Page 40 - West Bengal

CBI challenges Bengal's plea seeking death penalty for RG Kar rape convict

The CBI has challenged West Bengal government's plea seeking death penalty for convict Sanjoy Roy in RG Kar case, citing Supreme Court ruling on appeals in CBI-probed cases

RG Kar case: HC to hear medic's family, CBI before admission of WB's appeal

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday said it would hear the CBI, the victim's family and the convict before deciding on the admission of an appeal filed by the West Bengal government claiming inadequacy of sentence given by a trial court in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case. The high court said it will hear the matter on Monday. The CBI opposed the state's right to file an appeal in the case, claiming that it was the prosecuting agency and had the right to prefer the appeal on the grounds of inadequacy of the sentence. The Sealdah court on Monday sentenced Roy to life imprisonment till death for the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. A division bench, presided by Justice Debangshu Basak, said that it would hear the CBI, the family of the victim and the convict through their lawyers before deciding on the admission of the state government's appeal.

RG Kar case: HC allows govt to file appeal against 'life term' order

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted permission to the West Bengal government to file an appeal against the Sealdah court order that sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment until death in the RG Kar hospital doctor's rape and murder case. Advocate General Kishor Datta moved a division bench presided by Justice Debangsu Basak to file the appeal to seek death penalty of Roy, the sole convict in the case. The state government sought the high court's permission to file the appeal challenging the order passed by Additional District and Sessions Judge in Sealdah, Anirban Das, on Monday. The Sealdah court sentenced Roy to life imprisonment until death after he was convicted of raping and murdering the on-duty doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, rejecting demands for the death penalty saying it was not a "rarest of the rare" crime. The court also ordered Roy to pay a Rs 50,000 fine and directed the state government to pay compensation of Rs 17 lakh to the

'Investigation by CBI is totally worthless', says doctor at RG Kar Hospital

Dr Tapan Pramanik a doctor at the RG Kar Medical Hospital said that there were multiple people involved in the RG Kar rape and murder case

Court to announce sentence for RG Kar doctor's rape-murder convict today

A court in Kolkata will on Monday afternoon pronounce the quantum of punishment of Sanjay Roy, who has been convicted of raping and murdering an on-duty doctor at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital here. The charges under which Roy has been convicted entail a minimum sentence of life imprisonment, while the maximum can be capital punishment. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Anirban Das in Sealdah had on Saturday declared Roy guilty of rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee at the hospital on August 9 last year. The gruesome crime had led to nationwide outrage and prolonged protests. Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was arrested on August 10, a day after the 31-year-old medic's body was found in the seminar room of the hospital. Found guilty of sexually assaulting the doctor and throttling her to death, Roy was convicted by the judge under Sections 64, 66 and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Section 64 (rape

Agri research needs big boost, has to be more focused, say experts

Studies show that agri research has the highest RoI among farm-linked activities. Will ICAR get more funds in the Budget?

RG Kar rape-murder convict's mother says he deserves rightful punishment

The mother of Sanjoy Roy, who was convicted for the rape and murder of the medic of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Sunday said if her son is guilty then he should get the punishment he deserves, even if it means hanging. She said she will "cry alone" but will accept his punishment as destiny. Initially reticent to speak to the media after the Sealdah court convicted Sanjay on January 18, Malati Roy the mother of Sanjay told reporters on Sunday morning that being a woman, and a mother of three daughters, "I can feel the anguish and pain of the mother of the woman medic who is like my daughter." "If the court decides to hang him to death, I don't have any objection as his crime has been proved in the eye of the law, I will cry alone but accept it as a quirk of fate, something willed by destiny," the 70-year-old-woman said standing on the doorstep of her shanty on Shambhunath Pandit Street, about 5 km away from the commotion and buzz at Sealdah Court the other day. Asked if

Probe incomplete, many still free: RG Kar victim's parents ahead of verdict

A day before a court in Kolkata is set to deliver its verdict in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, the parents of the victim doctor alleged that the investigation is half-done as others involved in the crime are roaming free. Her parents said they will continue to fight until justice is delivered to their daughter whose body was found in the seminar room of the state-run hospital on August 9 last year, sparking nationwide outrage and prolonged protests. Sanjay Roy, who was a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was charged with committing the crime and was arrested on August 10. Additional district and sessions judge of Sealdah court, where the trial of the case concluded on January 9, is scheduled to pass its judgement on Saturday. "Sanjay (Roy) is guilty, and tomorrow's verdict will be against him. But what about other criminals who are still not caught? I can see them roaming freely. I have seen them loitering in the hospital. So, the investigation is half-done," she told

ITA submits white paper on Darjeeling tea to WB govt, highlights challenges

Senior officials from the association met West Bengal's labour minister Moloy Ghatak on Tuesday and handed over the white paper

Petitioners approach SC after Calcutta HC cancels over 25k WB school jobs

Saying it adversely impacted the lives and livelihoods of untainted candidates, several petitioners moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday against a verdict nullifying the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools in West Bengal. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar heard about 124 petitions challenging the verdict of the Calcutta High Court. The CJI acknowledged the arguments and reiterated the need for a balance between addressing illegalities and protecting untainted appointees and said the segregation of cases, wherever possible, may be prioritised to protect innocent candidates. Referring to the high court's verdict, the bench said, "It only said that when there were so many irregularities, it became impossible to know who were genuinely appointed and who were the ones who manipulated the process." One common point argued was that the majority of untainted selected candidates, who were adversely impac

No decision on suspension of services of East-West Kolkata Metro: Official

The Metro Railway Kolkata said that no decision has been finalised for the shutdown of the entire 16.6 km long East-West Metro corridor for installation of the Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system. It said that the implementing agency Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (KMRCL) has recommended a 45-day block for linking the Sealdah-Esplanade stretch of the East-West corridor. "KMRCL has recommended a 45-day block of services from February 8 to March 24 to install a unified Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system across the 16.6 km corridor from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V. This is crucial for seamless direct connectivity between the two busy terminal railway stations of Howrah and Sealdah and the state IT hub in Salt Lake township. But we are yet to take a final call on the matter," the spokesperson said. He said that stopping train operation for such a long period will obviously lead to a situation where thousands of commuters will

Amitav Ghosh slams Silicon Valley's 'extermination' view amid global crises

Celebrated author Amitav Ghosh warned Tuesday that the top brass in Silicon Valley are preparing for "The Event" -- a potential collapse of the global systems -- as various interconnected worldwide crises, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and the spread of new pathogens pose a growing threat to the world. Delivering the annual Dr CD Deshmukh Memorial Lecture here at the India International Centre (IIC), the award-winning writer offered a stark view of the interwoven disasters threatening the planet and said it would be "a mistake to think that we are living in a period of just one axis of disaster." "There are various interlinked axes of disasters. That's why I don't even talk about climate change. I think one has to speak of the planetary crisis. "Because there's biodiversity loss, which is perhaps an even greater threat than climate change... the species extinctions and there are the new pathogens that are sort of whirling around the world so we can see that there are al

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

SC to hear pleas against invalidation of Bengal teacher positions on Jan 15

The Supreme Court will hear pleas challenging a Calcutta High Court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools in West Bengal on January 15. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan said at the outset on Tuesday that there are two options before it -- either a three-judge bench re-hears the case all over again or it be listed it before a two-judge bench that began hearing final arguments on December 19, the last date of hearing. Taking note of the submissions of lawyers, the CJI said the matter will be heard by a two-judge bench comprising him and Justice Kumar at 2 pm on January 15. There are 124 petitions, including the one filed by the state government, pending in the top court. The bench had earlier issued a slew of procedural directions and appointed four lawyers as nodal counsel while asking them to file a common compilation in electronic form after getting ..

Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari slams CM Mamata on blaming BSF for infiltration

Adhikari accused Banerjee of indulging in 'low-level politics' by blaming the BSF for infiltration, stating that the security forces serve the nation, not the government

Police arrests five in connection with Malda TMC councillor murder

Police on Saturday said they have so far arrested five persons in connection with the murder of Malda English Bazar Trinamool Congress councillor Dulal Sarkar. Sarkar, described by West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee as a close associate of hers and a popular leader, was shot dead by miscreants in Malda district on Thursday morning. Two men were arrested on Friday after apprehending three others on the day of the murder, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five, a senior police officer said. The arrested accused persons were identified by the police as Bihar's Katihar district natives Sameer Akhtar, Mohammad Abdul Gani and Malda residents Tinku Ghosh, Abhijeet Ghosh and Amit Raja. Sarkar was shot in the head multiple times from close range after chasing him into a shop in English Bazar town's Jhaljhalia More, when he tried to flee the bike-borne assailants, according to the police. The TMC supremo expressed shock over the killing of Sarkar, who was popular by his ...

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

Odisha CM blames TMC govt for potato crisis, says Mamata has no 'mamata'

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday targeted Mamata Benerjee, his counterpart in neighbouring West Bengal, and the previous BJD government for the potato crisis in the state. Not self-sufficient in potato production, Odisha depends a lot on West Bengal for its requirement for the tuber and faces problems when the neighbouring state stops supplying the produce to cater to its home demand. While addressing an agricultural event here, Majhi and Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo slammed Benerjee for the potato scarcity in Odisha. Facing potato crisis in Odisha, we have talked to Mamata Didi, but in vain. She settles a score on us at the appropriate time. There is no mamata' (affection) in Mamata Didi for Odisha, Majhi said. The CM, however, did not elaborate on how Banerjee is settling a score. The chief minister also blamed the previous BJD government which he accused of failing to make Odisha self-sufficient in potato and onion production. During the last six month

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