Top West Bengal News- IBNLive.com

WB govt to take over two TV channels of Saradha Group

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:11:08 +0530

The West Bengal government has acquired two television channels - Tara Muzik and Tara News - which were previously owned by the Saradha Group. The two channels had to be shut down following the Saradha chit-fund crisis.

IPL: Nine people arrested for betting from Kolkata

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:38:28 +0530

Nine people, including one bookie, have been arrested by a special team of Kolkata Police from Ultanga area in Kolkata for being allegedly involved in a cricket betting racket.

Saradha chit fund scam: A month on, SIT's credibility being questioned

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:29:25 +0530

It has been a month since Sharada chit fund scam accused Sudipta Sen was arrested. The scam has driven at least eight people to suicide, lakhs of investors lost their life savings and hundreds of agents have fled their homes. An SIT to probe the case was announced and a Rs 500-crore package was announced. But one month on, questions are being raised about the pace of investigation and neutrality of the SIT.

WB chit fund scam: Saradha Group director admitted to hospital

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:36:23 +0530

Debjani Mukherjee, one of the main accused in the West Bengal chit fund scam, was on Wednesday once again admitted to the state-run SSKM hospital in Kolkata. Debjani, a close associate of Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen, was earlier on Tuesday admitted to SSKM hospital in Kolkata.

West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee plans to ban online lottery

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:47:33 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Tuesday that the government would ban online lottery "Online lotto".

WB: Mamata announces separate tribal affairs department

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:49:44 +0530

To ensure added importance to tribals in the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced a separate department of tribal affairs, which would be under her. "Tribal people have many grievances, but they don't know where to lodge complaints to draw attention immediately. Therefore, a separate tribal affairs department will be created just like the minority affairs department and it will remain under me," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat.

SEC agrees with WB government over district distribution

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:01:07 +0530

The State Election Commission on Tuesday agreed to the formula proposed by the West Bengal government for district wise holding of the panchayat elections in three phases and said the polls would be notified this week. "As of now, yes. We will issue the notification by this week," State Election Commissioner Mira Pandey said when asked whether the SEC has agreed to the 9-4-4 district distribution formula by the state government.

Saradha Group director admitted to hospital

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:49:47 +0530

Debjani Mukherjee, one of the main accused in the Saradha Ponzi scam, was on Tuesday admitted to the state-run SSKM hospital in Kolkata. "She has been admitted with certain complaints like weakness, reeling and scanty urination. She is under observation of the doctors and there is nothing serious regarding her health condition," a hospital source said.

Chit fund scam: Mukherjee sent to Judicial custody

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:03:23 +0530

Saradha Group director and close associate of Sudipta Sen, Debjani Mukherjee was on Monday remanded in judicial custody till May 31 by the Bidhanagar court.

Bengal textile policy will help sector grow, say chambers

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:54:14 +0530

With the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal coming up with a draft textile policy to attract investment to revive the sector, leading industry lobbies have expressed hope that the policy roadmap would help the industry to grow significantly. States like Maharashtra and Gujarat unveiled their new textile policies in 2012 to woo investors.

2 ISI agents, linkmen arrested in Darjeeling hills

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:56:28 +0530

Two agents and two other linkmen of Pakistani spy agency ISI were arrested at Kurseong in Darjeeling district. "Two ISI agents identified as Maghan Bahadur Singh, a resident of Chotta Adalpur and Mesho Sauria, a resident of Panighatta Tea Estate were arrested on the charge of spying for ISI this afternoon," Superintendent of Police Kunal Agarwal told journalists at Kurseong police station.

WB minister receives threat letter, asked to quit TMC

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:59:46 +0530

West Bengal Agriculture Minister Malay Ghatak on Saturday said he has received a letter threatening to kill him and his family unless he resigned from the Cabinet and quit Trinamool Congress.

Mamata regime's 2 years a directionless sojourn: Congress

Sun, 19 May 2013 05:20:54 +0530

Bringing out an assessment report of West Bengal's Trinamool Congress government, two days before it completes two years in office, the Congress on Saturday alleged that the regime was moving in a negative direction and was clueless about the course it wanted the state's economy to take.

Bengal election panel seeks changes in poll schedule

Sun, 19 May 2013 04:15:59 +0530

The West Bengal State Election Commission on Saturday wrote to the state government seeking a change in the schedule for the panchayat polls and the bunching of districts in each phase. The state government had issued a notification on Friday proposing three-phase polls. Nine districts are to go to the hustings July 2, and four each July 6 and July 10.

Kolkata: Couple arrested for duping banks

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:26:21 +0530

A Delhi-based couple was arrested from Kolkata for duping several banks by forging documents, police said Saturday. Kamal Kishore Shukla, 60, and his wife Shashi Shukla, 53 were arrested on May 15 from Kolkata.

WB: Teacher sent to judicial custody for allegedly banging a student's head against the wall

Sat, 18 May 2013 06:33:04 +0530

A lady teacher who was arrested for allegedly banging a class III student's head against a wall as punishment leading to his death was on Saturday remanded to 14 days judicial custody.

Woman mountaineer from West Bengal climbs Mt Everest

Sat, 18 May 2013 06:03:50 +0530

Woman mountaineer Chanda Gayen has successfully scaled the Mt Everest today, becoming the third woman from West Bengal to achieve the feat. A message from the base camp at Solo Khumbu in Nepal reaching here said Chanda, who started the last part of her journey for the summit from camp four at South Col on Friday night, followed the South East ridge route and reached the top at 7 am.

Chit fund scam: Sen remanded to judicial custody

Sat, 18 May 2013 04:23:41 +0530

West Bengal chit fund scam accused Sudipta Sen and Arvind Chauhan have been remanded to judicial custody till May 22. The court has reserved order on the third accused Debjani Mukherjee as she is in hospital.

WB: Child rights panel seeks report on student's death

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:21:18 +0530

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought a report from West Bengal officials on the death of an eight-year-old student after he was allegedly assaulted by his teacher in class. The commission took up the matter after a report on CNN-IBN.

WB opposition demands central forces for Panchayat polls

Sat, 18 May 2013 04:47:12 +0530

Opposition parties in West Bengal on Friday demanded deployment of central paramilitary forces in an all-party meeting convened by the State Election Commission to ensure proper, free and fair panchayat elections.

WB Panchayat polls to be held on July 2, 6 and 10

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:55:28 +0530

The West Bengal Election Commission on Friday announced dates for the Panchayat elections in the state. The elections will be held in three phases on July 2, 6 and 10. The results will be announced three days later.

WB: Student dies after teacher bangs his head against the wall

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:38:22 +0530

Alleged corporal punishment left an 8-year-old dead in South 24 Parganas in West Bengal. The student died after his head was allegedly banged against the wall by a teacher.

West Bengal government achieves 7.6 per cent GDP growth

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:29:57 +0530

The West Bengal government achieved 7.6 per cent growth in GDP compared to the national average of 4.96 per cent during the last financial year. In industry, the growth rate was 6.24 per cent against the national average of 3.12 per cent, Finance Minister Amit Mitra claimed while releasing three books on the completion of two years rule of Mamata Banerjee-led government on Thursday.

WB: Mamata govt releases performance report on 2 years rule

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:35:17 +0530

West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee led government on Thursday released a performance report, claiming the state has clocked a growth rate higher than that of the overall country during the nearly two years it has been in power.

WB chit fund: Sudipta Sen denies links with TMC

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:30:21 +0530

The Saradha chit fund scam's suspected kingpin Sudipta Sen who earlier had reached out to the CBI accusing West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress of complicity in the swindle, has now approached the court opposing probe by the central agency.

WB chit fund: Court defers CBI probe

Thu, 16 May 2013 07:55:01 +0530

Observing that "time has not come" for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Saradha chit fund scam, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to accept a plea in this regard but said it will consider it after fully hearing the matter.

WB panchayat polls: Differences between govt, EC continues

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:10:12 +0530

There were differences at a meeting on Thursday between the State Election Commission (SEC) and the West Bengal government over fixing dates for the three-tier panchayat elections after the Calcutta High Court's direction that the two mutually agree on it.

Chit fund scam: Sudipta Sen opposes CBI probe

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:20:24 +0530

Saradha group chairman Sudipta Sen, who has been accused of cheating lakhs of investors of their money running into thousands of crores, on Wednesday opposed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the complaints against him and his companies in an affidavit filed before the Calcutta High Court.

Cyclonic storm Mahasen moves eastwards

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:40:53 +0530

Cyclonic storm 'Mahasen,' which lay over west-central Bay of Bengal, has moved eastwards and is now about 730 kms south-southwest of Kolkata, according to the regional meteorological centre here.

WB panchayat polls: Govt, EC likely to meet on Thursday

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:56:20 +0530

A day after the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government and the State Election Commission to mutually decide on dates for the panchayat election, a move has been initiated by both to hold a meeting on Thursday.

WB: Indian Army's first woman jawan found dead

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:55:27 +0530

Indian Army's first woman jawan Shanti Tigga was found hanging in a railway hospital in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Tuesday, police said. A senior police officer said prima facie it appeared to be a case of suicide.

WB govt hails HC order on panchayat elections

Tue, 14 May 2013 03:46:07 +0530

The West Bengal government on Tuesday hailed the Calcutta High Court order on panchayat elections as "historic." "This is a historic order of the hon'ble High Court and we are very happy," state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said.

Kolkata: Violence breaks out at an anti-chit fund rally

Tue, 14 May 2013 03:35:25 +0530

Violence broke out on Tuesday at an anti-chit fund rally, held by Democratic Students Organisation (students wing of Socialist Unity Centre of India) in Kolkata.

WB: 3 coaches of Haldibari Express get derailed

Tue, 14 May 2013 02:26:11 +0530

Three coaches of the Haldibari Express on Tuesday got derailed between Nalhati and Chatra.

Paramilitary forces during WB Panchayat polls not necessary: HC

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:11:46 +0530

In a breather for the Mamata Banerjee government, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday said that it is not mandatory to deploy central forces for the upcoming Panchayat polls.

WB govt-owned theatre refuses to screen 'Kagojer Nouka'

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:12:09 +0530

A West Bengal government owned cinema hall in Kolkata has reportedly refused to screen a movie on the chit fund scam. State-owned Nandan cinema hall says it will not screen the movie 'Kagojer Nouka' (which means Paper boat).

WB chit fund scam: What forces people to invest in ponzi schemes?

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:11:54 +0530

As the Calcutta High Court begins hearing pleas seeking a CBI probe into the Sharada group chit fund scam on Tuesday, CNN-IBN has found that it is unemployment and stunted industrial and agricultural growth in the state that is forcing people to invest in ponzi schemes.

WB: Court asks SEC to identify sensitive poll booths

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:08:50 +0530

Hearing will continue on Tuesday in the Calcutta High Court on the standoff between West Bengal government and the state Election Commission (EC) over panchayat elections. On Monday, the WB government filed a fresh appeal to a higher bench against the old judgement of the Single bench in favour of the EC.

Chit fund scam: Another chit fund agent kills himself

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:45:23 +0530

A deposit firm agent committed suicide, while police quizzed a CEO of a company under the Saradha group banner Monday as West Bengal continued to grapple with the fallout of the chit fund scam, purported to be the biggest financial scandal to hit the state.

Double whammy for Mamata Banerjee government in court

Tue, 14 May 2013 04:42:39 +0530

Delivering a double blow to West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee government, the Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered CBI probe into a Trinamool Congress worker's death allegedly in police custody and refused to suspend its earlier verdict upholding the primacy of the State Election Commission.

Kolkata: 1 killed, 59 injured as train rams into bus

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:42:16 +0530

One person was killed while at least 59 others were injured when a train rammed into a minibus carrying a marriage party at an unmanned level crossing in Coochbehar district late on Monday night. The condition of two persons is stated to be serious.

WB: Chit fund scam claims its 12th victim

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:29:57 +0530

The chit fund scam in West Bengal claimed its twelfth victim on Monday with an agent of a ponzi scheme found hanging in his home at Basirhat in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.

WB panchayat polls: High Court defers hearing till Tuesday

Mon, 13 May 2013 06:50:30 +0530

The Calcutta High Court has deferred till Tuesday the hearing related to the tussle between West Bengal and the state election commission over the number of phases in the Panchayat election.

Court orders CBI probe into Dhaniakhali custodial death

Mon, 13 May 2013 03:24:36 +0530

The Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered a CBI investigation into the alleged custodial death of a youth in the Dhaniakhali police station area in Hooghly district. Passing the order on a PIL seeking a probe by the central agency, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi directed that the CBI investigate the death of Kaji Nasiruddin on January 18.

West Bengal: Chit fund duped farm labourer attempts suicide

Mon, 13 May 2013 02:39:44 +0530

A daily wage farm labourer on Monday allegedly attempted to commit suicide after losing money in Saradha chit fund scam. Sixteen-year-old Sahanur Rahman tried to end his life by drinking pesticide Monday morning at his home near here, the police said.

Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into TMC activist's custodial death

Mon, 13 May 2013 01:55:03 +0530

The Calcutta High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the death of a Trinamool Congress activist in police custody in January. 30-year-old Kazi Nasiruddin, a TMC activist, had died after he was allegedly tortured by the police.

WB panchayat polls: Govt to file appeal against HC verdict

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:34:39 +0530

West Bengal government will on Monday file a fresh appeal to a higher bench against an old judgement that upheld the supremacy of state election commission while conducting Panchayat polls.

Mamata Banerjee to visit Darjeeling, meet GJM leaders

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:21:30 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will embark on a three-day visit to Darjeeling Hills beginning May 14, 2013 during which she will meet the GJM leaders as well as hold talks with the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA).

WB: Police unearths Rs 750 cr assets of Saradha chief

Sun, 12 May 2013 08:18:17 +0530

Police have unearthed assets worth Rs 750 crore so far by quizzing chit fund-aided Saradha Group's arrested promoter Sudipta Sen and his top aides, an official said on Saturday. Six motorcycles with red beacons and hooters allegedly used by company's officials to carry cash was also seized.

Most chit funds came up during CPI(M) rule: Roy

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:40:57 +0530

Seeking to turn the tables on the Marxists for demanding CBI probe in the chit fund scam, Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy on Saturday night alleged that most of the chit funds came up during the Left front regime. "If the investigations start now, many CPI(M) leaders may come under net. The CPI(M) is demanding CBI inquiry to actually delay the probe process," the former union minister alleged at a rally in Chakdah.

Chit fund scam: Debjani distances herself from Sudipta, says he masterminded the racket

Sat, 11 May 2013 05:22:36 +0530

Sudipta Sen's alleged aide Debjani Mukherjee, who was arrested in connection with the West Bengal chit fund scam, distanced herself from the Saradha Group chairman through a letter that was made public by her lawyers.

I was only a trustworthy employee of Sen, says Debjani

Sat, 11 May 2013 05:40:10 +0530

Chit fund aided Saradha Group promoter Sudipta Sen's close aide Debjani Mukherjee on Friday claimed she was only a "trustworthy employee" of Sen and that she was sacked for raising her voice against the company's fund collection method. "When I found out that my boss was doing business in a way that was against my principles, I started raising my voice against him. Not considering my dedication towards the company, he sacked me from the post of a director," she said.

Opposition trying to derail panchayat poll process: Mamata

Sat, 11 May 2013 01:59:03 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday slammed the Opposition for conspiring to prevent her government from holding panchayat polls on time and vowed that elections will be held at the appropriate time. "Panchayat polls will be held at the appropriate time. Work for panchayats and 100 days' will not be hampered", she said at a party rally here without elaborating.

Panchayat elections: WB govt to appeal against Calcutta HC order

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:55:41 +0530

The West Bengal government would appeal against the Calcutta High Court order upholding the primacy of the State Election Commission and asking it to provide names of 400 observers for the panchayat polls by Saturday, Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said.

WB: Mamata loses out to state EC, HC orders 3-phase Panchayat polls

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:35:13 +0530

In a big blow to the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered three-phase Panchayat elections in the state. The order establishes the supremacy of the state Election Commission that had opposed the Trinamool Congress government's demand to conduct two-phase elections.

WB: Movie on chit fund scam to release today

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:14:08 +0530

The Saradha Group chit fund fiasco has inspired a new movie in West Bengal. Tollywood has drawn inspiration from the Saradha Group collapse. All eyes are now on the latest release, 'Kagojer Nouka' or 'The Paper Boat', which metaphorically means an object that doesn't stay afloat for a long time. Incidentally, the film stars Dadasaheb Phalke-winner Soumitra Chatterjee playing the character of the prototype of Saradha boss and scamster Sudipta Sen.

Calcutta HC to give verdict on WB panchayat case today

Fri, 10 May 2013 06:43:23 +0530

The Calcutta High Court will give its verdict on Friday on the West Bengal panchayat elections row. The state Election Commission had moved court after differences with the Mamata government over when to hold the elections and the deployment of state or paramilitary forces to conduct the polls.

WB chit fund scam: Left parties seek CBI probe

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:25:02 +0530

The Left parties on Thursday sought a court-monitored CBI probe into the West Bengal chit fund scam and accused the Trinamool Congress-led government of not intervening to check activities of companies with suspicious financial dealings in the state.

WB chit fund scam: TMC hits back at Left for meeting PM, FM

Thu, 09 May 2013 06:47:45 +0530

Accusing the Left of failing to protect investors in ponzi schemes during its prolonged rule in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress on Thursday hit back after Left leaders met the Prime Minister and Finance Minister seeking a CBI probe into the chit fund scam.

WB chit fund scam: Sudipta Sen, 2 aides sent to 9-day police custody

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:46:40 +0530

Chit fund company Saradha group's chief Sudipta Sen was on Thursday sent to 9-day police custody, along with two of his close aides - Debjani Mukherjee and Arvind Singh Chouhan.

Police to seek further custody of Saradha Group chairman

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:17:27 +0530

aradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen and his close aide Debjani Mukherjee were produced in a court on Thursday as their 14-day custody ended. Sources said police were likely to add two more charges as fresh FIRs have been registered against them on the basis of the new complaints filed by the investors. The police were also likely to ask for their custody for two more weeks.

West Bengal for social security scheme for investors

Thu, 09 May 2013 05:20:44 +0530

West Bengal is planning to start a social security scheme for depositors and investors to ensure proper return of public money following the Saradha chit fund mess, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata on Wednesday. "In the wake of growing financial insecurity, we are thinking of a social security scheme. It will ensure proper safety of public money and ensure safe and proper return. We will shortly put out a proposal on the website of the finance department to seek public comments," Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata.

WB: Mamata Banerjee offers sops to industrialists

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:59:03 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday assured industrialists of speedy clearance of land for industries and promised to solve issues related to infrastructure within a specific timeframe.

WB chit fund scam: CPM seeks CBI probe into Saradha issue

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:20:49 +0530

Claiming that names of top political persons are surfacing in the chit fund scam in West Bengal, a CPI (M) member on Wednesday sought a CBI enquiry into unregulated money raising activities in the wake of Saradha Group allegedly defrauding investors of their money.

Won't allow political interference in Presidency: Mamata

Wed, 08 May 2013 01:40:41 +0530

The West Bengal government on Tuesday assured the Presidency University that no political interference would be allowed in the premier institution and there would be an impartial probe into the vandalism there. "The chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) has assured me that no political interference will be allowed in the Presidency University," the varsity Mentor Group chairman Sugata Bose told reporters here after a meeting with the CM.

Chit fund scam: Sudipta Sen's son's Mercedes seized

Tue, 07 May 2013 11:40:28 +0530

A Mercedes car being used by the son of Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen was seized on Tuesday by police. The car having a Haryana registration number and valued at over Rs 1 crore was seized from where it was parked at Deshopriya Park in south Kolkata, police said.

WB: Another chit fund company agent commits suicide

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:51:37 +0530

Illegal finance schemes continued to claim lives in West Bengal on Tuesday. Yet another agent of yet another illegal deposits-taking company killed himself after being heckled by investors in the Self Trust Enterprises Ltd.

Ready to probe chit fund scam: CBI tells Calcutta HC

Tue, 07 May 2013 02:32:27 +0530

The CBI on Tuesday filed an affidavit in Calcutta High Court stating that it is ready to take up investigation into the Saradha chit fund scam if directed by the court.

WB chit fund scam: How Saradha group looted the investors

Tue, 07 May 2013 10:56:38 +0530

Investigations are on into the chit fund scam in West Bengal. There were thousands of crores of losses for those who can least afford it.

Mamata meets Mukherjee, seeks early assent to bill

Tue, 07 May 2013 03:02:18 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called on President Pranab Mukherjee at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata Monday night and is understood to have taken up the issue of expediting the presidential assent to a new bill to protect depositors' interest in the aftermath of the multi-crore rupees ponzi schemes scam in the state.

Sudipta's properties to be posted in police websites

Tue, 07 May 2013 02:44:37 +0530

The amount of property amassed by Sudipta Sen, the chairman of the Saradha Group, which has been accused of duping thousands of investors, will be made public by the police. "We are planning to make public the amount of money that Sen and his associate Debjani Mukherjee has made from ponzi schemes. We are waiting for a court order to do it," DC (DD) Bidhanagar City Police, Arnab Ghosh told PTI.

WB: Chit fund company chief found dead, wife alleges murder

Mon, 06 May 2013 07:51:42 +0530

The wife of a chit fund company director on Monday filed an FIR seeking investigation into his death. According to the woman, her husband was murdered by investors who mobbed him after he was unable to pay them back.

WB chit fund scam: Father of ponzi scheme agent commits suicide

Mon, 06 May 2013 05:09:35 +0530

Two more people committed suicide in West Bengal on Monday over the chit fund scam case. In the first case, the father of a ponzi scheme agent committed suicide at Sodepur in North 24 Parganas.

Mamata knew everything about chit fund scam: Buddhadeb

Mon, 06 May 2013 05:34:59 +0530

Attacking West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her predecessor and CPI-M leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday termed as "lies" her statement that she knew nothing about the chit fund scam before the Bengali New Year day. "New she says I did not know anything before Polia Baishakh (April 15-Bengali New Year's Day). For some people, lying is a habit. She knew everything. Her government has admitted that in an affidavit before the court," Bhattacharjee said without taking her name at a public meeting in Shyamnagar of neighbouring North 24 Parganas district.

Saradha Group's manager arrested, 2 more offices sealed

Sun, 05 May 2013 04:20:08 +0530

The manager of Saradha Group's Raniganj branch office was arrested on Sunday. Two of the company's offices in Birbhum in West Bengal were also sealed and computers, certificates and bonds worth Rs 23,000 were seized. This after an investor lodged a complaint against the company.

Chit fund scam: Mamata govt cracks down on MPS group

Sun, 05 May 2013 09:58:59 +0530

The West Bengal government has sealed the offices of MPS group, a business house that has an estimated liability of Rs 17,000 crore and is under the scanner of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Will publish posters against CPI(M) canards: Mamata

Sun, 05 May 2013 12:40:38 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday mocked her predecessor Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's comment that the former Left Front regime had kept chit funds at bay and promised to publish 'posters' against canards by the Marxist party. "Kept them at bay? But rubbed shoulders with them! Whose photo is this?" Banerjee asked dramatically at a Trinamool Congress rally in Panihati in North 24 Parganas, showing a photo purported to be of Bhattacharjee with a chit fund owner.

Kolkata: Mamata continues tirade against CPM, Congress

Sat, 04 May 2013 03:29:05 +0530

Continuing her tirade against the CPI(M) and the Congress over the Saradha chit fund scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that the two parties had a lot to answer for and asked partymen to counter the allegations vigorously. "They (CPI-M) are merrily calling everyone chit fund thief. They themselves have to do some very serious answering about their dubious role during their regime," Banerjee was quoted by a party insider as telling a close door general council meeting of party MPS, MLAs and councillors in Kolkata.

Mamata accuses centre of inaction against 'ponzi' firms

Fri, 03 May 2013 06:09:04 +0530

Attacking the opposition over its demand for a CBI probe in the chit fund muddle, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the central government of inaction against the burgeoning 'ponzi' firms. "Those who are clamouring for CBI inquiry, I want to ask them why the central organisations like the SEBI and the RBI never took steps against the chit funds. These organisations are the one who gave authorisation to the chit funds," Banerjee said here.

Kolkata protestors burn Asif Ali Zardari's effigy

Fri, 03 May 2013 04:38:54 +0530

Angry protestors in Kolkata on Thursday burnt effigies of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, while torch rallies were held as a mark of respect to Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh who died after a brutal assault in a Pakistan jail. In central Kolkata, Congress workers held a rally outside the Tea Board office, demanding the perpetrators of the barbaric attack on Sarabjit be brought to justice.

Bengal chit fund agent kills herself, toll rises to five

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:20:59 +0530

The toll in the chit fund bust rose to five in West Bengal on Thursday with an agent of a chit fund company allegedly committing suicide by consuming poison at her home in Murshidabad district's Salar.

WB chit fund scam: Mamata to hit the streets on Thursday

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:12:25 +0530

In a bid to prevent the Opposition from cashing in on the Saradha chitfund scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hit the streets on Thursday to shift the blame to her predecessors and project the action taken by her government against the 'legacy' of '70s and '80s.

WB chit fund scam: Mamata holds meet with officials

Wed, 01 May 2013 08:32:16 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday held a meeting with her colleagues and senior officials on the issue of Saradha group fiasco.

WB chit fund scam: Top aides of 2 Left leaders quizzed

Wed, 01 May 2013 07:54:39 +0530

The probe in the West Bengal chit fund case has widened its ambit to the previous Left government. On Wednesday, the police questioned the top aides of two former Left ministers.

West Bengal chit fund scam: Mamata to hold rallies

Wed, 01 May 2013 06:58:28 +0530

Seeking to prevent the opposition from cashing in on the Saradha chitfund scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hit the streets on Thursday to shift the blame to her predecessors and project the action taken by her government against the 'legacy' of '70s and '80s. "The chitfunds are a legacy of Bengal from the 70's and 80's. For all these years, CPI(M) and Congress turned the other way .... Now, they cannot pretend to be angels," Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said.

IIT-Kgp revokes suspension of whistleblower professor

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:57:33 +0530

IIT Kharagpur, has revoked the suspension of whistleblower Prof Rajeev Kumar who had exposed flaws in JEE and other irregularities in the institute.

WB: Real Hero Sangita Bauri wages battle against child marriage

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:54:00 +0530

Every second girl in India is married underage, according to UNFPA data. The UNFPA also says that India has the highest number of child brides. Nearly 47 per cent of girls are married under the legal age of 18. The agency adds that nearly 140 million child marriages may take place between 2011 and 2020 across most developing nations. This means that on an average, 39,000 child marriages will happen everyday.

West Bengal: 2 boys throw acid on girl, then rape her

Wed, 01 May 2013 01:17:51 +0530

A class 6 student was first attacked with acid and then raped by two boys in West Bengal's Bardhaman district on Monday night. The incident took place when the girl was returning from school. Two boys allegedly stopped her on the way and first threw acid on her and then raped her.

Chit fund scam: Mamata orders closure of two companies

Wed, 01 May 2013 10:04:32 +0530

As the West Bengal government continues to face the criticism of the Opposition over the chit-fund scam, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered closure of two fund-raising companies.

West Bengal bans manufacture, sale of gutka, paan masala

Wed, 01 May 2013 06:06:34 +0530

Waking up to the threats and consequences of high rate of tobacco consumption in the population, the West Bengal government has imposed a ban on the sale of gutka, pan masala or any other product containing tobacco or Nicotine.

WB chit fund scam: Police call tea trading firm owner for questioning

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:20:50 +0530

The Bidhannagar Police on Tuesday called tea trading firm owner Sajan Agarwal for questioning in the West Bengal chit fund scam case.

West Bengal: Mamata renames streets in Kolkata

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:59:16 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday renamed seventeen streets in the metropolis after legendary personalities from the world of industry, arts, music and others.

WB chit fund scam: Police to question more political leaders

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:50:36 +0530

Police sources on Tuesday indicated that more politicians apart from Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh will be questioned in connection with the West Bengal chit fund scam.

WB: SFI activist's father seeks CBI probe into his death

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:21:47 +0530

The father of SFI leader Sudipto Gupta on Tuesday moved the Calcutta High Court seeking a CBI probe into the death of his son, saying that a fair investigation was not possible by any state agency.

WB Assembly passes bill to regulate chit fund companies

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 06:03:41 +0530

In a fallout of the Saradha chit fund scam in West Bengal, the state Assembly on Tuesday passed a new bill on protecting investor interests in chit fund companies. The Bill was passed with minor amendments in a special session of the Assembly. However, there was no amendment in the most controversial portions of the Bill, namely the definition of Competent Authority (clause 8) and Section 22 (2) which empowers the Act with retrospective effect.

Under pressure over the chit fund scam, WB to enact new law

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:20:29 +0530

Under massive pressure over the chit fund scam, West Bengal will on Tuesday enact a new law to deal with companies that take public deposits. But it is based on an old draft that has been withdrawn and its critics say it will do more harm than good.

WB chit fund scam: Police question TMC MP Kunal Ghosh

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:45:44 +0530

The police questioned Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh for 90 minutes regarding his involvement in the multi-crore West Bengal chit fund scam on Monday. Sources say Ghosh was asked about his position in the company, his deal with Saradha Group promoter Sudipta Sen on Channel 10 and whether he had anything to do with the financial aspect of the company.

Odisha to take up chit fund issue with WB counterpart

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:19:54 +0530

With investors hitting the streets across Odisha demanding return of their deposits with Saradha Group, the state government on Monday asked the police crime branch to take up the matter with their West Bengal counterparts. The government also instructed the police to take help of RBI and SEBI to nail the ponzy scheme outfits.

Mamata's nephew to sue CPI-M leader for chit fund allegation

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:50:46 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee would sue senior CPI-M leader Gautam Deb for alleging that he has amassed fortune worth Rs 300 crore and was into the chit fund business, the Trinamool Congress said on Monday.

WB chit fund scam: Noose tightens around accused

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:32:46 +0530

The West Bengal Police investigation into the Saradha chit fund fraud gathered steam on Monday as it summoned Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh for questioning over his role in the scam. Ghosh, however, denied all the charges saying it was a conspiracy against him.

WB chit fund scam: Police summon TMC MP Kunal Ghosh

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:05:39 +0530

The Trinamool Congress MP, Kunal Ghosh was on Monday summoned by the Bidhannagar Police for interrogation over the multicrore Saradha chit fund scam. Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen and his aide Debjani Mukherjee had alleged that Kunal Ghosh had played a role in the fraud.

Chit fund scam: Sudipta swindled 2500 employees of PF money

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:46:59 +0530

Sudipta Sen, Saradha group chairman accused of duping lakhs of investors, has allegedly swindled 2500 of his employees of their provident fund money, according to sources.

WB: Cong workers go on a rampage, demand Kunal Ghosh's arrest

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:48:47 +0530

Congress workers on Monday went on a rampage over the West Bengal chit fund scam in Kolkata. They took to the streets in Kolkata demanding a CBI probe and the arrest of Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh.

SFIO probing firms involved in WB chit fund scam: Sachin Pilot

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:30:00 +0530

The Centre is investigating the West Bengal chit fund schemes with the Corporate Affairs Ministry setting up a special panel.

WB Assembly adjourned till tomorrow after obituary reference

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:23:30 +0530

Day one of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Assembly test has been deferred. The West Bengal Assembly has been adjourned for the day after an obituary reference. A special 2-day session had been called by Governor MK Narayanan to discuss the chit fund scam.

WB Assembly's special session on chit fund scam to begin today

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:44:44 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is getting ready to face the Opposition's fire in the state Assembly. A special 2-day session has been called by Governor MK Narayanan from Monday to discuss the chit fund scam in the state.

WB chit fund scam hits the state's film industry

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:42:40 +0530

The West Bengal chit fund is getting bigger each day. It has now turns out that ponzi schemes in the state financed not just media houses but Tollywood films as well. In the past four years, at least one in three films has been produced by groups that run ponzi schemes.

Chit fund scam: Sudipta Sen interrogated by Assam Police

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:16:39 +0530

Scam-ridden Saradha Group boss Sudipta Sen, arrested for being the alleged kingpin of the multi-billion rupee chit fund scam, was grilled by Assam Police in the cases of fraud and forgery lodged against him in the state, police sources in Kolkata said on Sunday. A team of police officers from Assam quizzed Sen on Saturday and Sunday about the four cases filed against his group companies in the northeastern state.

WB chit fund scam: 'Sudipta Sen cooperating with investigators'

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:48:46 +0530

Sudipta Sen, Saradha group chairman accused of duping lakhs of investors, is cooperating with investigators, his lawyer claimed on Sunday. As per court order he was present when Sen was interrogated, Samir Das, Sen's lawyer said. Sen, along with Ponzi scheme director Debjani Mukherjee and company official Arvind Singh Chouhan have been remanded to police custody for 14 days.

WB chit fund scam: CPM points finger at Mamata's nephew

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:20:39 +0530

Demanding CBI inquiry into Saradha Group chit fund scam, CPI(M) on Sunday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew of being involved in ponzi schemes and said she should come clean on the issue. "Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is the leader of Trinamool Congress Yuva, runs a company which is involved in real estate and micro-finance and has made a huge amount of money in the last two to three years. Microfinance is a civilised name of chit funds," CPI(M) central committee member Gautam Deb told a rally in neighbouring North 24 Parganas district.

WB: Guinness record holder dies while performing stunt

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 08:50:15 +0530

Sailen Nath Roy, who had made his way to the Guinness Book of World records for his stunts, died in Siliguri on Sunday while performing a rope stunt over Teesta river at Sevoke.

WB: Angry relatives of patient vandalise hospital after newborn dies

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 07:34:45 +0530

Angry relatives of a woman on Sunday vandalised a hospital in Burdwan after one of her newborn twins died. The rampaging men were caught on camera raiding the hospital, severely beating up nurses and other medical staff and damaging hospital equipment.

West Bengal: Man allegedly kills his 10-year-old daughter

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 06:10:44 +0530

A man and his aide were arrested on Sunday for allegedly killing his 10-year-old daughter when she protested his attempts to sell her at Jalangi in Murshidabad district.

New Bill on chit funds by WB govt sparks off debate

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:44:30 +0530

With the Mamata Banerjee regime readying to crack the whip on the chit funds by bringing a new Bill, a debate has begun whether it will stand up to judicial scrutiny as the government has apparently decided to implement the law with retrospective effect. The West Bengal Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Bill, 2013 will have retrospective effect, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said.

Chit fund scam: Mamata to bring in law against defaulting cos

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 07:53:56 +0530

In the wake of the collapse of the Saradha Group, an under pressure Mamata Banerjee is all set to bring a new law that allows takeover of chit fund companies and confiscation of properties. The opposition though has slammed the move saying the Bill has nothing new.

Chit fund scam: Pressure mounts on TMC govt as one more investor commits suicide

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 09:59:11 +0530

Meanwhile, TMC MP Kunal Ghosh, one of the two accused of blackmailing Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen, has offered to resign if he is told to do so.

Chit fund scam: WB Minister denies any link with Sudipta Sen

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:58:22 +0530

Transport minister and senior TMC leader Madan Mitra said that he was never the president of any employees association of the Saradha Group.

WB chit fund scam: One more investor commits suicide

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 04:41:59 +0530

One more investor, who had deposited money in chit fund company Saradha Group, on Saturday committed suicide. Tapan Biswas, a resident of Purulia, allegedly hanged himself.

WB: Kunal Ghosh writes to Mamata, offers to quit if proven guilty

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:25:04 +0530

The West Bengal chit fund disaster is continuing to embarrass the ruling Trinamool Congress government. But the party is trying to minimise the damage by trying to distance itself from the mess.

How a Saradha receptionist became executive director in 3 years

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:08:51 +0530

Debjani Mukherjee, who went from being a receptionist in the Saradha group to becoming an executive director, has now been arrested for defrauding investors. Her story is a fairy tale that ended badly.

WB: Chit fund firms run for cover as panic hits the sealing

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:53:49 +0530

Rose Valley's chairman Goutam Kundu wrote to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on April 23 seeking protection from the administration. He claimed in his letter that his group had assets worth Rs 10,000 crore, and the money collected from depositors was safe in his hands.

WB chit fund scam: TMC MP Kunal Ghosh offers to quit

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:50:41 +0530

Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh on Friday offered to resign from Rajya Sabha if charges against him in the West Bengal chit fund scam were proved. In a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Ghosh wrote, "If it's proved that I am related to the money market schemes of Saradha, I am willing to resign from Rajya Sabha."

WB chit fund scam: FIR filed against Sudipta Sen, TMC MP

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:52:15 +0530

An FIR has been filed against Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh, Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen and six others for non-payment of salaries to employees of a television channel run by the chit fund company.

Chit fund scam: Mamata vows to repay defrauded investors

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:01:18 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday vowed not to rest till money was repaid to the thousands defrauded allegedly by the Saradha Group and said that a new law was being brought to protect the interests of investors.

WB chit fund scam: Governor calls special Assembly session

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:43:26 +0530

West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan has called a special session of the state Assembly next week beginning April 29 to discuss the chit fund scam. Speaker Biman Banerjee, in fact, has called an all-party meeting at 3 pm on Friday to discuss the special session.

Channel 10 employees file FIR against Sudipta Sen, Kunal Ghosh

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:45:20 +0530

There is more trouble for Saradha Group promoter Sudipta Sen and Trinamool Congress's Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh. Twenty employees of news channel Channel 10 have filed an FIR against Sudipta Sen and Kunal Ghosh over non-payment of salaries.

WB chit fund scam: Nalini Chidambaram is innocent, says her client

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:15:26 +0530

As Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen and the Trinamool Congress drag Finance Minister P Chidambaram's lawyer wife Nalini in the chit fund scam, her client Manoranjana Sinh has stepped in to defend her. In a video message on YouTube, she said Nalini advised her and her husband against accepting Saradha funds for her channel.

WB chit fund scam: Sebi turns the heat on over a dozen other firms

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:45:28 +0530

The chit fund scam in West Bengal is getting bigger with market regulator Sebi turning the heat on over a dozen other companies running similar Ponzi schemes. People are rushing to withdraw Rs 20,000 crore invested in these companies.

WB chit fund scam gets bigger, 2 more firms come under scrutiny

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:50:21 +0530

The chit fund scam in West Bengal is getting bigger. Market regulator Sebi has asked the government to look into the operations of other companies, which could be compromising investor money like the Saradha group. The Rose Valley Group is one of them.

WB chit fund scam: Chidambaram's wife under scanner, Cong feels the heat

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:31:06 +0530

It isn't just the TMC, but the Congress too that has to answer questions in the West Bengal chit fund controversy.

WB chit fund scam: Sudipta quizzed; ED files money laundering case

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:28:23 +0530

Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen and two others accused in the West Bengal chit fund scam went through the primary investigation on Thursday. The poilce has seized mobiles and laptops from the three accused. According to the police, six cases have been filed against Sen, out of which four have been filed by employees who did not receive their salaries.

WB chit fund scam happened due to political patronage: Prasenjit Bose

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:08:16 +0530

Were elements of the ruling party in West Bengal complicit in the chit fund scheme which swindled thousands of crores from hapless, poor people? Left economist Prasenjit Bose joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the issue.

Mistook Sudipta for someone else, TMC covering up its fault: Cong MP

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:20:24 +0530

The West Bengal Congress MP from Malda, AHK Chowdhury, in the net over the West Bengal chit fund scam, on Thursday defended himself saying that he met Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen only six months after the second letter he had written to the PM defending Saradha Realty.

WB chit fund scam: Sudipta Sen sent to 14-day police custody

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 03:54:16 +0530

Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen and two others officials of the group have been remanded to 14 days' police custody by a court in Kolkata. The three accused in the chit fund scam were produced in the court amidst protests by Congress as well as Trinamool Congress supporters.

Congress's Malda MP shielded Saradha group in a letter to PM

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 03:23:29 +0530

A Congress link to West Bengal's Saradha chit fund scam has surfaced. CNN-IBN has accessed a letter written by Congress MP from Malda and Union Minister of State Abu Haseem Khan Chowdhury to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh where he shields the Saradha group.

Mamata says 'smoke more' to help Saradha investors

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:57:04 +0530

As lakhs of investors affected by the chit fund scam demand refund, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to increase tax on cigarettes by 10 per cent to help them. She said smoking more won't harm, but help investors.

WB: Rape, murder accused sets himself ablaze

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:00:17 +0530

An undertrial, who was accused in a rape and murder case, allegedly tried to commit suicide by setting himself on fire at a court lock up in Burdwan district on Thursday

Corporate Ministry to order probe into Saradha group

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:36:53 +0530

The Corporate Affairs Ministry has decided to order a probe into Saradha Group companies amid growing controversy over the Kolkata-based entity allegedly duping thousands of investors.

WB chit fund scam: Sudipta Sen, 2 others produced in court

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:20:03 +0530

Saradha group promoter and the main accused in the West Bengal chit fund scam Sudipta Sen who was brought to Kolkata late on Wednesday night on a 4-day transit remand was produced in court on Thursday along with two others arrested from Sonmarg in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

Sudipta Sen's letter points fingers at a union minister's wife

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:20:45 +0530

The West Bengal chit fund scam is snowballing into a major case with Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen's letter mentioning several high profile names including that of top Trinamool Congress politicians, lawyers and journalists.

Chit fund scam: How Sudipta Sen used the media to portray TMC link

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:00:01 +0530

Amidst speculation that Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen used his media groups to portray an image of being close to the Trinamool Congress, the party continues to distance itself from Saradha. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has often tried to paint the media red. But she is now getting a taste of her own medicine.

WB: Sudipta Sen says he doesn't have money to refund investors

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:26:29 +0530

The Saradha chit fund scam main accused, Sudipta Sen, was brought to Kolkata late on Wednesday night on a 4-day transit remand. Congress workers greeted him with protests at the Dum Dum airport and he will be produced in court on Thursday.

Can TMC wash its hands off the Bengal chit fund scam?

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:30:33 +0530

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Left traded charges against each other over the chit fund scam in West Bengal on Wednesday.

WB chit fund scam: Saradha chief Sudipta Sen's letter makes things murkier

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:47:24 +0530

Arrested kingpin of the Saradha group chit fund scam, Sudipta Sen has made explosive claims in a letter he wrote to the CBI before fleeing.

WB chit fund scam: Political blamegame continues as TMC warns of action

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:21:26 +0530

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Left traded charges against each other over the chit fund scam in West Bengal on Wednesday. While the Left accused TMC of involvement, the latter said the chit fund companies were allowed to flourish even during the former's rule. "The Saradha group started in 2006. The chit fund companies mushroomed in Left regime. It's not only the question of Sudipto Sen. Clarifications have to be made on chit fund companies functioning since 1980s," TMC leader Partha Chatterjee said during a debate on India @ 9 with IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai.

WB chit fund scam: Mamata announces Rs 500 cr relief

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:03:06 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday defended her government in the chit fund scam and lauded the police force for doing a "good job". She also announced a Rs 500 crore relief fund for the small and medium-term investors hit by the scam. She said that Rs 150 crore of the fund would be raised through a 10 per cent surcharge on cigarettes and the rest through other means.

WB chit fund scam: TMC MP had alerted UPA about ponzi schemes

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:31:32 +0530

In more embarrassment for the Mamata Banerjee government, another letter written by Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Paul has surfaced which had pointed towards the inaction over rising chit fund scams in West Bengal. In the letter dated 2010, the Trinamool Congress MP had asked the Centre to control the growth of ponzi schemes in the state.

WB chit fund scam: TMC calls for probe against party MPs

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:54:47 +0530

The Trinamool Congress, under fire from the Congress and the Left over the West Bengal chit fund scam, has said that it had no role to play in it. Party leader Saugata Roy said, "The TMC as a party is not involved in the scam. This has been done by a scamster. I have no knowledge of any personal connection between the TMC and the Saradha group."

TMC MPs told me they will protect my business, alleges Sudipta Sen

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:01:08 +0530

CNN-IBN has accessed West Bengal chit fund scam accused Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen's letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) dated April 6. Sen's letter to the CBI names top politicians, journalists, lawyers as having benefited from his company. Sen, in his letter, alleges that he forayed into the media business because he initially came under vicious attack from Bengal's Pratidin newspaper represented by TMC MP Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose.

No proximity between Mamata and Saradha group: TMC MP Srinjoy Bose

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:55:55 +0530

In an interview with IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Trinamool Congress MP Srinjoy Bose denied claims made by Saradha group Chairman Sudipta Sen that he was blackmailed by TMC MPs.

Chit fund scam: WB govt freezes 35 bank accounts of Saradha group

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:48:14 +0530

The West Bengal government has cracked down on the Saradha group in the chit fund scam. The Mamata Banerjee government has frozen about 35 bank accounts belonging to the Saradha group, while 36 cars belonging to Saradha Chairman Sudipta Sen and his company have been seized.

WB chit fund scam: TMC MP denies Saradha CMD's claims

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:06:09 +0530

The Trinamool Congress is on the defensive after the West Bengal chit fund scam kingpin and Saradha Group CMD, Sudipta Sen, claimed he was blackmailed by the party's leaders. Speaking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, TMC MP Srinjoy Bose said his company's tie-up with Saradha group was a completely professional one.

West Bengal: 15 missing as boat capsizes in Hooghly

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:54:45 +0530

At least 15 people have gone missing after a boat capsized in West Bengal's Howrah district on Wednesday.

WB chit fund scam: Sudipta Sen claims TMC leaders blackmailed him

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:15:27 +0530

Explosive revelations could embarrass the Trinamool Congress in the chit fund scam. National daily The Indian Express has reported that the Saradha Group CMD has sent an 18-page letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The letter contains the names of several key politicians, officials and legal experts who allegedly milked the company for money.

Chit fund scam: WB Police have identified Sudipta Sen, says Ganderbal SP

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:59:10 +0530

The Chairman of the group, Sudipta Sen, was on Tuesday arrested in Jammu and Kashmir along with two others.

Man behind WB chit fund scam arrested; will investors get back money?

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:10:38 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee is in damage control mode as the Saradha chit fund scam threatens to embarrass her government further. Mamata has promised action if any of its leaders are involved in the scam. "Mamata Banerjee has said that anybody found culpable will be acted against," Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy said.

WB chit fund scam: Mamata facing deepest crisis ahead of panchayat polls?

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:45:55 +0530

Amid growing public outrage over an allegedly fraudulent investment scheme run by Saradha group, market regulator has begun a fresh probe into the fund-raising activities of the Kolkata-based entity. The capital market regulator is looking into whether its Collective Investment Scheme (CIS) regulations were violated while raising funds from the public, a senior official said.

WB chit fund scam: SEBI raps Saradha group

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:24:04 +0530

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Tuesday ordered Saradha Realty India and its MD Sudipta Sen, accused in the West Bengal chit fund scam, to wind up all its collective investment schemes and refund money to the investors within three months.

WB chit fund scam: Saradha agents go into hiding fearing attacks

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:02:27 +0530

The Saradha chit fund scam has left hundreds of investors and agents in the lurch in West Bengal.

WB chit fund scam: Police seize Saradha group promoter's property

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:12:08 +0530

The properties of West Bengal chit fund scam accused, Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen have been seized, the state police said on Tuesday. Arnab Ghosh, ADC, Detective Department, told reporters that the West Bengal Police had kept a track on Sen's movements since the case came to light.

Coal blocks allocations were unfair, must be scrapped: TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:04:38 +0530

A parliamentary panel on coal blocks allocations has suggested that all allotments between 1993 and 2008 be scrapped, effectively blaming the previous NDA government too.

WB chit fund scam: How the Saradha group duped investors

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:59:31 +0530

Three people, including the promoter of the Saradha group, Sudipta Sen, were arrested in Sonmarg, Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

Chit fund scam: 3 arrested in J&K to be handed over to WB police

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:54:31 +0530

Three accused in the West Bengal chit fund scam were arrested from Sonmarg in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

WB chit fund scam: 3 including Saradha promoter arrested

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:34:58 +0530

Three people, including the promoter of Saradha group, Sudipta Sen, were arrested in Sonmarg, Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday in connection with the West Bengal chit fund scam. The three people were reportedly on their way from Srinagar to Sonmarg when they were intercepted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Chit fund scam: Sebi begins probe against Saradha Group

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:42:46 +0530

WB chit fund scam brings back memories of Sanchayita collapse

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:07:53 +0530

The West Bengal government has stepped in for damage control after chit fund company Saradha Group went bust reviving memories of the collapse of Sanchayita Investments in the early eighties when several investors and agents committed suicide. Sanchayita collected more than Rs 120 crore in 1980 before its offices were raided and it folded up with only a handful of people getting back a minuscule amount of money.

WB chit fund scam: Another Saradha agent attempts suicide

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:47:49 +0530

There was another suicide bid by a Saradha Group agent hit by the chit fund scam in West Bengal. Twenty-eight-year old Tapasi Singha tried to commit suicide by consuming sleeping pills. She had a liability of Rs 5,30,000.

WB chit fund scam: Depositors suffer, Saradha Group chief at large

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:46:18 +0530

As lakhs of investors in West Bengal lose their savings in a chit fund scam following the collapse of the Saradha Group, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been shifting the blame on the Left. This even as heat builds on Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh who headed Saradha group's media unit. But he claims it was a while back when he was working as a journalist.

Under fire, Banerjee tries to deflect attack to the Left

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:38:46 +0530

With her government drawing flak after the Saradha Group downed shutters, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday blamed the erstwhile Left Front regime for the mushrooming of chit funds, alleging it had not even acted on presidential advice for a strong legislation to contain the menace.

Chit fund scam: WB govt forms SIT to probe role of accused companies

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:55:46 +0530

As lakhs of investors in West Bengal lose their savings in a chit fund scam following the collapse of the Saradha Group, the state government on Monday formed a special investigation team (SIT) and instituted a high-level inquiry into chit fund companies operating in the state.

Chit fund scam can hurt TMC during Panchayat polls: Priyanka Gupta

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:13:49 +0530

CNN-IBN's Principal Correspondent Priyanka Gupta joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the West Bengal chit fund scam.

Mamata heckling incident: All 6 SFI activists granted bail

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:08:23 +0530

All the six activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI), who were arrested on Monday for allegedly heckling West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and state Finance Minister Amit Mitra outside the Planning Commission office in Delhi earlier in April, have been granted bail on Rs 5000 personal bong and surety.

Chit fund scam: WB govt forms SIT to probe companies

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:44:33 +0530

WB chit fund scam: PIL seeking CBI probe filed

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:32:14 +0530

The Calcutta High Court on Monday granted leave to file a PIL in the West Bengal chit fund scam. The PIL sought a CBI enquiry into the scam and compensation to the depositors, also alleging vicarious liability by the government.

Mamata, Amit Mitra heckling incident: SFI General Secy, 5 others arrested

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:57:00 +0530

The Delhi Police on Monday arrested the General Secretary of Students Federation of India (SFI) and five others in connection with the heckling incident during which West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and state Finance Minister Amit Mitra were attacked by suspected SFI activists in Delhi as they tried to enter the Planning Commission building.

WB chit fund scam: Mamata calls for a high-level meeting

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:42:01 +0530

As the chit fund meltdown is spreading like a contagion in rural Bengal, a 50-year-old woman, who had deposited Rs 30,000 in Saradha Group, on Sunday, succumbed to her injuries after she set herself on fire.

CPI-M for central intervention in chit fund muddle

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:23:14 +0530

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Asim Dasgupta on Sunday urged the central government to step in and launch a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the collapse of chit fund-funded company Saradha Group.

Kolkata: Chit fund depositor commits suicide as leaders trade charges

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:23:15 +0530

A 50-year-old woman, who had deposited money in chit fund company Saradha Group, on Sunday succumbed to her injuries after she set herself on fire, while a man tried to poison himself, even as political parties traded charges over the scandal.

WB: 32-year-old arrested for trying to rape 3-year-old child

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 09:59:02 +0530

Even as the country agitates over the rape of a minor in Delhi, another shameful incident has come to light in West Bengal's East Midnapore district. A 32-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly trying to rape a 3-year-old child.

Chit fund scam: Mukul Roy threatens to file defamation suit against CPI(M) leaders

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 09:14:42 +0530

Threatening to file defamation suit against CPI(M) leaders for alleging that he had received crores from absconding Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen, TMC general secretary Mukul Roy on Sunday said the government will take steps to book the accused and protect investors' interest.

Trinamool Congress being wooed by BJP: Prakash Karat

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 11:56:09 +0530

With political manoeuvrings picking up pace for next year's Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(M) on Sunday said the Trinamool Congress was being wooed by the Bharatiya Janata Party. "The Trinamool Congress has a record of alliance with both the BJP and the Congress.

Chit fund scam: One of the directors of Saradha Group arrested

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:35:51 +0530

One of the directors of the 'chit fund' company Saradha Group was on Saturday arrested while its Chairman and Managing Director Sudipto Sen was still at large.

Chit fund scam: Investors demand refund, WB govt in the dock

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:05:47 +0530

Mamata Banerjee's government feels the heat as one of the largest chit fund companies in West Bengal collapses. Fearing a backlash from upset investors, thousands of the Saradha Group agents have gathered in Kolkata seeking state government's intervention. But the company's proximity to the Trinamool Congress has put the government in a corner.

Congress demands probe into Saradha Group chit fund case

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 05:52:21 +0530

The opposition Congress on Saturday accused West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress government of having close links with chit fund-funded Saradha Group, which has gone bust, and demanded probe by the CBI and capital market regulator SEBI.

UPA playing politics over funds for rural jobs: Mamata

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 05:29:25 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday blamed the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in New Delhi for playing "sheer politics" by not yet releasing its share of the funds for the rural job scheme.

West Bengal: Saradha Group director arrested

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:25:28 +0530

One of the directors of the 'chit fund' company Saradha Group was on Saturday arrested while its Chairman and Managing Director Sudipta Sen was still at large. "We have arrested Manoj Kumar Nagel who is one of the directors of the company from Bidhannagar.

Kolkata: Citizens raise voice against rape of minor in Delhi

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:03:35 +0530

As anger continued to rise in the national capital over the rape of the minor girl in New Delhi, citizens from Kolkata also demanded justice for the survivor.

WB: Investors clash with employees of chit fund company, demand money back

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 06:44:33 +0530

Violent clashes broke out between the investors and employees of a chit fund company in Barasat, in the Moyna area of North 24 Parganas district, on Saturday. The incident happened after investors demanding refund gathered near a local chit fund organisation's office. Scores of people were injured after crude bombs were hurled and large scale brick-batting took place between the two groups. Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob, but the situation remained tense.

West Bengal: Medical team examines Mamata Banerjee

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:20:02 +0530

A medical team from the private clinic, where she was treated recently, on Friday examined West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her Writers' Buildings office for an hour and advised her complete rest. "Since she is busy in her office, we could not contact her and so we directly came here to examine her," Subroto Maitra, head of the medical team from Belle Vue Clinic, where Mamata was admitted for three days recently for breathing problem, palpitation and joint pains, told reporters.

WB: Man commits suicide after wife's 'rapist' goes free

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:38:23 +0530

Unable to bear the ignominy of seeing the youth who had allegedly raped his wife go free, a man in West Bengal's Hooghly district committed suicide, his family said. Police maintained there was no evidence against the accused.

SFI apologises for heckling Mamata Banerjee, Amit Mitra

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:45:49 +0530

The Students Federation of India (SFI) on Wednesday apologised for the attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Finance Minister Amit Mitra in New Delhi earlier this month. The duo were heckled by SFI activists as they made their way to the Planning Commission building in the capital. Mitra suffered injuries during the melee and had to be hospitalised later on.

WB: Arrested Left student leader chained to bed in govt hospital

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:23:09 +0530

Stoking controversy, a leader of CPI(M) student wing who was arrested after a clash with ruling Trinamool Congress activists, has been chained to his bed at a state-run hospital in judicial custody. The first year student, Santosh Sahani, of SFI was arrested on April 10 after a clash between Trinamool Congress and Leftsupporters in Siliguri.

Mamata heckled: WB govt delegation to take up matter with Centre

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:51:07 +0530

The West Bengal government team would soon visit Delhi to take up with the Centre the issue of attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Finance Minister Amit Mitra during a protest in the national capital. "A ministerial-level delegation from the state will soon leave here for Delhi after the chief minister fully recovers," state's Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee said in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The attack on Presidency is like violating a shrine: Sagarika Ghose

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:55:51 +0530

The culture of political violence in Bengal is not even sparing holy grounds such as Presidency College (now University) which were till now protected from acts of violence and hooliganism. Trinamool workers vandalised the Baker Laboratory which has seen doyens such as Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, Satyen Bose (of Boson fame), Prof Meghnad Saha, PC Mahalanobis at work (their equipment is still preserved there, Baker Lab just completed 100 years and the Indian Statistical Institute was born in that lab). Girl students were allegedly molested and even threatened with rape. The registrar, professors and students were beaten up while the police stood there. CNN-IBN's deputy editor Sagarika Ghose joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the issue.

Netaji's family seeks Modi's help in solving the death mystery

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:28:35 +0530

Family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose have sought the help of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for declassification of all secret files concerning the iconic leader. "Netaji belonged to the entire nation, so we extend our appeal to you for your kind support in demanding from the Prime Minister that the Central Government must release in public domain all records to help unravel the mystery about his fate and bring a closure to the issue," read the letter written to Narendra Modi .

President condoles demise of Rama Prasad Goenka

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 02:15:06 +0530

President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday condoled the death of Rama Prasad Goenka, and said the nation has lost a leading industrialist and distinguished personality. In his condolence message to Goenka's wife Sushila, the President said, "Goenka was an industrialist whose contribution to the establishment of various industrial and business enterprises helped in national development as well as created employment opportunities for thousands of our people."

Kolkata: Sex workers being trained to spot fake currency from clients

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:48:57 +0530

Sex workers of Kolkata's largest red-light area are being given training by an NGO to identify fake currency notes to prevent them from being duped by some clients. The training programme conducted by Durbar Mahila Samanaya Committee, an NGO working for the sex workers, is the same as that given to visually challenged persons who learn to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit notes through touch and from hearing the faint rustle of the paper.

Industrial Rama Prasad Goenka dies after a brief illness

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 09:01:35 +0530

Industrialist Rama Prasad Goenka, better known as RP Goenka, died early Sunday morning at his residence in Kolkata after a brief illness, family sources said. He was 83. He is survived by his wife Sushila and sons Harsh Vardhan and Sanjiv.

Mamata Banerjee discharged from Kolkata clinic

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:45:01 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, undergoing medical treatment for the last three days, was today discharged from the Belle Vue Clinic after agreeing to advice by doctors to take rest. "The chief minister was insisting on returning home since morning and her doctors decided to discharge her with a request to her to take rest," clinic's CEO PK Tondon told PTI.

Left Front demands action by West Bengal government

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 02:45:29 +0530

The CPI(M)-led Left Front on Friday demanded immediate steps against attacks on its party offices and workers in West Bengal following the heckling of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and manhandling of state finance minister Amit Mitra in Delhi on April 9, 2013.

I failed you as a Governor: Narayanan at Presidency College

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:27:43 +0530

Two days after Presidency University was vandalised by alleged Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers, West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan addressed students at the campus and started by apologising for the incident. Meanwhile, five people, including Shubhojeet Burman, whose mother has admitted he is a Trinamool student wing member, have been arrested.

Mamata calls up Presidency VC, says she is devastated

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:03:49 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday rang up Presidency University Vice-Chancellor Malabika Sarkar and said she was devastated by the vandalism at the Baker Laboratory on April 10. "Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called me up. She said that she was devastated by the incident as Presidency University is a dream project. She expressed her grief over what happened," Sarkar told students of the university during an interactive session.

Mamata not taking responsibility for attack on Presidency University: Students

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:10:50 +0530

Two days after Presidency University was vandalised by alleged Trinamool Congress workers, the Governor addressed students at the campus on Friday evening.

Siliguri clashes: 46 CPM activists sent to judicial custody

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 06:29:49 +0530

Forty six CPI-M activists, including a former MP, were on Friday sent to judicial custody till April 18 in connection with the clashes with cadres of the Trinamool Congress in Siliguri on Wednesday.

Will quit if charges against me are proved: TMC leader seen at Presidency

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:55:55 +0530

Partha Basu, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor, was photographed at the Presidency University gates during the attack there. He denied any hand in the hooliganism inside the university.

West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee's condition improving

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:53:56 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's condition was improving with relief from pain and slight improvement in blood pressure, a medical bulletin said on Friday. Her pulse rate continued to be low and she was examined by cardiologist SK Biswas at the premiere Belle Vue clinic, where she was admitted to.

WB Governor calls Presidency attack a blot, says he failed

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:35:16 +0530

An emotional West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan on Friday addressed the students of the Presidency University and said sorry for the violence that had taken place two days ago on its campus. "I want to assure the students that this will never happen again. You, especially the girl students, come to the University to build your future, not to fend off goons. I am sorry this happened," the Chancellor said.

Presidency University ransack: 4 jailed, 1 gets bail

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:47:50 +0530

One of the five persons arrested in connection with the Presidency University ransack case has got bail while the rest have been sent to judicial custody till April 26. The five arrested included Shubhojeet Burman and Jayanta Haldar. The mother of the former has admitted that he is a Trinamool Chhatra Parishad worker even as the party denies any hand in the attack.

TMC hand exposed in Presidency University ransack, 5 arrested

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 02:17:38 +0530

The battle between the Trinamool Congress and the students of the Presidency University is getting uglier. Five people including a TMC worker have been arrested for ransacking the Presidency University. The TMC has now filed a counter-complaint against the activists of Students' Federation of India in the Presidency University for provoking them.

TMC worker among 4 arrested for ransacking Presidency University

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:15:53 +0530

Two days after the attack on the Presidency University in Kolkata by alleged Trinamool Congress workers, four people, including a TMC worker, have been arrested. Those arrested are Shubhojeet Burman, Jayanta Haldar, Vishal Jaiswal and Pushkar Kumar Das.

West Bengal Governor to visit Presidency University today

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:48:18 +0530

West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan will meet students at Presidency University in Kolkata at 4.30 pm on Friday. He has been caught in a political crossfire between the Left and the Trinamool Congress after he asked the CPM to apologise for the attack on West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra by its party cadre in Delhi.

2 arrested, 3 detained for ransacking at Presidency University

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:44:53 +0530

Two days after the attack on the Presidency University in Kolkata by alleged Trinamool Congress workers, two people have been arrested and three have been detained. Those arrested are Shubhojeet Burman and Jayanta Haldar and both are not students of the Presidency University.

West Bengal politics spills over to its college campuses

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:28:48 +0530

A day after the attack on Presidency University by alleged Trinamool Congress supporters, students and the faculty marched in protest in Kolkata.

Presidency University violence: Campuses caught in crossfire between TMC, CPM?

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:20:36 +0530

The staff and students of Presidency University in Kolkata on Thursday submitted a memorandum to West Bengal Governor over the attack on their campus a day ago by suspected Trinamool Congress youth wing workers.

Kolkata: Indian soldier's body arrives from Sudan

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:10:14 +0530

The body of Havildar Bharat Sasmal, who was killed in an ambush in South Sudan on Tuesday while serving in UN peacekeeping mission, was brought to Kolkata on Thursday. Defence sources said that Havildar Sasmal was among the five soldiers whose convoy was ambushed in Jonglei region of South Sudan on April 9.

WB Governor must explain his remarks on SFI protests: Yechury

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:17:36 +0530

CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat wrote a letter to the President against the Governor's statement condemning alleged violence by Left parties and seeking an apology for the attack that took place in the capital.

Mamata's condition stable, advised total rest

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:43:42 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was hospitalised after complaints of breathing problem and palpitation, has been advised total rest by doctors who described her condition on Thursday as stable. Doctors at the premier Belle Vue clinic, where Banerjee is undergoing treatment, said she had pain in her shoulder and waist and was under close surveillance with an advice not to do any official work for the time being.

Full text: Karat's letter to President against WB Governor

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:39:00 +0530

CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee objecting to the comments by West Bengal Governor condemning the suspected SFI attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Amit Mitra and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

TMC leader present at Presidency University during attack, reveals TV footage

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:37:10 +0530

A local Trinamool Congress councillor was a part of the mob that went berserk and rampaged Presidency University in Kolkata on Wednesday, a new picture has revealed.

SFI protests: Karat objects to WB Governor's comments

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:21:49 +0530

CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee objecting to the comments by West Bengal Governor condemning the suspected SFI attack on Trinamool Congress leader Amit Mitra and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

TV footage shows TMC leader leading attack on Presidency University

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:17:03 +0530

Though the Trinamool Congress leadership has denied any role of the party or its cadres in Wednesday's hooliganism that saw armed men carrying Trianmool Congress flags vandalise Presidency University's 100-year-old Baker Laboratory, beat up its teachers and reportedly molest girl students and threaten them with rape, footage of a Bengali satellite news channel named 24 Ghanta (meaning 24 hours) shows Partha Bose, Trinamool strongman and councillor of Ward 40 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), leading the mob at the main gate of India's oldest educational institute.

Kolkata: Presidency University students, teachers submit memorandum to Governor

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 03:28:54 +0530

A day after members of the Trinamool Congress youth wing allegedly barged into their university premises and manhandled them, the students and faculty members of the Presidency University in Kolkata on Thursday carried out a silent protest march. The students and teachers wore black bands as a mark of their protest.

Kolkata: Presidency VC appeals to CM for serious probe into vandalism

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 02:25:42 +0530

Vice-chancellor of Presidency University on Thursday said she would write to the Governor about Wednesday's vandalism of various departments, and appealed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure that a serious probe was conducted to identify the attackers.

TMC cadre threatened us with rape: Presidency University students

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 01:51:28 +0530

The Presidency University's faculty and students in Kolkata are on a strike on Thursday after members of the Trinamool Congress youth wing allegedly barged into the university premises on Wednesday and manhandled them. Armed with sticks, they ransacked the science lab where classes were being conducted.

SFI protests: Mamata Banerjee's condition stable, say doctors

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:05:35 +0530

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was admitted to a private clinic here with complaints of breathing problem and palpitation, was resting and her condition was stable, doctors attending to her said on Thursday. "Chief Minister is stable and she is now resting in our clinic under the observation of a 10-member medical team led by Dr Subrata Moitra," Belle Vue Clinic CEO K Tandon said. He added that, "But she is under close monitoring."

Politics of violence keeps Bengal on the edge

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:56:36 +0530

The politics of violence has kept West Bengal on the edge as police had to resort to lathicharge with the workers of Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) clashing with each other in Siliguri on Wednesday. All this came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and State Finance Minister Amit Mitra were heckled in the national capital by suspected Students Federation of India activists.

Kolkata: Will Mamata be able to control the rampaging TMC workers?

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:26:30 +0530

The historic Presidency University attacked, hundreds of CPM party offices ransacked and some even torched by TMC workers, just hours after their party chief Mamata Banerjee and state Finance Minister Amit Mitra were heckled in Delhi, West Bengal has seen some very uneasy hours.

WB: Two reportedly arrested over TMC-Left clashes in Siliguri

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:40:49 +0530

The Left has reportedly called a 12 hour bandh in Siliguri on Thursday after two of its leaders were arrested by the police following violence in the area.

Mamata undergoes check-up at Belle Vue Clinic in Kolkata

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 06:20:26 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was taken to a premier private clinic in Kolkata for a check up after she returned from Delhi on Wednesday. "She was taken to the clinic for a check up," a senior Trinamool Congress functionary told PTI here. Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee, who returned from Delhi along with Banerjee, told PTI that the chief minister was taken to the clinic, but did not know whether she was admitted.

'Delhi Police blames Mamata for fiasco outside Planning Commission'

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 06:13:12 +0530

The Delhi Police has reportedly blamed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the fiasco outside the Planning Commission building on Tuesday, during which one of her ministers was injured. According to sources, the Delhi Police, in its report, has stated that the security incharge of the Commission building had informed the resident commissioner of West Bengal that Mamata must enter the premises via the back gate to evade the protesters.

WB: Deepa Dasmunshi alleges TMC attack on Cong offices

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:46:19 +0530

Union minister Deepa Dasmunshi on Wednesday alleged that Congress offices and her car were attacked by Trinamool Congress workers in West Bengal, in retaliation to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her finance minister being the target of SFI's ire in Delhi.

Mamata heckled: TMC workers destroy historic lab at Presidency University

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:30:10 +0530

Members of the Trinamool Congress's youth wing barged into Presidency University in Kolkata on Wednesday, ransacking its historic science lab, the Baker Laboratory, apart from assaulting a few teachers. The attack took place while classes were underway and comes a day after offices of the CPM in several districts of West Bengal were damaged by TMC workers after party chief Mamata Banerjee and state Finance Minister Amit Mitra were heckled by alleged SFI protesters in New Delhi.

Delhi is not safe, I was manhandled like anything: Mamata

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 01:51:02 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said she will fly back to Kolkata on Wednesday itself and has cancelled all her meetings in Delhi. She said she was advised by doctors to get hospitalised but she did not want to be hospitalised. "I was given oxygen whole night on Tuesday, the doctor advised me to get hospitalised, but I don't like to get hospitalised," Mamata said.

Live: TMC, CPM cadre clash at Presidency University

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:15:58 +0530

The stand-off between the Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) continues as the leaders of both parties appealed for calm a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Finance Minister Amit Mitra were heckled by Students Federation of India activists in Delhi.

TMC plans protests across WB over Mamata's heckling

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:07:23 +0530

West Bengal's politics of violence reached the national capital on Tuesday as Students Federation of India activists manhandled State Finance Minster Amit Mitra outside the Planning Commission. While West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was angered by the incident, Trinamool Congress workers went on a rampage in Kolkata and plan a statewide protest on Wednesday even as the CPM has condemned the violence of its student affiliate body.

Modi didn't extend any olive branch to Mamata: BJP

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:17:45 +0530

With Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi echoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's view on UPA's alleged apathy towards non-Congress states and misdeeds of the Left, BJP on Tuesday night said sympathising with Banerjee's view did not mean extending olive branch to her before Lok Sabha polls.

Modi woos Mamata Banerjee, says Left destroyed West Bengal

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:54:02 +0530

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi tried to woo West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by indirectly hitting out at the previous Left government in Bengal. He said that Bengal has suffered a lot due to 32 years of misgovernance, and added that, "I believe steps are being taken in the right direction in Bengal but it will take many years." He said Bengal was also being discriminated against just like Gujarat. Applauding the state of Bengal for its intellectual prowess, Modi said he will learn a lot from the state and will implement those things in Gujarat.

Delhi Police registers case in attack on TMC minister

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:14:02 +0530

Delhi Police on Tuesday registered a case against unknown persons for manhandling West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra outside the Planning Commission office in the capital. While no arrest has been made yet in the incident, Police registered the case under IPC Sections 186(obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty).

Mamata ill, Amit Mitra hospitalised after SFI activists heckle them

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:38:27 +0530

est Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee fell ill and was administered oxygen while her Finance Minister Amit Mitra was put under observation in AIIMS for some medical tests, hours after they were heckled by an angry mob of SFI activists outside the Planning Commission office.

Planning Commission approves Rs 30,314 cr outlay for WB

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:31:02 +0530

The Planning Commission on Tuesday approved West Bengal's annual Plan of Rs 30,314 for the current fiscal, which is 17 per cent higher than the outlay for 2012-13, meeting the state's expectations. The annual plan size of Rs 30,314 crore was approved after a meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the capital.

WB: TMC workers attack CPM offices after SFI activists heckle Mamata

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:00:05 +0530

The battle between West Bengal's warring political parties, the Trinamool Congress and the CPM, reached New Delhi on Tuesday as suspected SFI activists heckled a TMC minister outside the Planning Commission building and an angry Mamata Banerjee blamed it on CPM's "dirty politics". As the protesters chanted "Mamata Banerjee hai hai (Mamata down down), TMC hai hai, Hatyari Mamata sharm karo (have shame, killer Mamata)", an agitated Chief Minister walked into the building shouting, "This is uncivilised behaviour".

Mamata deflects questions on TMC's possible tie-up with BJP

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:02:05 +0530

As Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi sought to reach out to her, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday deflected questions on the possibilities of her party's tie-up with BJP. "Whatever I have come to know, he (Modi) appreciated the government. Political differences could be there but a government's work can be appreciated by anyone," she said.

WB: Congress alleges secret BJP-TMC nexus

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:50:20 +0530

Questioning the 'certificates' given to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by her Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi, the Congress on Tuesday wondered if there was a secret "nexus" between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.

UPA most hated govt since 1947: Narendra Modi

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:05:39 +0530

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi continued his offensive against the UPA government on Tuesday. Addressing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Kolkata, the likely Prime Ministerial candidate of the party ripped apart the rival Congress and Left parties through his powerful oratory. Modi alleged that the UPA was the most hated government since Independence and that "32 years of Left rule" had brought West Bengal to ruins.

Narendra Modi side-steps questions on PM ambitions

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:49:09 +0530

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday side-stepped questions on his Prime Ministerial ambitions, saying he is an "apolitical person". "I am not a politician," he said, when asked by a questioner at a programme about the desire of politicians to aim for the top political post and what was his attitude about it.

Watch: Narendra Modi addresses Bengal Inc in Kolkata

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:25:16 +0530

A day after wooing the industry in Delhi, Gujarat Chief Minister shifted his attention to West Bengal on Tuesday where he is on a day-long visit. Addressing a joint session of three Bengal chambers of commerce, Modi reached out to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, praising her for taking the steps to reverse the effects of 32 years of Left rule.

WB: Mob beats up, shaves heads of children accused of theft

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:14:26 +0530

In a shocking case of mob justice in Asansol in West Bengal, five children were allegedly tied to bamboo poles and kept in a hut overnight for alleged theft. The children were aged between 10 and 12 years.

UPA government on 'borrowed time', says Narendra Modi

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:58:07 +0530

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the central government was engulfed by policy paralysis and it was on "borrowed time". "It (UPA government) is not watching the calender, but the clock. It is on borrowed time," Modi said at a programme jointly organised here by three city-based chambers of commerce.

How dare Italy threaten us over marines issue: Modi

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:49:40 +0530

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described India's diplomatic row with Italy over the two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen as an "insult" to the country. Advocating a "proactive" foreign policy, Modi asked how Italy had dared to take on India after its marines shot dead two Indian fishermen.

Narendra Modi hits out at UPA, tries to woo Mamata

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:49:01 +0530

After resisting from hitting out at the UPA in Delhi, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi took on the Centre saying it was partial and did not work for the development of the country as a whole. Addressing three chambers of commerce in Kolkata on Tuesday, Modi said, "The central government is not working on development projects. The central government is discriminating between the Congress and non-Congress-ruled states."

Pak beheads our soldiers, we host lunches for them, says Modi

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:45:20 +0530

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi reached out West Bengal's industry leaders on Tuesday during his address at the three chambers of commerce in Kolkata, while hitting out at the United Progressive Alliance government for allegedly ignoring development and being biased against the non-Congress ruled states.

Court to hear West Bengal panchayat case today

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:37:47 +0530

The West Bengal panchayat polls case will come for for hearing in the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday. The State Election Commission and the West Bengal government are at loggerheads.

Narendra Modi's tryst with business, politics in Bengal

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:25:03 +0530

When Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee engages with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the national capital seeking financial assistance for debt-stressed West Bengal on Tuesday, her Gujarat counterpart and BJP poster boy Narendra Modi will have a much-awaited interface with Bengal industry captains in Kolkata.

Mamata's Delhi visit to get closer to Congress, says Left

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 05:29:18 +0530

Ahead of her two-day visit to Delhi, West Bengal's Left Front on Monday accused Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee of looking at opportunities to realign with the Congress - its former coalition partner.

Chartered Accountants to get their own TV channel

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 06:13:31 +0530

Heralding a new era of education, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) will soon have a TV channel for its members as well as those studying accountancy, its chief said here on Monday.

Bengal CRPF camp attack suspect arrested in Tamil Nadu

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 06:00:47 +0530

In a joint operation, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal Police arrested suspected Maoist Shyam Charan Tudu, wanted in the 2010 attack on a CRPF camp in West Bengal's Midnapore, from Coimbatore, police said on Sunday.

Bengal has moved from one dictatorship to another: Jairam

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 03:20:08 +0530

Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that with the coming of the Mamata Banerjee government, West Bengal has moved from one dictatorship to another. "It is the mistake of the people that the state has moved from one dictatorship ("tanashahi") by the Left Front to another dictatorship by the Trinamool Congress," Ramesh told Congress party workers here in Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district.

Scholars lash out at SFI leader's death in police custody

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 01:59:59 +0530

Academicians from across the country on Saturday expressed "horror" at the "brutal" police assault on students leading to the death of SFI leader Sudipta Gupta in police custody and demanded an "impartial" probe into the incident.

Kolkata: IIM-C to get new director on April 8

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 11:50:52 +0530

India's premier management institute, the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C) will get a new head Monday, said outgoing director Shekhar Chaudhuri in Kolkata on Saturday. "On April 8, I shall be handing over the charge of the Institute to director designate, Professor Saibal Chattopadhyay, a senior faculty member in the Operations Management Group of our institute," he said.

WB: TMC leader arrested on molestation charge

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:57:11 +0530

A local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and four of his associates have been arrested in West Midnapore district of West Bengal on molestation and other charges lodged against them in March, police said on Saturday. Jaladhar Panda, Binpur block vice-president of Triamool Youth Congress, and four others were arrested on Friday night and produced before the court on Saturday.

Dead SFI leader's family 'disgusted' by Mamata's comments

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 04:30:30 +0530

Family members of Students Federation of India (SFI) leader Sudipto Gupta on Friday expressed disgust over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dubbing his death in police custody as a "petty" and "small" matter, and alleged he was "murdered" by police.

WB: 147 students fall ill after consuming midday meal

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:56:44 +0530

147 students in Salboni, a small town in Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal, have taken ill after consuming their midday meal. The incident happened at Kalaimuri Netaji High School.

SFI activist death: Bus driver arrested for rash driving denies charge

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:32:46 +0530

The bus driver who was accused of rash and negligent driving leading to the death of SFI activist Sudipto Gupta on Friday denied the allegations against him. He claimed that he was being framed by the Kolkata Police. The police had arrested Raja Das alleging that negligence on his part had led to Sudipto's death. Eyewitnesses, however, have a different story to tell. They have squarely blamed the police for Sudipto's death. Claiming that it was a custodial death, since the SFI protesters were being taken away on the bus by the police, the eyewitnesses and the students' federation has demanded action against the guilty policemen.

SFI activist death: Family to meet WB Governor

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:17:28 +0530

The family of SFI activist Sudipto Gupta is expected to meet West Bengal Governor on Friday. Sudipto was killed after being allegedly beaten up by police during a crackdown on a SFI protest earlier this week. Citing dissatisfaction with police investigations, his family has demanded a CBI probe.

Mamata terms Sudipto's death as 'small and petty' incident

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:39:24 +0530

With SFI supporters holding protests in West Bengal over the death of SFI leader Sudipto Gupta, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday stoked further controversy by terming the death as a "small and petty" incident.

Protests over student's death cut across party lines: Priyanka Gupta

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:06:55 +0530

Student activist Sudipto Gupta died in a police crackdown on a students' protest in Kolkata. The incident has seen thousands of people pour into the streets of Kolkata. The West Bengal government has been, till now, non-committal about a proper probe into the incident. To what extent will this incident turn the urban middle class in West Bengal against the ruling Trinamool Congress? Will a proper probe be instituted? How much has it affected the general public? CNN-IBN's Principal Correspondent Priyanka Gupta joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the issue.

Historian Bratindra Nath Mukherjee passes away

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 06:25:30 +0530

Doyen of ancient Indian history Professor Bratindra Nath Mukherjee, who deciphered many ancient scripts, died on Thursday at his residence after a protracted illness, his family said. 79-year-old Mukherjee is survived by his wife and son.

SFI activist died after hitting a stationary object: Kolkata Police

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:35:48 +0530

The Kolkata Police on Thursday stated that the final post-mortem report of SFI activist Sudipto Gupta was yet to come out and that the initial report had shown that the 23-year-old student died due to a head injury inflicted by hitting a stationary object and then hitting a rough structure after that.

SFI activist's death: Partial shutdown in Kolkata

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 01:57:50 +0530

Kolkata is mourning the death of Students Federation of India activist Sudipto Gupta due to alleged police brutality. There was a partial shutdown in the city on Thursday after the bandh called by the SFI.

Kolkata: SFI calls for a bandh to protest against activist's death

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:13:29 +0530

Kolkata is bracing for roadblocks and traffic jams after a bandh call by the Left-wing Students Federation of India (SFI) in protest against the death of SFI activist Sudipto Gupta. The students will be carrying out protests out at Hazra Modh, which is close to Chief Minister's house. A bandh has also been called in Garia and Tollygunge areas of Kolkata. The West Bengal Human Rights Commission report will be submitted next week.

Sister of SFI activist calls for ban on college politics

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 01:55:34 +0530

The bereaved elder sister of a Students Federation of India (SFI) activist, whose death in police custody led to noisy protests, on Wednesday called for a ban on politics at educational institutions and urged students not to join politics.

SFI activist death: An accident or a case of police brutality?

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:37:18 +0530

SFI activist Sudipto Gupta was killed in alleged police crackdown on a protest by the students organisation in Kolkata on Tuesday.

TMC, CPM wage political battles over SFI activist's death

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:26:24 +0530

The death of a 23-year-old activist of the leftwing Students Federation of India (SFI) during a police crackdown on students' protest in Kolkata on April 2, 2013, has left the city and the country shell-shocked. Sudipto Gupta, an MA student at Rabindra Bharati University, was admitted to hospital with severe internal haemorrhage and later succumbed to his injuries. Gupta was part of a protest organised by the SFI against the postponement of college elections. The incident has led to thousands coming out on the streets of Kolkata to protest against the incident.

SFI activist suffered injury to forehead: Post-mortem

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:43:27 +0530

The post-mortem report of SFI activist Sudipto Gupta on Wednesday said that the 23-year-old student suffered injuries in the middle of his forehead and at the back of his head, apart from a broken jaw. The report added that there were injury marks in other parts of his body as well. "The injury at the middle of his forehead is ante-mortem in nature," the report added.

Era of police killing students back: Congress

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 05:31:22 +0530

After the death of a student activist allegedly due to a police baton charge, the Congress on Wednesday said the era of students getting killed by police was back to haunt West Bengal.

Kolkata live: SFI activist's body taken to crematorium for last rites

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 05:24:26 +0530

One person has been arrested in connection with the death of Students Federation of India activist Sudipto Gupta in Kolkata. The person arrested is Raju Das, the driver of the bus which was used to take the demonstrators to the prison by the police. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met other activists injured in the police crackdown.

SFI activist death: Protests break out in Chennai, Delhi

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 05:05:03 +0530

Protesters took to the streets in New Delhi and Chennai after a Students Federation of India activist Sudipto Gupta was killed in Kolkata allegedly by the police during a crackdown in the city on Wednesday. The police tried to stop the demonstrators as they chanted slogans and marched with Gupta's posters.

Student's death was police handiwork, not govt's: Sunanda K Datta-Ray

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 05:02:57 +0530

The death of a 23-year-old SFI activist, Sudipto Gupta, has sparked a row in Kolkata. Sudipto was fatally injured allegedly by the police in a crackdown on Tuesday. The police has claimed he fell off a bus but his fellow activists allege that the police hit him on the head in the bus. Senior journalist and columnist Sunanda K Datta-Ray joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the matter.

SFI activist death: Don't politicise a tragedy, says O'Brien

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:46:16 +0530

Under pressure from opposition after the death of a Students federation of India activist, Sudipto Gupta, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed the episode as "unfortunate". "We should not politicise a tragedy. Chief Minister visited the family of the deceased and offered her condolences. It shows what she is made up of," said TMC leader Derek O'Brien.

Mamata calls SFI activist's death unfortunate

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 03:15:08 +0530

Under pressure from opposition after the death of a Students federation of India activist, Sudipto Gupta, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday termed the episode as "unfortunate", but evaded a question on whether a judicial probe would be ordered as demanded by the CPI-M. "Any death is unfortunate. This is also unfortunate. I will not say anything more than this," Mamata told reporters outside the state-run SSKM hospital where SFI leader Sudipto Gupta's body was kept.

Manish Tewari condemns death of SFI activist in Kolkata

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 02:00:33 +0530

Expressing anger over the death of a CPI (M) student leader allegedly due to police action in Kolkata, Union Minister Manish Tewari has said the West Bengal government should overcome partisan politics and ensure justice in the case.

SFI activist's death in Kolkata: Left targets Mamata

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:17:23 +0530

There have been massive protests over the death of 23-year-old Students Federation of India activist Sudipto Gupta in Kolkata. Not just in Kolkata, protests are also being staged in Chennai by SFI activists. The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal has also come under attack from the protesters as well as the Left Front.

SFI activist's death in Kolkata: One person arrested

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:23:40 +0530

Kolkata: 'Dead SFI activist was hit hard on his head by policeman'

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:14:41 +0530

The death of a 23-year-old Student Federation of India activist, Sudipto Gupta, has sparked a row in Kolkata. Sudipto was fatally injured allegedly by the police during a crackdown in the city on Tuesday.

WB: Death of SFI activist in police crackdown sparks protests

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:27:55 +0530

The death of a 23-year-old Student Federation of India activist, Sudipto Gupta, allegedly injured in a police crackdown in Kolkata, has triggered protests. The death has also yet again raised several questions over violence and law and order issues in Mamata Banerjee's West Bengal.

WB PSU fraud a neat, well-organised scam: Congress

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:50:48 +0530

In this season of scams, a new one has been unearthed, this time in West Bengal and a senior state government leader is said to be allegedly involved.

Kolkata: SFI activist dies in police crackdown on protest

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:25:01 +0530

In a shocking instance of police brutality, a student activist belonging to the SFI lost his life after being beaten up by policemen during its crackdown on a protest. Sudipto Gupta, a student of MA at Rabindra Bharati University was admitted to hospital with severe internal haemorrhage and later succumbed to his injuries.

CBI unearths Rs 200 crore PSU fraud in WB

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:51:01 +0530

In this season of scams, a new one has been unearthed, this time in West Bengal and a senior state government leader is said to be allegedly involved. According to a CBI probe, Rs 200 crore, meant for fixed deposits, were siphoned off from four state government departments into hundreds of fictitious accounts. The CBI probe points to the involvement of a senior Trinamool Congress politician.

WB Panchayat polls: EC, Mamata govt at loggerheads

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:08:04 +0530

The Election Commission and the West Bengal government are at loggerheads over the dates of the coming Panchayat elections in the state. The Calcutta High Court will hear the Election Commission's petition to quash the state government's notification. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants elections in two phases as opposed to three.

WB Panchayat polls: EC moves court against Mamata govt

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:43:38 +0530

The West Bengal State Election Commission has moved the Calcutta High Court on Monday appealing for quashing of the state Panchayat Election notification. The Mamata Banerjee government had called for a two-phase election to be held on April 26 and 30.

Kolkata: Two policemen killed as their car hits a tanker

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:45:28 +0530

Two sub-inspectors were killed in an accident in Park Street in Kolkata. Four others are critically injured.

SEC officials hold meetings to discuss panchayat polls

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 01:00:44 +0530

As the deadlock with West Bengal government heads for a point of no return, the State Election Commission on Sunday held meeting with its officials to discuss the next course of action regarding panchayat polls. State Election Commissioner Mira Pandey along with other senior officials of the commission on Sunday held parleys to discuss future course of action.

WB: South 24 Parganas station ransacked after exam candidate falls off train

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 07:39:41 +0530

Baruipur railway station was ransacked on Sunday after hundreds of applicants appearing for TET (Primary Teachers Eligibility Test) got delayed at the station and could not appear for the exam. This happened after an applicant fell off from an overcrowded train and was seriously injured.

Infosys team to break Rajarhat deadlock, says Partha Chatterjee

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 07:30:48 +0530

In an apparent move to break the deadlock over its stalled project in West Bengal, IT major Infosys is sending a delegation to West Bengal to find a way to resolve the issue, Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee said on Saturday.

Use central forces in Bengal panchayat polls, demands Congress

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 04:40:24 +0530

Citing law and order problems in West Bengal, the Congress on Saturday said it was imperative to conduct the upcoming panchayat (rural body) polls under the strict vigil of central security forces for free and fair elections.

Kolkata: Questions raised on infrastructure of new airport terminal

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:30:46 +0530

It has not been a smooth take-off for the new airport terminal in Kolkata. A part of the building crumbled days after it was inaugurated, putting a huge question mark on the quality of construction.

Bengal Inc to hear Gujarat's success story from Modi

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 06:20:08 +0530

Bengal Inc is set to hear from Narendra Modi about the success story of his state when the flamboyant Gujarat chief minister addresses entrepreneurs in Kolkata in early April 2013.

Kolkata: Locals allegedly molest South Korean national

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 02:44:43 +0530

A South Korean national was allegedly molested in Kolkata. The victim was travelling with two other South Korean nationals in a private bus when she was allegedly molested by some locals.

WB: Tea garden workers seek CM's permission to kill themselves

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:45:44 +0530

Workers of tea gardens in Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal are battling acute poverty and unemployment since the tea gardens shut down 10 years ago. The workers are now seeking permission to kill themselves as the extreme situation has even driven many to sell off their women to the human trafficking trade.

WB: Cong says Mamata scheduling polls to suit own interest

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 07:45:26 +0530

West Bengal panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee announced the poll dates in the state in two phases, with three Congress bastions singled out for the second phase in April. The Congress, Left and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have slammed the move as political and biased.

Trinamool threatening opposition workers, says CPI-M

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 05:32:08 +0530

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Sunday accused West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress of threatening and harassing opposition activists ahead of the upcoming panchayat polls in the state.

TMC worker Praladh Roy shot dead outside his house

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:18:41 +0530

A Trinamool Congress worker was called out of his house and shot dead at Kadaghata under Chakdaha Police Station in Nadia district on Saturday, police sources said. The assailants fired twice at TMC worker, Praladh Roy, with one of the bullets hitting him, the sources said.

Bengal panchayat polls will be rigged: Cong

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 05:50:27 +0530

West Bengal is bracing itself for the two-phased panchayat polls on April 26th and 30th. But expressing disappointment at the decision to have two, instead of three phases watched over by central forces, is Bengal Pradesh Congress President Pradip Bhattacharya. He says that the state government's decision is partial and voting will be marked by severe rigging.

14 security personnel honoured with Shaurya Chakra

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 03:23:28 +0530

Two CRPF officers, who killed top Maoist leader Kishenji in West Bengal, were on Saturday honoured with the Shaurya Chakra by President Pranab Mukherjee along with 12 personnel from the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF).

WB govt announces 2-phase panchayat polls in April

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 11:07:22 +0530

In a virtual 'collision' with the State Election Commission (SEC), West Bengal government on Saturday unilaterally announced panchayat polls in the state in two phases, on April 26 and 30.

Rapes linked to rising population, says Mamata Banerjee

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 06:16:04 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata on Friday that the rising number of rape cases was connected to increasing population. "You say rape incidents are on the rise. But the population is also swelling. Is the population in the state the same as it was during the tenure of (the state's second chief minister) BC Roy?" she said.

WB: 1 killed in Dhapa violence, CM orders arrest of TMC councilor

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:45:22 +0530

One person was killed and another injured in a clash over a vacant piece of land in the eastern fringes of the metropolis on Wednesday prompting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to order the arrest of a Trinamool Congress councillor allegedly involved in it.

Netaji family wants access to CBI files on Nirad Chaudhuri

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:22:13 +0530

Descendants of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on Wednesday demanded immediate declassification of CBI files on writer Nirad C Chaudhuri's role with British intelligence agencies. "We demand the immediate declassification of this CBI file to set the historical facts right. The people of India would like to know who passed on information to British intelligence for which Sarat Chandra Bose, Subhas Bose's elder brother, went to jail," the family said in a press release.

Bengal, Pawan Hans sign MoU for chopper, sea-plane services

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 02:32:27 +0530

The West Bengal government on Monday inked an MoU with state-run helicopter firm Pawan Hans Ltd. to avail services of sea-planes, helicopters and fixed-wing planes to boost its tourism and industrial potential.

West Bengal: Youth quizzed for questioning Mamata Banerjee

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 11:28:38 +0530

A youth was quizzed by police on Sunday after he asked a minister why Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not visit a slum in West Bengal where 700 shanties were destroyed in fire on Saturday. The incident happened during Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim's visit to Sholo Bigha slum in the Maheshtala Santoshpur area of South 24-Parganas where a blaze had rendered 1,500 people homeless on Saturday morning.

WB: Five missing after boat capsizes in Howrah

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 09:30:34 +0530

Five people have gone missing after a mechanised country boat capsized in West Bengal's Howrah district on Sunday. The search was on for the missing five even as 32 people were rescued.

WB: 700 shanties gutted in fire, 1000 people left homeless

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:32:00 +0530

Around 700 shanties were gutted in a fire in Santoshpur-Maheshtala area on the outskirts of the city on Saturday, leaving more than a thousand people homeless.

Youth arrested for raping woman, circulating obscene pictures

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 06:06:22 +0530

A youth was arrested on charges of raping a woman with a false promise to marry her and circulating her obscene photos via mobile phone in West Midnapore district.

Kolkata: 60 fall ill after chlorine gas leak from cylinder

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:24:20 +0530

At least 60 people fell ill following leakage of chlorine gas from a cylinder while being loaded on a truck at Chitpur in north Kolkata on Thursday. Seven cylinders were being loaded on a truck from a godown when leakage began from one cylinder with labourers handling them suffering eye and skin irritations and breathing problems, police sources said.

WB: Bhawani Munda's football team perseveres despite no assistance

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:13:57 +0530

The sixth edition of Real Heroes is celebrating ordinary women performing extraordinary service. Real Hero Bhawani Munda and her football team are girls who persevere despite no equipment and zero encouragement.

Mamata Banerjee warns GJM against reviving separatist movement

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 03:29:01 +0530

Giving a stern message to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha which has raised its old demand for a separate Gorkhaland state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said any efforts at reviving the separatist movement would not go down well with the people.

Kolkata: Painter Ganesh Pyne dies of cardiac arrest

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:59:00 +0530

Celebrated painter Ganesh Pyne died of a cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday. The painter was 76.

WB: Railway police constable beats passenger to death

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:27:33 +0530

A Government Railway Police (GRP) constable reportedly beat a passenger to death at Behrampore Court station in Murshidabad on Tuesday.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee lauds Bengal budget

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 04:15:36 +0530

Praising the West Bengal budget presented on Monday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed it as an effort to "grow trees in a desert". Assailing the erstwhile Left Front government for leaving the state coffers empty, Banerjee said: "They borrowed indiscriminately from the centre and left the finances bankrupt."

Kolkata: Two men abduct, gangrape minor girl

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:45:12 +0530

A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by two men in south Kolkata at 3.00 am on Monday morning. The teenager was apparently taken to an under-construction building and raped by the two men.

Trinamool accuses poll panel of bias, opposition flays remarks

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 04:50:27 +0530

Firing a fresh salvo at the state poll panel, West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Sunday accused its chief of favouring the Left Front and trying to defer the upcoming rural polls to save it from "an inevitable defeat". Opposition parties flayed the comments.

168 children rescued from train, trafficking agents arrested

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 05:55:13 +0530

The railway police rescued nearly 168 children from the Ajmer-Sealdah Express on Saturday. The children were being taken from Jaipur to Kolkata to be employed as labourers in factories.

Trinamool leader Mohammad Iqbal sent to CID custody

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 03:10:38 +0530

Arrested Trinamool Congress leader Mohammad Iqbal, a key accused in the murder of a police officer February 12, 2013, on Saturday was sent to CID custody till March 20, 2013, by a city court.

Bengal may be ahead of Delhi in crimes against women, says WBHRC chief

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 01:45:46 +0530

West Bengal Human Rights Commission chairman and former Supreme Court judge Asok Kumar Ganguly on Saturday said the state is not lagging behind Delhi in the number of atrocities on women and may have well gone ahead of the national capital.

West Bengal: Minor girl tortured in rehabilitation home

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 09:18:09 +0530

It seems no lessons have been learnt despite the nation-wide furore over the brutal Delhi gangrape incident. A 14-year-old girl was allegedly tortured in West Bengal in a rehab home in South 24 Parganas district.

TMC councillor Mohammed Iqbal arrested from Bihar

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 03:22:46 +0530

Trinamool Congress councillor Mohammed Iqbal, one of the accused in the sub-inspector murder case in violence in Garden Reach area in February 2013, was arrested on Thursday from Bihar, officials said.

WB: TMC workers allegedly molest Jharkhand party members

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:47:11 +0530

Two tribal women workers of Jharkhand Party (Naren) on Thursday alleged to the state Women's Commission and state Human Rights Commission that they had been molested by ruling Trinamool Congress activists. In the complaint, which was also sent to the SP and DM of Midnapore West district, the two adivasi women said though a complaint was lodged in Binpur police station following the incident, no action was taken.

TMC MP Saugata Roy resigns as Mamata's adviser

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 06:33:52 +0530

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy has resigned as adviser to the West Bengal Government's Commerce, Industries and IT Ministry over alleged differences with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "Yes, Saugata Roy has resigned from the post of adviser to the state government's commerce, industries and IT department," a senior TMC leader said on condition of anonymity.

Kolkata band sings for Malala, pledges to take her cause forward

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:12:22 +0530

A band in Kolkata has found inspiration in young Pakistani girl and hero Malala Yousufzai. Not only are they singing for the young Pakistani who survived the Taliban attempt on her life, they're also funding children's education projects.

Indians living in constant fear, says Ravi Shankar

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:42:13 +0530

"Everybody in the country - be it Hindus, Muslims or Dalits - all are living in constant fear. People are so apprehensive about their security. Ten years ago the situation in the country was not so," said Ravi Shankar.

Kolkata: Flyover collapses, crushes truck underneath injuring 3

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 08:24:54 +0530

A flyover in Kolkata collapsed on Sunday morning crushing a truck underneath and injuring three people.

Death toll in Kolkata market fire rises to 21

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 09:19:00 +0530

The toll in the blaze at the Surya Sen Market in Kolkata rose to 21 on Saturday with another persons succumbing to injuries in hospital.

WB: Court hearing begins in Park Street rape case

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 08:39:43 +0530

The in-camera hearing in the controversial Park Street rape case began on Saturday in a fast track court in Kolkata. "The hearing started today. The next hearing will take place on March 13-14," Deputy Commissioner (Detective department) Santosh Pandey said.

Kolkata: Author preserves the cultural heritage of the city of joy in his books

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 01:39:28 +0530

Amit Chaudhuri, an author, has taken it upon himself to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the 'city of joy' Kolkata. The city of joy and teeming millions has been Amit Chaudhuri's muse for his three novels. His love for the city and its neighbourhoods has made him fight for a new heritage law to preserve its history.

Kolkata market fire: Death toll rises to 21

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 01:33:46 +0530

The death toll in Kolkata fire tragedy that occurred on February 27 rose to 21. One of the injured, who was admitted to NRS Medical College, died on Saturday.

Trinamool leader freed on bail, terms police 'CPI(M) stooge'

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 03:29:09 +0530

Hours after his release from jail, former Trinamool Congress legislator Arabul Islam on Friday accused sections of West Bengal Police of acting as CPI(M) "stooges" to frame him.

Kolkata fire tragedy: Death toll rises to 20

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:23:05 +0530

The death toll in Wednesday's fire tragedy in Kolkata has risen to 20. One of the injured admitted at the NRS medical college died on Friday morning.

Kolkata fire: Govt refuses to take responsibility

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 08:39:12 +0530

The recent deadly blaze at the Surya Sen market with 19 casualties is not the first fire tragedy in Kolkata. But no lessons seem to have been learnt.

West Bengal: Youth strangles his mother to death

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:45:57 +0530

A 19-year-old boy on Thursday strangulated his mother to death in North 24 Parganas district, apparently in fear of being exposed that he had failed to clear the test to appear for the Higher Secondary Examination, the police said.

WB by-elections: TMC, Congress, FB win one seat each

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:23:57 +0530

The Trinamool Congress won English Bazar (Malda), the Congress bagged Rejinagar (Murshidabad) while Nalhati went to Forward Block in the by-elections held on February 23.

Another fire tragedy in Kolkata, no lessons learnt?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:59:33 +0530

At least 20 people died in the Kolkata fire tragedy on Wednesday and a political blame game between the Trinamool Congress and the Left ensued. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata banerjee said people should be responsible for their own safety.

Rights panel summons TMC MP for remarks on Park Street rape

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 02:19:03 +0530

The West Bengal Human Rights Commission on Wednesday issued summons to Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar who had called the Park Street rape case a "sex deal gone wrong".

Indian baby under US foster care returns to Kolkata

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 01:19:53 +0530

Nearly six months after being taken into custody by the United States Child Protection Services for alleged neglect by parents, one-and-a-half-year-old Indrashish, son of an Indian couple in the US, returned to the city on Wednesday.

Kolkata fire: No lesson learnt by Mamata govt?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 07:57:54 +0530

A deadly fire engulfed the bustling Surya Sen market in Kolkata on Wednesday, leaving scores dead and many injured. The six-storey tall commercial building was a disaster in the making with plenty of inflammable materials stacked everywhere, narrow lanes choking the possibility of escape and an eatery on the first floor.

Kolkata: Screams of fire victims woke up locals in market area

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:35:30 +0530

Screams of people on fire broke the silence of the night in the congested Surya Sen Market complex in the city where a fire left labourers and shopkeepers dead. Locals said they were alerted to the fire by shouts of the victims sleeping inside the complex.

Kolkata: Massive fire leaves 20 dead; Mamata assures action

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:20:01 +0530

A massive fire in a Kolkata market left 20 people dead and many more injured on Wednesday morning. The fire broke out in the tightly packed Surya Sen market near Sealdah. Around 20 fire engines battled the blaze but the cause of the fire is still unknown. The injured have been admitted to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.

Live: 19 killed in Kolkata fire, Cong seeks probe

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:12:49 +0530

Death toll rises to 18 in a massive fire that broke out at a market near the Calcutta University campus in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Kolkata fire: Over 13 dead; Trinamool blames Left

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:04:50 +0530

Over 13 people have reportedly died after a massive fire broke out at a market near the Calcutta University campus in the wee hours of Wednesday. Rescue workers are evacuating people trapped in the blaze that broke out at 3:50 am in Surya Sen market in Sealdah.

Seven feared dead in fire near Calcutta University

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 07:30:57 +0530

Seven people are feared died in a massive fire that broke out near the Calcutta University campus in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Kolkata college clashes: Congress leader arrested

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:19:14 +0530

Congress local leader Sheikh Moktar, one of the accused in the sub inspector killing case in violence in Garden Reach area in south-west part of city on February 12, was arrested on Tuesday evening, a senior CID official said.

WB: TMC MP slams Mamata govt over ban on film

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 05:25:27 +0530

In increasing trouble for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman has criticised the move by the censor board in Kolkata to deny approval to Kangal Malsat, a film that contains references to Singur issue and Banerjee's swearing in.

Mamata has positive mind on NCTC: Shinde

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 04:48:53 +0530

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Monday said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had earlier objected on certain issues, has a 'positive mind' towards the National Counter Terrorism Centre.

Kolkata: Ceiling fan falls on examinee's head

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 03:30:00 +0530

A Madhyamik examinee was injured when a ceiling fan fell on his head during the first day of the Madhyamik board examination at a school in North Kolkata on Monday, police sources said.

West Bengal: Unidentified men molest woman during scuffle

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:48:58 +0530

Unidentified men reportedly molested a 22-year old woman during a scuffle between two families, at Kulberia in Barasat police station area of North 24 Parganas district on Sunday night, police said. Police said the woman lodged a complaint alleging she was molested by some men during the scuffle at Kulberia Bamangachi area.

If I were FM: Bring back fuel subsidies, demand people in Kolkata

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 09:24:54 +0530

In its countdown to Union Budget 2013, CNN-IBN met people across the country to get their views on what they want from the Finance Minister. Here is a voice from Kolkata.

Rail Budget: Better food, clean toilets top Kolkata's wishlist

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 08:31:46 +0530

With the Rail Budget just around the corner, CNN-IBN gets you the wishlist of the passengers in Kolkata. Topping their wishlist is better quality food, hygiene in toilets and safety for women passengers.

WB: TMC workers ransack Chaighoria police station

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 11:08:26 +0530

Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers on Friday ransacked a police station in Chaighoria in North 24 Parganas district over alleged police inaction on complaints of financial irregularities by a panchayat member.

West Bengal: 46 arrested for violence in village in Canning

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 08:50:06 +0530

Residents of a village in Canning in South 24 Parganas that was virtually destroyed by senseless violence, are picking up their lives the best they can, after a mob attacked it. Forty five-year-old Padma Adhikary lost everything she owned and she still doesn't know who is responsible and why.

First ear, then eye: The cost of joining the strike in WB

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 08:41:13 +0530

A brick kiln worker was seriously injured and his eye severely damaged after he was attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters for participating in the trade union strike of Wednesday and Thursday.

Mamata initiates plan to boost tourism in West Bengal

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:58:48 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said her government was taking up a comprehensive plan to boost tourism in the state. Announcing her plan in Kolkata, Banerjee said the state government would set up a budget hotel at Jharkhali in the Sundarbans in a private public participation.

Hoogly: TMC councillor shot at in railway station

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:07:18 +0530

A Trinamool Congress councillor of Rishra, an industrial town in West Bengal's Hoogly district and about 24 km from Kolkata, was shot at by miscreants while disembarking at the busy railway station on Friday afternoon.

Sourav Ganguly's father passes away

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:37:39 +0530

Ganguly senior was seriously ill with high blood sugar and was given insulins regularly while being treated at home.

TMC claims its workers did not chop off panchayat member's ear

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 06:01:46 +0530

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday claimed that no worker of the party was involved in chopping off an ear of a panchayat employee for failing to report to work on day one of the trade union strike at Debipur in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

TMC workers allegedly chop off ear of panchayat employee

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:15:24 +0530

Trinamool Congress workers allegedly chopped off an ear of a panchayat employee after he failed to report for work on day one of the trade unions' strike in West Bengal. The incident took place at Debipur in the Murshidabad district.

Bharat bandh: Kolkata comes to a grinding halt

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:31:51 +0530

The TMC government had warned state employees with disciplinary action if they don't turn up. But economic activity in the state were brought to its knees as shops remained closed.

Kolkata: 3 accused in Park Street case charged with gangrape

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:19:10 +0530

A fast-track sessions court in Kolkata has framed charges against all three accused in the Park Street rape case. Two of the accused have been charged with gangrape, criminal conspiracy, common intent and criminal intimidation.

Future uncertain for mother of baby born mid-air

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 01:15:05 +0530

The mother of a premature baby born mid-air on a Manila-bound Emirates airlines flight from Dubai is fast running out of resources and awaiting help in Kolkata where she remained since giving birth to a baby girl named EK on February 8, 2013.

WB govt suspends all college union elections for 6 months

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 11:58:22 +0530

The West Bengal government on Monday announced state-wide suspension of college union elections for six months in view of various board examinations, besides the upcoming panchayat elections.

Won't allow forcible enforcement of strike: Mamata

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:15:48 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday declared that her government will not allow forcible enforcement of the two-day shutdown called by central trade unions. "We want to make it clear there will no shut downs in Bengal. Bengal will not remain shut, from schools and colleges to shops and offices, everything will remain open," she said at a public rally in South 24 Parganas district's Diamond Harbour, some 50 km from Kolkata.

Walk like the Beatles: Kolkata Traffic Police

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 02:23:35 +0530

Beatles, the evergreen all time favourite rock band from Britain's Liverpool, has come to the help of Kolkata Traffic Police in its efforts to instill road safety awareness among the youth.

WB: HC orders CBI probe into death of 3 women at govt shelter

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:30:47 +0530

The Calcutta High Court has ordered a CBI probe into death of three women at a government shelter for the mentally ill in Gurap. This came after it found the CID probe into the case to be unsatisfactory.

Kolkata: Three more arrested in Cong-TMC clashes case

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:30:31 +0530

Three more people were arrested and produced before court in connection with the Garden Reach shooting case. Sub-inspector Tapas Chowdhury was killed in the Congress, Trinamool Congress clashes that broke out during student elections at a college.

Five accused in Madan Tamang murder case arrested

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 10:00:44 +0530

Five persons, accused in the murder of former All-India Gorkha League president Madan Tamang, were arrested by the Central Bureau of Invstigation from a hotel in Darjeeling. The five suspects had escaped after Tamang, a prominent Gorkha leader, was brutally murdered on May 21, 2010 by an armed mob in broad daylight at Upper Clubside Stand in Darjeeling town while he was overseeing preparation for a public meeting.

Governor should stop behaving like IPS officer: TMC MP

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:08:53 +0530

Criticising West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan for questioning the sudden transfer of police chief RK Pachnanda, Trinamool Congress MP Sultan Ahmed on Friday said that he should "behave in consonance" with his gubernatorial responsibilities and not as a "former IPS officer". "The Governor of our state should behave like a Governor and not as a former IPS officer. The state government knows its duties and functions better than anyone else," Ahmed said.

Mamata faces fire from WB Guv, Cong over police chief's transfer

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 03:48:12 +0530

Three days after campus violence rocked Kolkata's Garden Reach area and left a police sub-inspector dead, the move by the state government to transfer Kolkata Police Commissioner Ranjit Kumar Pachnanda has come under severe criticism by the Governor as well as the Opposition.

Mamata transfers Kolkata police chief, WB Governor criticises the move

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:27:22 +0530

Three days after campus violence rocked Kolkata's Garden Reach area and left a police sub-inspector dead, the State Governor himself has stepped into what is turning to be West Bengal's latest political row after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday transferred police commissioner Ranjit Kumar Pachnanda.

Cop killing: Mamata admits key names missing from FIR

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:39:37 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday admitted names of several key accused were missing from the complaint filed over a policeman's killing here but promised "law will take its course" and the guilty punished.

Kolkata: Guv questions govt's decision to shift police chief

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 11:59:16 +0530

Two days after a policeman was shot dead during a clash between student activists, the West Bengal government on Thursday shifted out Kolkata police chief Ranjit Kumar Pachnanda for failure to apprehend the criminals, replacing him with Surajit Kar Purakayastha.

Kolkata college elections violence: Police Commissioner removed

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:31:55 +0530

Kolkata Police Commissioner RK Pachnanda was removed from his post on Thursday, after the death of a policeman during clashes between Congress and Trinamool party workers at a college election in the city two days ago. Sources said that Surajit Kar Purakayastha, ADG, Law and Order, is likely to replace him.

Law will take its own course: Mamata on college elections violence

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:22:04 +0530

Two days after violence at Garden Reach claimed the life of a police officer, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the law would take its own course in the case. "Law will take its own course and my one line is enough," the chief minister, who returned from Digha and was accompanied by Trinamool Congress All-India general secretary Mukul Roy, told reporters after visiting the family of the slain Special Branch sub-inspector, Tapas Chowdhury, at their Thakurpukur residence said.

WB governor slams TMC govt over college elections violence

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 04:47:34 +0530

Two days after violent clashes between the Trinamool and the Congress student union members claimed the life of a police sub-inspector and amidst allegations that TMC minister Firhad Hakim was shielding the accused, the Bengal governor MK Narayanan on Thursday said that ministers must not interfere in such cases.

Kolkata: 12 arrested over violence during student elections

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 01:47:07 +0530

A day after a police sub inspector was killed and four students were injured in firing outside Hari Mohan College in Kolkata, the police have arrested 12 people. The accused including the main shooter will be produced in Alipore court on Wednesday.

Mamata Banerjee firm on no land acquisition stand

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 02:39:00 +0530

Countering her predecessor Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's strong pitch for industrialisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday reiterated her government's stand of not "forcibly" acquiring land except for setting up railway lines and roads.

Kolkata: Student wings of TMC, Cong go on rampage, 1 killed

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 07:34:01 +0530

A police sub inspector was killed and four students injured in firing outside a college in Kolkata. The incident occurred when workers of the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) broke out into a scuffle outside Hari Mohan College during the filing of nomination papers for the student elections. As many as four people have been arrested.

100 political clashes every month in Bengal: RTI

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 05:22:19 +0530

Political violence has been rising in West Bengal under the government of Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee. There have been 642 cases of violent clashes related to students politics in the first five months of Mamata Banerjee's tenure. While 27 people have lost their lives at least 926 political workers and 128 students have been injured in the clashes.

Kolkata: Cong, TMC workers clash over college elections

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 01:53:36 +0530

One police sub inspector died and four students were injured when clashes broke out between Congress and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata on Tuesday. The two parties' workers clashed over filing of nomination papers for student elections outside Hari Mohan College in Kolkata's Garden Reach area.

Ceasefire violation along India-Bangladesh border; 1 killed

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 07:33:44 +0530

A 40-year-old man was on Monday killed and a child injured in "unprovoked" firing in a case of ceasefire violation by suspected Bangladeshi border guarding force personnel in north Bengal.

Kolkata: Youth shot at for protecting girl's honour

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 06:39:35 +0530

A 19-year-old boy was shot after he stood up to roadside sexual harassment against his neighbour, a class 10 student, at Indira Nagar locality in Kolkata. Ruma Sardar, the sister of the brave youth, Mangal Sardar, has been waiting for him recover. However, as she prays for the recovery of her brother, she is also beaming with pride.

Writers, artists live in anxiety in Pakistan: Farooqi

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:32:56 +0530

With political instability and extremism rising in Pakistan, noted Pakistani writer Musharraf Ali Farooqi feels artists and writers in his country live in anxiety and sometimes find it difficult to pen their thoughts. "It is difficult, it is not so easy. In such a volatile atmosphere sometimes it is difficult to pen our thoughts. There is some kind of anxiety," Farooqi, who was here to participate in the Kolkata Book Fair, told PTI.

Kolkata: Man shot at for protesting against sexual harassment

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 11:24:44 +0530

In a shocking incident in Kolkata, a 19-year-old boy was shot at after he tried to protest against the sexual harassment of a minor by four men on Sunday. The four men were on a bike when they started harassing the young girl.

WB: Around 100 women dumped in open field after sterilisation

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 07:05:50 +0530

In a shocking case, most of the 100 women in a semi-conscious state who underwent ligation procedure at a sterilisation camp at a rural health centre in Malda district were abandoned in an open field adjacent to the facility.

Mamata loses her cool again, threatens to slap photojournalist

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 06:45:02 +0530

In a yet another instance, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday allegedly lost her cool in public and threatened to slap a photojournalist at the sidelines of an event in Panagarh in Burdwan district.

Newsmaker of the Day: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 11:41:29 +0530

The Congress Union Minister said he did not instigate the Murshidabad mob, but was trying to calm the tempers.

West Bengal: MP denies vandalism, Congress backs him

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:36:09 +0530

Minister of State for Railways, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, has denied vandalism in Murshidabad and claimed that he and Congress workers did nothing untoward, though an FIR has been registered with regard to the ransack at the residence of the District Magistrate.

WB: FIR against Minister for attack on DM's home

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:09:41 +0530

West Bengal Police on Friday registered an FIR against Union Minister of State for Railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary for allegedly instigating his supporters to attack and ransack the house of Murshidabad District Magistrate Rajiv Kumar.

Implementation of direct cash transfer scheme slow in WB

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:42:17 +0530

The direct cash transfer scheme is being implemented at a very slow pace in West Bengal. It is a huge cause of concern. Many of those who queue up outside biometry camps in Hooghly don't understand why they need another card to formalise their citizenship nor what the buzz about direct cash transfers on Aadhaar card is all about.

WB: Cong Union Minister refuses to apologise for attack on DM's house

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:55:41 +0530

Minister of State for Railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary defended himself and refused to apologise for alleged Congress workers going on a rampage at the residence of a district magistrate. He also told CNN-IBN that he will resign as minister if it's proved that his supporters damaged property.

School teacher arrested for molesting a girl student

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 02:05:36 +0530

A school teacher was arrested on Thursday for allegedly molesting a girl student of Prashasta High School at Prashasta in Howrah district.

WB: Cong Union Minister, workers ransack DM's home

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:56:44 +0530

In a shocking incident in West Bengal, workers of the Congress party trashed the home of the District Magistrate of Murshidabad, led by no less than Union Minister of State for Railways, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary. He further defended himself saying the DM had affronted state Congress leaders and the rampaging workers were within their rights.

Death sentence does not serve as deterrent: Amartya Sen

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:17:55 +0530

Amid the nationwide debate over giving rapists the death penalty, Nobel prize winning economist Amartya Sen is not in favour of capital punishment, saying it does not serve as a "deterrent" and "preventive function". Sen at the same time said today he was not against "severe punishment" in critical cases.

Kolkata: Woman delivers baby onboard aircraft

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:45:24 +0530

A passenger onboard an Emirates Manila-bound flight on Thursday gave birth to a baby boy mid-air following which the aircraft made an emergency landing at NSC Bose International airport in Kolkata.

West Bengal: Cong MP, workers ransack DM's bungalow

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:23:32 +0530

In a shocking incident in West Bengal, several workers of the Congress party, led by Union Minister and party MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, went on a rampage at Murshidabad.

TMC demands apology from Buddhadeb

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:35:37 +0530

Trinamool Congress on Wednesday demanded apology from the former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for questioning Mamata Banerjee's honesty. "What he has said is unfair. The people of the state and his constituency (Jadavpore) have rejected Bhattacharjee. We demand that he express regret and apologise for the statement which involves a person (Mamata) who has made selfless sacrifice for the service of the people throughout her life," Trinamool Congress leader and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim told reporters at the party headquarter in Kolkata.

WB companies in major rail freight evasion scam

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:13:48 +0530

The state and the taxpayer are losing crores of railway revenue to freight evasion even though CNN-IBN had first reported on the freight evasion scam in September 2011. CNN-IBN has now accessed seven demand notices sent to companies in West Bengal, including the Rashmi group, which was accused of evading freight rates to the tune of Rs 660 crore.

Don't agree that Mamata is honest: Buddhadeb

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 01:15:49 +0530

Former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Tuesday said that he "did not agree" with the popular perception that his successor in the top post Mamata Banerjee was honest.

Fighting against all odds, Iran's women musicians to perform in India

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:04:35 +0530

As Kashmir's all-girls band is forced to stop singing due to threats and fatwas, most stunned by the anger is a group of female folk singers from Iran. In India for their first foreign performances, the women say that Islam doesn't stop women from singing and they have been doing so for years.

Mamata Banerjee briefs young leaders on her success

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:40:37 +0530

Virtually donning the robe of a teacher, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday dictated a list of her government's successes to student leaders of her party, asking them to memorise it.

West Bengal: Man arrested for raping his neighbor

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:05:58 +0530

The police on Monday arrested a 40-year-old man on the charge of raping a woman of his locality at Jhitkepota village under Kotwali police station in Nadia district.

West Bengal has half of India's cancer patients

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 04:27:17 +0530

With near about five lakh cancer patients, West Bengal accounts for half of the country's total cancer cases, a senior doctor said on Sunday. "West Bengal has five lakhs cancer patients. 70,000 cases of cancer are detected every year in the state out of which 35,000 die annually due to cancer," Medical Director, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute Ashis Mukhopadhyay said.

Rushdie's Kolkata visit: Dr Amartya Sen criticises protesters

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 07:44:03 +0530

Noted economist and Nobel laureate Dr Amartya Sen has criticised Muslim groups for raising a hue and cry over author Salman Rushdie's proposed visit to Kolkata for the Literary Meet. Dr Sen, who is attending the Literary Meet, said, "There are a lot of people who are enormously disadvantaged. There are a lot of reasons to complain about other things. I think when Muslim groups are taking up these issues... they are distracting attention from the real issue."

'WB will not pay interest on central loans for 3 years'

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 02:40:25 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said her government will not pay annual interests on central loans to the state for three years due to the extreme financial crisis left behind by the erstwhile Left Front government.

Mamata promises return of land to Singur farmers

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:56:50 +0530

Urging the restive farmers of Singur not to lose hope, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said she would keep her promise of giving back their land, acquired for a Tata Group plant.

WB: Gang of bikers molest Class IX student

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 08:20:43 +0530

An unfortunate incident was reported from Barasat in West Bengal where a class IX student was sexually harassed by a gang of bikers. The horror left the girl's father severely injured after he and her brother intervened and confronted the four accused.

Is creative freedom under serious threat in India?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:55:22 +0530

It's a war of words between author Salman Rushdie and the West Bengal government. The author on Friday alleged that he was forced to cancel his trip to Kolkata after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered the police to block his arrival.

Mamata blocks Rushdie's arrival in Kolkata, TMC defends her order

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:31:49 +0530

As West Bengal Chief Minister blocked author Salman Rushdie from entering Kolkata to promote Deepa Mehta's film 'Midnight's Children', Trinamool Party leaders have come out in her defence saying she did nothing wrong. "There is nothing shameful, I am congratulating the state government for taking the right decision," said Sultan Ahmed.

Woman who escaped marriage at 17 returns as a millionaire

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:29:07 +0530

In what is a 'rags to riches' story, Chanda Zaveri fled from the pressures of getting married at 17 and returned home 30 years later as a millionaire. Born in a conservative Marwari family, her mother wanted to force her into a marriage that she did not want and a life that she did not choose.

WB: 65 girls studying in madrasa fall ill after consuming mid-day meal

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:40:47 +0530

Sixty-five girls studying in a private madrasa in West Bengal have fallen ill allegedly after consuming a free mid-day meal. The incident took place at the Sitakund Madrasa in South 24 Parganas.

BJP a communal party, can't be an alternative to UPA: CPI

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:42:24 +0530

Terming the change of guard in the Bharatiya Janata Party as a "virtual coup", Communist Party of India leader AB Bardhan on Thursday said that the projection of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the National Democratic Alliance's prime ministerial candidate would create severe repercussion as most of its members were against the idea.

West Bengal: Boy allegedly rapes class 9 student

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:20:11 +0530

A class 9 student hanged herself in Bankura district of West Bengal on Thursday. She also left behind a note in which she blamed a boy for sexual harassing her.

Court orders winding up of Dunlop India

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:35:11 +0530

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered winding up of tyre manufacturing company Dunlop India Limited, which had set up its first factory at Sahaganj near here in 1936. Justice Sanjib Banerjee, while ordering the winding up of Dunlop India, directed the official liquidator to take immediate possession of the company's assets and books of records.

Salman Rushdie's Kolkata trip cancelled

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:47:27 +0530

Author Salman Rushdie's trip to Kolkata for a promotional event of the movie 'Midnight's Children', the adaptation of his book, has been cancelled, say sources.

Park Street rape case: SC refuses bail to two accused

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 03:26:33 +0530

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the bail pleas of two of the five accused in the Park Street gangrape of Kolkata saying it was not a fit case for granting relief as two of the alleged culprits are still absconding.

WB: BSF personnel arrested for molesting journalist

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:19:03 +0530

A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was arrested on Monday night for allegedly molesting a woman journalist near the busy Shyambazar crossing in Kolkata, police said.

CPM's spine has been broken, says TMC MP Saugata Roy

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:08:01 +0530

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Sunday shocked many with his choice of words at a party rally where he said that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has "gone to hell" and would not be able to return from there. Roy said that the spine of the CPI(M) had been broken and the party had gone to hell.

Kolkata: Fire breaks out at Ultadanga slums, no casualties

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 02:01:00 +0530

A fire broke out in the slums of Ultadanga in the northern part of Kolkata early on Saturday morning. Twenty fire tenders rushed to the spot to battle the flames, disaster management and fire services minister Javed Khan said.

West Bengal calls CPI-M members cobras

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 05:21:15 +0530

A West Bengal minister on Thursday compared the CPI-M to a cobra, asking Trinamool Congress activists to treat Left party's supporters like snakes sneaking into one's room.

Bengal: Men gangrape, thrash class 10 student

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:59:22 +0530

A student of class 10 has been allegedly gangraped and brutally beaten up by the assailants in Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. The victim was gangraped by men known to her. The heinous crime took place inside a hotel.

WB: Rape survivors' fight for justice gets worse with 'fake' tag

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 08:48:39 +0530

The struggle for justice for two rape survivors in Kolkata became worse after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused their case of being fake. "Medical report does not confirm rape. The lady has conceded that her husband is a CPM supporter. The entire thing is staged," Mamata said.

New terminal of Kolkata airport to be operational today

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:41:27 +0530

The Rs 2,325 crore new integrated terminal building of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata would be officially operational with an inaugural Air India flight to London via Delhi on the patriot's birth anniversary on Wedneday. "The world class infrastructure in civil aviation set up in eastern India will be operational with this inaugural flight as a symbol of honour to Netaji," Director of Airports Authority of India BP Sharma said on Tuesday.

WB: Obscene dance at an event organised by TMC student wing

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:40:22 +0530

Days after a Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader courted controversy by throwing wads of currency notes towards skimpily-clad girls dancing at its foundation day event, a freshers' welcome function organised by the party's student wing saw a dancer giving an obscene performance on stage.

West Bengal: Mamata blames crib deaths on Bihar patients

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:20:33 +0530

Attributing crib deaths to underweight and malnourished babies, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday labelled the influx of patients from neighbouring Bihar as a problem. "You know what our problem is? Many people from Bihar bring their children for treatment to hospitals in Malda and Murshidabad (districts)," Mamata said while inaugurating a fair price medicine shop here.

Never said I'll beat up the PM, claims Mamata

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 03:40:49 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday denied saying anything about beating up the prime minister and blamed the media for "distorting facts".

Kolkata: Activists struggle to preserve heritage buildings

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:34:35 +0530

Deborshi Roy Chowdhary has seen his ancestral home, dating back to the Mughals, bought and torn down. An apartment complex will now stand in place of his house, burying the history of one of the oldest zamindar families of Kolkata. And Roy Chowdhary is not alone. Kolkata is fast losing its heritage structures because of fractured families, pending litigation and high maintenance costs.

'Should I go beat up the PM?' Mamata lashes out

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:34:50 +0530

Stepping up her anti-Centre tirade, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh several times to protest against fertiliser price hike but to no avail, and she could not do anymore.

Kolkata airport's new terminal hailed as symbol of change

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 09:34:08 +0530

The wait is finally over. Kolkata has gotten its brand new state-of-the-art integrated airport terminal. With 128 check-in counters, plush VIP lounge and in-line baggage handling facilities, Terminal 2 can accommodate more than 7,000 passengers per hour.

Mamata seeks more airports in West Bengal

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:35:32 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday appealed to the Airport Authority of India allow more flights to ply from the Kolkata airport and construct more airports in various areas of the state, saying it was now a growing investment destination. Speaking at the inauguration of the new integrated terminal of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Mamata asked the aviation authorities to ensure that more foreign airlines operated in the city and sought night landing facility at north West Bengal's Bagdogra airport.

GJM to decide on Gorkhaland movement today

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 06:49:01 +0530

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Sunday is expected to decide on how to push its demand for a separate Gorkhaland. The party is likely to renew its agitation in the Darjeeling hills. The leadership has also threatened to take up arms to ensure that a separate state is formed.

Pranab to inaugurate new terminal in Kolkata airport today

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 06:28:43 +0530

President Pranab Mukherjee will be in Kolkata on Sunday to inaugurate the integrated terminal building of the city's airport. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to be present along with Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh.

West Bengal: SUV falls into Teesta river, 6 dead

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 06:10:18 +0530

An overloaded sport utility vehicle (SUV) fell into Teesta river in West Bengal's Darjeeling district on Saturday. Six bodies have been recovered while 10 people are reported to be still missing.

WB: Govt scraps allowances for 'political sufferers'

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:27:58 +0530

The West Bengal government on Saturday announced that allowances introduced by the erstwhile Left Front government for those who suffered during the Naxalite uprising in 1970s, would be discontinued. "Allowances given to political sufferers will be discontinued from now," Finance minister Amit Mitra said about the category 'political sufferers on post-Independent democratic movement' introduced by the Left government.

TMC activist dies in police custody, protests erupt

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:10:34 +0530

Crowds protested outside a police station in West Bengal's Hoogly district after a Trinamool Congress (TMC) activist died in custody due to alleged torture by police. Relatives of the 30-year-old Kazi Nasiruddin, along with locals surrounded the police station and pelted stones at it.

Dearth of skilled researchers in crucial fields: President

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 03:56:06 +0530

Observing that there is a dearth of skilled researchers in crucial areas like space, energy, medicine and defence in the country, President Pranab Mukherjee on January 19 said technology should be developed for the benefit of the people. "Quite often, I have observed that there is a deficiency of research manpower in strategic areas like space technology, atomic energy, defence, as well as in basic engineering research in medical technology, and environmental science & technology," he said here.

Student booked for circulating anti-Mamata cartoon on FB

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 03:50:35 +0530

A police complaint was filed against a college student in Kolkata on Saturday for sharing cartoons of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on his Facebook account. "A police complaint has been filed by Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TC students wing) against Ram Nayan Choudhury for circulating cartoons indicting Chief Minister in it," officer of Bidhan Nagar (north) police station Santanu Kar said. "We are investigating the case," Kar added.

May've been 'one or two' incidents of crime against women: Mamata

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:38:31 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that there might have been "one or two incidents" of crime against women in the state and criticised political rivals and the media for claiming that they were feeling "unsafe".

Mamata rubbishes reports of negligence towards minorities

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 03:20:00 +0530

Rubbishing allegations of negligence being meted out towards the minority community, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the state government had already completed nearly 90 per cent of the recommendations made by Sachar Committee for their welfare.

50 years for CPM if they win Bengal again: Lalu Prasad

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 02:39:11 +0530

Taking a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's rule, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Friday said if the CPI-M returns to power in the state, it will continue for the next 50 years.

'WB must find suitable solution to land acquisition issue'

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:45:09 +0530

West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan on Thursday said the Mamata Banerjee government has to find out a "suitable solution" to the land acquisition problem and reminded it of the "major responsibility" to restore confidence in industrialists.

7-year-old science genius is author of two books

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:59:25 +0530

Seven-year-old Pritvik is a science genius. He has already authored two books on paleontology. The Class 4 student from Kolkata has taken the world of science by storm with his book 'When Dinosaurs Roamed the Earth'.

Puri Shankaracharya blames western influence for rapes

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 03:26:02 +0530

Western influence was one of the main reasons behind the rise in incidents of rape in the country, Sankaracharya of Puri Swami Sri Nischalananda Saraswati said in Kolkata on Wednesday. He said that the western influence i.e. of films, club culture and drugs has destroyed the age old values and principles of the country.

Norway NRI kids suffer most in custody row

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 08:30:09 +0530

While the custody battle continues for the Norway NRI couple Sagarika Bhattacharya and Anurup Bhattacharya, it's the children who are facing the most problems. Psychiatrists say the psychological trauma they're suffering is only getting worse.

Mamata does it again, makes industrialists sing at meet

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 07:02:49 +0530

Sanjiv Goenka and CK Dhanuka were on Tuesday persuaded by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to sing at the inauguration of the second edition of 'Bengal Leads' industry meet at Haldia.

Kolkata: Bengal Leads summit set to begin

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 08:32:42 +0530

Being termed as West Bengal's Gujarat Summit, which wrapped up after a successful show on Saturday last week, the Trinamool government's Bengal Leads Conclave is set to begin at the industrial town of Haldia on Tuesday. The second edition of the three-day industrial fair is intended to showcase the town as a prime industrial destination.

Kolkata AMRI fire tragedy: 13 months on, no justice yet

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 07:19:17 +0530

Thirteen months after the deadly AMRI hospital fire tragedy in Kolkata that killed more than 90 people, the trial of the case has still not begun. Victims' families are demanding the case be fast-tracked and have also written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for justice.

Men gangrape 18-year-old girl, throw her out of moving bus

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:16:28 +0530

A 18-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped and thrown out of a moving vehicle in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district, police said on Monday.

5 lakh take holy dip at Gangasagar on Makar Sankranti

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:51:19 +0530

Around 5 lakh pilgrims on Monday took a holy dip at Gangasagar, the confluence of Ganga with Bay of Bengal, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Arun Mishra along with relatives and West Bengal Industries Minister Partho Chatterjee and his family also took a holy dip as the auspicious hour approached after offering puja at the Kapil Muni Temple.

West Bengal now a graveyard: Buddhadeb

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 09:26:48 +0530

Former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday accused the West Bengal government of squandering money on self promotion instead of creating jobs. "The constant refrain is all work has been done. Sometimes it is being said 90 per cent of the work is complete. We ruled West Bengal for 34 years. But we could never think of saying such things," he told a CPI-M rally at Dum Dum.

Norway custody row: Happy to be with my children, says Sagarika

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 07:37:26 +0530

For almost two years, Sagarika Bhattacharya fought to be reunited with her children. This week, the Calcutta High Court ruled they could be together till the case is settled.

I am glad I am safe, says West Bengal governor

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 11:02:53 +0530

Firing the latest salvo in his war of words with the Mamata Banerjee government, West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan on Friday quipped he was "glad" to be safe, countering a minister's comments that the regime was keeping a watch on him. "I'm glad that I am safe," Narayanan replied on Friday on the sidelines of a programme in Kolkata when asked to react to the minister's comment that he was under watch.

Kolkata to fight crime with high-tech surveillance system

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 08:20:00 +0530

With crime on the rise, Kolkata now has a new plan to fight it by installing a high-tech surveillance system connected to police stations. Two scientists at the West Bengal University of Technology came up with the idea right after the AMRI fire tragedy.

Arrange security yourselves, Mamata tells sports clubs

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 12:36:49 +0530

Citing shortage of state police personnel, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday asked the sporting clubs to arrange for their own security during games.

Mamata appoints govt spokesmen after controversy

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:52:21 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed that ministers Partha Chatterjee and Firhad Hakim would be the spokesmen for the government in what is seen as a disapproval of minister Subrata Mukherjee's comments against Governor MK Narayanan.

WB governor hits back at TMC, defends his 'goondaism' remark

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:10:57 +0530

West Bengal governor MK Narayanan on Friday hit back at the Trinamool Congress, sticking to his 'goondaism' remark against the party. TMC leader Subroto Mukherjee had earlier said that the government was keeping a close eye on the Governor.

West Bengal: Two TMC leaders gunned down

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:57:22 +0530

Two block level leaders of Trinamool Congress were gunned down at a public place on Friday morning in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district. Police said the two - Mukunda Das and Khirod Das - were gunned down on the main road of Padmapukur village.

West Bengal: Eight killed in bus-truck collision

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:07:29 +0530

Eight people were killed and 30 injured when a bus collided head-on with a truck at Heria late Thursday, police said. According to police, five people died on the spot when the Digha-bound bus, which was coming from Howrah, collided with the truck.

WB: 5 arrested for alleged gangrape of co-worker

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:20:30 +0530

A 21-year-old woman has alleged that she was gangraped by five of her office colleagues. The incident took place in North 24 Parganas on Thursday night while the girl was still at work.

WB: Cong takes out rally to protest against political violence

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 05:21:00 +0530

The West Bengal Congress on Thursday took out a massive rally in Kolkata to protest against political violence in the state. The rally turned violent in between as protesters tried to break through barricades at the administrative headquarters of the state - the Writers' Building. The protesters had planned to gherao the building. However, the police arrested a few of them as the protest turned violent. They were released later on.

HC gives interim custody of Norway NRI kids to their mother

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 02:54:41 +0530

The Calcutta High Court has allowed the interim custody of the Norway NRI children - Abhigyan and Aishwarya - to their mother Sagarika Bhattacharya. Sagarika has got the custody of the children till the final disposal of her petition and till the children's paternal uncle Arunabash Bhattacharya gets the order of the Child Welfare Committee set aside.

Kolkata experiences coldest day in over 100 yrs

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:21:39 +0530

The temperature dropped to nine degree Celsius in Kolkata on Wednesday, the coldest day for the City of Joy in over 100 years. "Temperatures are not likely to fall any further," they said and forecast a rise in temperature to 10 degrees on January 11. The official said that skies would remain hazy for the next few days.

Kolkata experiences the coldest day in a decade

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:22:10 +0530

The temperature dropped to nine degree Celsius in the metropolis on Wednesday, the coldest day in a decade. "It is the coldest day in 10 years, it is going to remain at around 9 degrees in the next 24 hours," Met department officials said.

Norway custody row: High Court order likely today

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 07:27:23 +0530

The Calcutta High Court is likely to give its verdict in the Norway custody row on Thursday in which two NRI children are caught between a legal and diplomatic fight. The High court completed its hearing on Wednesday and reserved the order for Thursday.

West Bengal: Police officer arrested for raping a woman

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 02:06:15 +0530

A woman was allegedly raped by an assistant sub-inspector of Kolkata Police in Kolkata on Wednesday.

WB: 4 infants die in Malda Medical College Hospital

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 01:26:20 +0530

Four new-born children died in Malda Medical College and Hospital in Malda in this district headquarter town of Malda district.

Return Norway NRI children to uncle by noon, orders HC

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:04:47 +0530

The Calcutta High Court has ordered the NRI children, who are caught between a legal and diplomatic fight with Norway since 2011, be returned back to their uncle by noon Wednesday after a government council said the police tried to find the children and their mother, Sagarika Bhattacharya, but failed.

Norway custody row: Police to present compliance report

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:50:20 +0530

Asansol Police is set to present a compliance report before the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday on the status of handing over the custody of the children, who are caught between a legal and diplomatic fight with Norway since 2011, to their uncle.

TMC, CPM to hold rallies against each other in Kolkata

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 08:03:16 +0530

A day after supporters of the Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India - Marxist clashed with each other leaving more than 20 people injured, the two political parties have threatened to hold rallies against each other in Kolkata. The clashes took place at Bamanghata in South 24 Parganas district when the Left supporters were en route to Kolkata for a party rally.

Norway NRI kids will remain in uncle's custody: HC

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 03:16:10 +0530

There is more tussle in the child custody battle involving the NRI couple Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya months after they were brought back from Norway. The Calcutta High Court has restored them to their uncle's custody hours after they finally reunited with their mother Sagarika.

CPM-TMC workers clash, Mamata calls emergency meet

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 03:01:13 +0530

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called an emergency high level meeting at Writers' Buildings to review the worsening law and order situation in the state following clashes between Trinamool Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) supporters. The meeting is being attended by the state chief and home secretaries as well as the state DGP and senior police officers.

WB: CPM, TMC workers clash in South 24 Parganas

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 02:32:23 +0530

The supporters of the Trinamool Congress and Communist Party of India - Marxist clashed on Tuesday in the Bhangar area of South 24 Parganas district when the Left supporters were headed for the Kolkata rally.

Norway NRI custody row: Children handed over to mother

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 01:51:00 +0530

Sagarika Bhattacharya, caught in a child custody battle involving her and her husband Anurup Bhattacharya, has been reunited with her children Abhigyan and Aishwarya. Nine months after the Norwegian government handed them over to their uncle, the two children have finally been handed over to their mother.

Kolkata: Police transfers officials in anti-rape activist's death case

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 10:13:35 +0530

Kolkata Police has transferred Assistant Commissioner Debasish Baidya, in-charge of Karaya police station, and the OC Prasenjit Bhattacharya. The two have been penalised on charges of misleading the Lalbazar police headquarters over Aminul Islam's death.

WB: 16-yr-old boy arrested for raping hearing, speech impaired girl

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 03:54:50 +0530

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on Monday after being accused of raping a deaf and mute teenaged girl at Babubagan area of the city, the police said.

WB: TMC minister compares CPM leader to a rotten fish

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 09:32:01 +0530

Politics has hit a further low in West Bengal barely a week after CPM MLA Ansiur Rehman made disparaging remarks against Mamata Banerjee. Now, TMC minister Jyotipriya Mallick has slammed former CPM minister Gautam Deb, comparing him to a rotten fish.

West Bengal: Man arrested for raping 4 minor girls

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 05:33:39 +0530

Four minor girls, aged between five and ten, have been raped by a 40-year old man in West Bengal's Bankura district, police said on Sunday.

WB: Youth arrested for raping 2-year-old baby girl

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 04:44:04 +0530

A two-year-old girl was allegedly raped by an 18-year-old youth at Minapara village in North Dinajpur district, police said on Sunday.

CPM leader attacked in West Bengal

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 03:17:38 +0530

CPM leader and former West Bengal minister Rezzak Mollah was allegedly attacked at Bangpur, South 24 Parganas on Sunday. The party has alleged that former Trinamool Congress strongman and MLA Arabul Islam is behind the attack.

Time to revise the age limit: Juvenile Justice Board member

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 06:49:21 +0530

Bipasha Roy, a member of the Juvenile Justice Board, has said it's time to revise the juvenile age limit.

Mamata plans grooming session for TMC leaders

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 09:41:47 +0530

It was a year of bad publicity for Mamata Banerjee and she has now had enough. The Trinamool supremo is now asking partymen to mind their manners and school their tongues. Her plan is to introduce special training sessions to groom party MLAs in the art of public speaking.

Kolkata: Anti-rape activist dies of burn injuries

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 07:45:22 +0530

Battling injuries for nearly a month, the 36-year-old social activist Mir Aminul Islam passed away in Kolkata on January 1. It took Kolkata police Aminul's suicide attempt on December 3 to finally snap into action and arrest Sehazada Bux, who is accused of raping a minor girl and for whom Aminul was trying to get justice.

WB: Youth's suicide provokes protests in Kolkata

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 03:46:06 +0530

Hundreds of people took out a candle-light vigil in south Kolkata to protest the suicide of a social activist who was allegedly framed by police after he helped a minor who was raped to lodge a complaint against a local strongman.

Kolkata: Major fire at clothes godown in Barabazar

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:15:48 +0530

A major fire broke out at a clothes godown at Jagannath Ghat in Kolkata's Barabazar on Thursday morning. Twenty-four fire tenders have been sent to douse the blaze.

TMC suspends workers who heckled dancers

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:41:53 +0530

After being embarrassed, the Trinamool Congress has suspended the party workers who threw money at women dancers at its foundation day party on Tuesday. Party MP Derek O'Brien tweeted saying that the TMC disciplinary committee was meeting to take a call, and that expulsion was not ruled out.

TMC workers' act has demeaned women: NCW chief

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 02:24:30 +0530

Trinamool Congress workers were caught on video heckling and throwing money at hired women dancers at their founding day party on Tuesday.

TMC condemns workers who heckled, threw money at dancers

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:19:01 +0530

The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday condemned its workers who were caught on camera heckling and throwing money at hired women dancers at its founding day party. TMC leader Derek O'Brien said, "One of the celebration events obviously went wrong. We condemn what happened. We need to find out who these people are, whether TMC workers or others. What happened last night was condemnable.

Kolkata rape: Court to hear bail plea of accused today

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 09:15:49 +0530

In the Park Street rape case of Kolkata, the bail plea of one of the accused - Sumit Bajaj - will come up for hearing in a court on Wedneday. A 37-year-old woman, who is a mother of two, was allegedly raped at gunpoint in a moving car on February 5, 2012. The woman claimed that she was offered a lift by four men, whom she befriended at a nightclub the same night.

TMC workers heckle, throw money at hired women dancers

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 08:55:38 +0530

Bengal's politics seems to have hit a new low. At the Trinamool Congress' founding day party on Tuesday, party workers threw money and heckled hired female dancers. The incident took place at South 24 Parganas district.

Kolkatal: 5000 policemen deployed on New Year's eve

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 10:25:13 +0530

Security cover has been put in place in Kolkata for the New Year celebrations with 5000 policemen including several senior police officers on duty on Monday. Apart form CCTVs at random locations, civil clothed police men and women have also been deputed around the city.

Kolkata: Women narrate their daily ordeal

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 02:59:55 +0530

A day after the Delhi braveheart succumbed to the grievous injuries inflicted to her during the most brutal gangrape ever reported from the city, protests continue across the nation to demand safety for women.

WB: Woman found dead near pond, sexual assault suspected

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 11:41:54 +0530

The body of a 40-year-old woman was found near a pond in Barasat, West Bengal on Saturday. Locals alleged that the woman was sexually assaulted before being killed.

More stringent laws on rape needed: Mamata Banerjee

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 05:10:22 +0530

Favouring a special session of Parliament on the issue, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday demanded more stringent laws against rape saying CRPC and IPC provisions were outdated. Expressing shock at the death of the 23-year old Delhi braveheart in Singapore, Banerjee said, "there is need for more stringent laws against those who commit such crimes as the provisions of the IPC and CrPC are very old."

With Mistry in, Bengal hopes for Singur settlement

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 12:19:41 +0530

With Cyrus Mistry slated to take up charge as the new Tata Group chairman on Saturday, a West Bengal minister Friday hoped the change of guard would pave the way for an amicable solution to the Singur land row, which has entangled the automaker in a bitter legal battle with the state.