only a partial resumption of duties," Aniket Mahato, one of the agitating doctors, told PTI. 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. The agitating doctors

Thousands take out torch rally in Kolkata demanding justice in RG Kar case

Thousands of people from all sections of society took part in a torch rally from Highland Park in the southern fringes of the city on Friday, demanding justice for the trainee woman doctor who was raped and murdered in state-run RG Kar hospital last month. Doctors, members of voluntary bodies and associations of specially-abled people, cartoonists, IT professionals, scientists and professors participated in the 42-km foot march that began at 4 pm and culminated near Shyambazar around midnight, covering the northern and southern parts of city. The rallyists held flaming torches in hand and shouted slogans in solidarity with the postgraduate trainee, whose body was found with severe injuries in the seminar hall of the hospital on August 9. The procession passed through Ruby Crossing, VIP Bazar, Science City, Chingrighata and took a detour via Beleghata Building More, Mallick Bazar, NRS Medical College and SSKM Hospital before concluding at Shyambazar in the northern part of the ...

Bengal flood: Guv asks Mamata to do her duty, not pass buck to DVC

West Bengal, Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday shot off a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee advising her to carry out her duties following flood in the state and not to blame the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for the inundation, a Raj Bhavan source said. Earlier in the day, he sent another letter to the CM enquiring about the flood situation and the preparedness of the state government to tackle it. Banerjee, during the day, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi informing him that the state would sever all ties with DVC for "unilaterally releasing water" which led to floods in several south Bengal districts. Banerjee visited a few places affected by the deluge. In the latest communication to her, Bose referred to a report of experts which claimed that the districts of Bankura, Birbhum and Paschim Medinipore "do not fall in the Damodar Valley river system and the inundation there was due to the extreme rainfall conditions over Kangsabati, Silabati and Dwarakeshwar rivers".

RG Kar case: CBI plea in court for narco test on arrested ex-principal

The CBI is contemplating conducting a narco analysis test on Sandip Ghosh, the arrested former principal of RG Kar hospital, in connection with the rape-murder of a woman doctor at the medical establishment, an officer said on Friday. The central probe agency, during its submission in the Sealdah court on Friday, said that Ghosh has not been cooperating with the investigators. Ghosh has already undertaken a polygraph test. During a narco analysis test, the drug sodium pentothal is injected into the body of the subject, which takes him to a hypnotic state, and his imagination is neutralised, the CBI officer said. The CBI also told the court that the report of Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) has termed some of his statements as misleading. It plans to take Ghosh to Gujarat for the narco analysis test if allowed by the court. The agency also wants to conduct a polygraph test on former Tala Police Station officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal, who was arrested in connection wi

Bengal medics call off 'ceasework', to resume work partially from Saturday

Junior doctors agitating over the RG Kar incident called off their cease work' on Friday evening, announcing partial resumption of duties entailing attending essential services in state-run hospitals from Saturday. Ending the logjam persisting for 42 days, the medics withdrew the cease work' after holing a march to the CBI office in Salt Lake from the state health department's headquarters, where they had been demonstrating for over a week. The procession covered a distance of around 4 km from the Swasthya Bhawan' to the CGO Complex. The medics have said they would not work in the Outpatient Department (OPD), but partially function in emergency and essential services. The doctors had called the cease work' and staged the sit-in outside the state health department headquarters in the wake of the rape and murder of a young medic at RG Kar hospital.

Bengal floods: CM Mamata writes to PM, threatens to sever ties with DVC

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that her state would sever all ties with the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for "unilaterally releasing water", which led to floods in south Bengal districts. In a four-page letter to Modi, she claimed that five million people in Bengal have been affected by the floods, and urged him to immediately sanction and release central funds to address the widespread devastation caused by the deluge. Sharply retorting to her remarks, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari challenged the chief minister to execute her ultimatum by the end of the day and warned that if Banerjee severed ties with the DVC, several districts in southern Bengal would plunge into darkness. "I would like to draw your kind attention to the fact that as a result of an unprecedented, unplanned, and unilateral release of an enormously huge volume of water at nearly five lakh cusec from the combined system of Maithon and Panch

'Watch your daughters; woman had liquor at RG Kar protest': Bengal minister

TMC has distanced itself from Bengal Minister Swapan Debnath's comments, made about the women participating in the 'Reclaim the Night' movements after the RG Kar rape-murder incident

WB suffering from floods, Mamata busy teaching lesson to J'khand: Himanta

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday slammed his West Bengal and Jharkhand counterparts - Mamata Banerjee and Hemant Soren saying one was "teaching lesson to people of Jharkhand by sealing its borders" while people of Bengal were suffering from floods and the other was maintaining silence as "politics was more important to him". Himanta, who is also the BJP co-incharge of Jharkhand Assembly elections due later this year, is in the state to participate in BJP's 'Parivartan Rally' which will be flagged off by Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Sahibganj here. "The people of Bengal are suffering from floods due to the failure of the Bengal government. But I am surprised that Mamata Didi is not venting her anger on her officers, but on the people of Jharkhand. She is teaching a lesson to the people of Jharkhand by sealing the state's border, and the honourable chief minister of Jharkhand (Hemant Soren) is silent," Sarma said in a post on X. The post mentioned that the BJP government a

SC pulls up CBI for alleging hostile environment in all West Bengal courts

The Supreme Court ordered the CBI to withdraw its petition to transfer post-poll violence cases from West Bengal, strongly disapproving claims of a hostile environment in the state's courts

Bengal junior docs to hold march to CBI office in Salt Lake today

The agitating junior doctors in West Bengal, who have announced withdrawal of their sit-in before Swasthya Bhavan, will hold a march to the CBI office in Salt Lake on Friday, seeking justice for the alleged rape and murder of a medic in the state-run RG Kar hospital last month. Ending the logjam persisting for the last 41 days, the junior doctors had on Thursday announced partial resumption of duties entailing the attending essential services in state-run hospitals from Saturday. To mark the withdrawal of their 10-day dharna near the state health department's headquarters, they will organise the procession from their protest site to the CGO Complex, a distance of around 4 km, demanding a quick wrap-up of investigations. The medics also announced setting up of Abhaya medical camps, in memory of the brutally murdered RG Kar post-graduate trainee doctor, in flood-affected regions of the state from Friday. "Given the flood situation in West Bengal and the state government agreeing to .

Ex-RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh's medical registration cancelled

The West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) on Thursday cancelled the registration of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's former principal Sandip Ghosh, an official said. Ghosh, who is in CBI custody, has been removed from the list of Registered Medical Practitioners maintained by the WBMC, he said. His licence was cancelled under various provisions of the Bengal Medical Act of 1914, the official said. He is an orthopaedic surgeon and without the licence, he cannot practice. Ghosh was arrested by the CBI on September 2 for his alleged involvement in the financial irregularities at the hospital amid the protests over the rape and murder of the on-duty trainee doctor. He was later accused of evidence tampering in the rape-murder case. Aniket Mahato, one of the leading faces of the junior doctors who have been agitating over the death of their colleague, described it as a "victory". "This is a victory for our deceased sister. The cancellation of Ghosh's medical registration should have

RG Kar issue: Agitating doctors to lift 'ceasework' partially from Saturday

Agitating junior doctors announced that they will "partially" lift their 'cease work' and partially rejoin their duties at emergency and essential services in state-run hospitals from Saturday as the West Bengal government has accepted most of their demands. The medics, who have been on 'cease work' for the last 41 days following the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, announced that they would lift their sit-in outside Swasthya Bhawan on Friday. Before lifting the sit-in, they would hold a march from Swasthya Bhawan, the state health department headquarters, to CBI office at CGO Complex in Salt Lake area. "It has been decided that given the flood situation in West Bengal and the state government agreeing to certain demands of ours, we will be rejoining emergency and essential services partially from Saturday. We are withdrawing our cease work partially," an agitating doctor said after their general body meeting. The protesting doctors said the