Page 67 - West Bengal

WB govt suppressing voice of women in Sandeshkhali: NCW chief Rekha Sharma

National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma on Monday accused the West Bengal government of suppressing the voice of a large number of women in Sandeshkhali where protests were held against alleged atrocities by ruling TMC leaders. During the day, she led a delegation of the commission to the area and said her visit was to instill confidence in women there so that many of them come out and start speaking their mind. The NCW chairperson alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government was trying to "suppress the voice of women so that the truth would not come out". "I am in Sandeshkhali for the entire day to hear from women. But the culprit must be arrested. Once (Shajahan) Shiekh is arrested, I believe more women will come out with their complaints. We have to instill confidence in them. I will talk to the police," Sharma told reporters soon after reaching the area. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district had accused Trinamool Congress ...

'Hunting down Hindu women': BJP trains gun on TMC over Sandeshkhali

'Women are the most unsafe in a state where a woman is the chief minister,' said BJP MP Locket Chatterjee on Monday

Sandeskhali incident: SC stays LS panel action against Bengal officials

Sandeshkhali: The Lok Sabha committee, on February 15, had issued a summon to the senior officials in the matter, asking them to appear before the panel today at 10:30 am

Delegation led by NCW's Rekha Sharma to visit unrest-hit Sandeshkhali today

A delegation of the National Commission for Women (NCW) led by its chairperson Rekha Sharma is scheduled to visit unrest-hit Sandeshkhali on Monday. Last week two members of NCW had visited the area and submitted a report revealing a "troubling pattern of negligence and complicity" by the Bengal government and law enforcement officials. "We want to talk to the victims. We will then meet the West Bengal Governor and then President in New Delhi tomorrow. Even if one incident takes place then it is shameful," Sharma said. She alleged that the TMC government is "not allowing the state administration to cooperate" with central agencies. As the situation in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas, gradually returns to normalcy following a week of protests alleging TMC-led atrocities on villagers and sexual harassment of women, the police have been maintaining a strong vigil in the area. The TMC, however, dubbed the visit by NCW as politically motivated. "The NCW is quick to visit West Bengal

Mamata accuses BJP of instigating turmoil in Sandeshkhali, party hits back

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday pointed fingers at the BJP for instigating the turmoil in Sandeshkhali, eliciting a swift rebuttal from the BJP, which in turn accused the TMC and the state government of complicity in crimes against women. As the situation in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas, gradually returns to normalcy following a week of protests alleging atrocities on villagers and sexual harassment of women by local Trinamool Congress leaders, a TMC delegation including three ministers, visited the area. They pledged zero tolerance against any wrongdoing while questioning the actions of BJP-led governments in states facing similar allegations. Meanwhile, Sukanta Majumdar, West Bengal BJP president, announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address a women's rally in Barasat, located in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, on March 7. Addressing a public distribution program in Suri, Banerjee asserted her initiative in directing

Domestic market enough to take in our capacity: Jindal Stainless MD

Jindal says that the strategy is to focus on the domestic market

PM Modi likely to address women's rally near Sandeshkhali on March 7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address a women's rally in Barasat in West Bengal on March 7, amid a political row over allegations of sexual assault of women by members of the state's ruling Trinamool Congress in Sandeshkhali, BJP leaders said on Sunday. The scheduled rally at the headquarters of North 24-Parganas district, where Sandeshkhali is located, will be held a day before International Women's Day, they said. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, who was here to attend the party's national convention, said the prime minister is likely to visit Barasat on March 7 to address a women's rally. Majumdar had to be hospitalised with injuries last week as BJP workers clashed with police personnel after being stopped from going to Sandeshkhali. The state BJP president, other party leaders and a central fact-finding team of the party have been stopped by police from visiting the area. Sandeshkhali has been tense with a large number of women in the locality accusing

SC to hear PIL seeking court-monitored probe into Sandeshkhali case on Mon

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a PIL seeking a court-monitored CBI or SIT probe into the violence in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali village. A bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Augustine George Masih will hear the PIL filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava. On February 16, the top court agreed to hear the plea after it was mentioned for urgent listing by Srivastava. The plea, filed by Srivastava in his personal capacity, also seeks compensation for the victims of the Sandeshkhali violence and action against officials of the West Bengal Police for alleged dereliction of duty. Srivastava, a practising Supreme Court lawyer, has been filing PILs in the top court to raise socio-political issues. The plea also seeks transfer of the probe and subsequent trial outside West Bengal. Besides, it seeks an inquiry by a three-judge committee as done in the Manipur violence case. Sandeshkhali, a village in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, has been witnessing

Another prime accused arrested in Sandeshkhali land grab, sexual abuse case

One of the prime accused in the case of alleged land grab and sexual harassment of women in Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district was arrested on Saturday, police said. Local TMC leader Shibaprasad Hazra, who has been named in police complaints along with party colleagues and other two prime accused Shajahan Sheikh and Uttam Sardar, was nabbed from a hideout in Sandeshkhali. He will be produced before a local court on Sunday. "We have arrested Shibaprasad Hazra from Sandeshkhali this evening. He will be produced before the court tomorrow," an officer of Nazat Police Station told PTI. Earlier, police have also arrested Uttam Sardar but Shajahan Sheikh remains absconding. With the fresh arrest, two of the three prime accused have been nabbed. A total of 18 people have been arrested in the case so far. Meanwhile, the police added IPC sections 376D (gangrape) and 307 (attempt to murder) in the case after a survivor recorded her statement under Section 164 of Code o

Raj Bhavan will provide shelter to tortured women from Sandeshkhali: WB Guv

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday said the doors of Raj Bhavan are open for the women of trouble-torn Sandeshkhali who feel unsafe in their homes. Speaking to PTI, Bose, who considers himself the Rakhi brother of the women in Sandeshkhali, vowed to do everything in his power to protect them. He assured that the "tortured" women from Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district could seek refuge in Raj Bhavan, where they would be provided with shelter, food, and security. Bose emphasised, "Doors of Raj Bhavan are open for victimised women who can come and stay here. We will provide them shelter, food, and security," he told PTI. The governor said women feeling threatened could contact the 'Peace Room' at Raj Bhavan by dialing 033-22001641 to lodge complaints. He assured that prompt action would be taken, asserting, "Our Peace Room is always open, and any victim from Sandeshkhali can call to lodge any complaint." Notably, Raj Bhavan had previously provided shelter to ..

Bandhan Bank authorised to collect revenues on behalf of West Bengal govt

Private lender Bandhan Bank on Saturday said that it has been authorised by the West Bengal government to collect tax and non-tax receipts on its behalf. The mandate will enable the bank to collect revenues through the Government Receipt Portal System (GRIPS). By virtue of this mandate, people will be able to pay various taxes like property tax, motor vehicle tax and professional tax using this portal, the lender said. The bank will soon be integrating itself with the West Bengal government to operationalise the payment collection process. Debraj Saha, head-government business, Bandhan Bank said West Bengal is among the top three markets for Bandhan Bank. The bank has over 1,700 transaction outlets in the state, he said. GRIPS is an online internet-based platform for making various tax and non-tax payments to the West Bengal government.

Sandeshkhali violence: Mayawati urges Bengal govt to punish culprits

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Friday urged the Mamata Banerjee government to take 'strict action against the culprits

Oppn stopped from visiting Sandeshkhali, NCSC recommends President's rule

National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) chief said the commission has recommended the imposition of President's rule in West Bengal in its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu

BJP, Cong teams to visit West Bengal's violence-hit Sandeshkhali today

West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, which has been rocked by protests over alleged atrocities on villagers by TMC leaders, continued to remain tense on Friday even as a BJP central team and a Congress delegation are scheduled to visit the area during the day. The police have been patrolling the area and have put up barricades to stop the visit of political leaders to the area, apprehending that it might worsen the situation. Six BJP MPs, including five women, are scheduled to visit Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district this afternoon and they alleged that the law and order there was "non-existent". BJP president J P Nadda has constituted the six-member committee of party MPs to visit Sandeshkhali where women have been protesting against alleged atrocities by local TMC leaders. Union ministers Pratima Bhoumik, Annapurna Devi, who is the committee's convener, Sunita Duggal, Kavita Patidar, Sangeeta Yadav and Brij Lal, a former Uttar Pradesh DGP, are members of the panel. "We hope the .

Bengal school jobs scam: ED searches builder's homes, office in Kolkata

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday began raids at the residences and office of a builder, who is considered close to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in the recruitment in primary schools in the state, an official said. Accompanied by central forces, ED teams raided an office and three flats of the businessman, one of which is just opposite the Chatterjee's house, in Naktala in the southern part of Kolkata, he said. The builder has played a significant role in the scam. It seems that the person has helped the arrested minister in investing the money garnered from the scam in different projects, the ED officer told PTI. Chatterjee was arrested by the central agency in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment in government-aided schools. The ED had earlier questioned the builder twice in connection with the alleged scam. Several documents and bank details seized from the possession of the per

Parl Committee of Privileges directs WB top officials to appear on Feb 19

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar was shifted from the ICU to a room in the daycare building of Apollo Hospital Salt Lake Kolkata on Thursday

Sandeshkhali incident: 17 arrested, won't allow injustice, says CM Mamata

Sandeshkhali is at the centre of a political storm for the past one month. TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his followers have been accused by several women of sexual misconduct, triggering protests

'There's RSS base in Sandeshkhali', says Mamata Banerjee amid ongoing row

Sandeshkhali has hit the headlines after a section of women there accused TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan's aides of sexual harassment

Six-member BJP delegation to visit violence-hit Sandeshkhali in West Bengal

BJP president J P Nadda has constituted a six-member committee of party MPs, five of them being women, who will on Friday visit West Bengal's Sandeshkhali which has been rocked by protests over allegations of sexual assault of women by TMC supporters. Several women in the region have accused the local Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of land-grab and sexually assaulting them under coercion. Shajahan has been absconding after a mob, allegedly affiliated to him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who has gone to search his premises in connection with a corruption case. Union ministers Pratima Bhoumik, Annapurna Devi, who is the committee's convener, Sunita Duggal, Kavita Patidar, Sangeeta Yadav and Brij Lal, a former Uttar Pradesh DGP, are part of the committee, a statement from the BJP said. Party sources said they will visit Sandeshkhali on Friday. The party said the incidents of sexual exploitation and violence against women are heart-rendin

Sandeshkhali situation 'highly reprehensible': Bengal Guv in report to MHA

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has submitted a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs, blaming the law enforcers for working hand in glove with "rowdy elements" in Sandeshkhali where women have been protesting against alleged atrocities by the ruling TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his followers, according to Raj Bhavan sources. Bose, who visited the restive area and spoke with the agitators on Monday, said in the report that the local people want constitution of a Special Task Force or Special Investigation Team to probe into their allegations. "I have taken stock of the matter through direct interaction with the victims and by making extensive field visits in Sandeshkhali island. In my considered opinion, the situation there is highly reprehensible," Bose said in the report to the Union Home Ministry. Besides torture and sexual harassment of women when men are away, other allegations heard by the governor include grabbing land for prawn cultivation and coercing villagers to ..