Bengal

I choose my roles by the importance of the character: Rajesh Sharma

Critically acclaimed actor Rajesh Sharma, who has acted in films such as "Maachis", "Ishqiya", "No One Killed Jessica", "The Dirty Picture" and "Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana", joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on his future projects and his experience of acting in the Bengali film "Kagojer Nouka (Paper Boat)" which is based on the chit fund bust in eastern India. Q. Will this movie have English subtitle..for those who...  

WB: 3 coaches of Haldibari Express get derailed

Kolkata: Three coaches of the Haldibari Express on Tuesday got derailed between Nalhati and Chatra. There was, however, no injury to any passenger, a railway spokesman said. The train was running from Kolkata to Haldibari in north Bengal. The railway has opened a helpline at Sealdah station whose number is 23503537 and two in Kolkata station with numbers 23503076 and 27050307. (With Additional Inputs From PTI) ...  

Paramilitary forces during WB Panchayat polls not necessary: HC

Kolkata: 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 paramilitary forces for the upcoming Panchayat polls. The West Bengal government had appealed the higher bench after a single bench upheld the State Election Commission's plea for three-phase polling and deployment of central forces. The State government wanted two-phase polling and security...  

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

Kolkata: A West Bengal government owned film centre in Kolkata has reportedly refused to screen a movie on the chit fund scam. State-owned Nandan film centre says it will not screen the movie 'Kagojer Nouka' (which means Paper boat). The movie's director has alleged that the cinema hall authorities have not previewed the film despite submitting documents well in advance. The film has also not found any takers among multi-plexes...  

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

Kolkata: 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. Seventy-year-old Sunil Sarkar recounts how he found his son Jayanta Sarkar's body at the terrace hanging by a rope. Jayanta, who was allegedly...  

WB: Court asks SEC to identify sensitive poll booths

Kolkata: 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. The court directed the state poll panel to make a proper assessment over need for security for...  

Double whammy for Mamata Banerjee government in court

Kolkata: 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. A division bench of Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice JM Bagchi took the twin decisions hearing separate cases within a gap of hours in...  

WB: Chit fund scam claims its 12th victim

Barasat: 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. Police said the body of Ujjwal Samaddar, a 27-year-old agent of Sanmarg ponzi scheme, was found hanging in his home at Harishpur village on Monday morning. Samaddar's neighbours said a group of of depositors had...  

WB panchayat polls: High Court defers hearing till Tuesday

Kolkata: 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. West Bengal government on Monday filed a fresh appeal to a higher bench against an old judgement that upheld the supremacy of state election commission while conducting Panchayat polls. The crucial rural polls are slated in June this...  

Court orders CBI probe into Dhaniakhali custodial death

Kolkata: 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. The bench directed the...  

West Bengal: Chit fund duped farm labourer attempts suicide

Jalpaiguri: 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. He had invested Rs 75,000 with Saradha chit fund group after being lured by a promise of higher returns, sources said. He was in depression since the chit...  

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

Kolkata: 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. He had been arrested following a face-off with the police over a car parking issue and taken to the police station. He was later on taken to the...  

WB panchayat polls: Govt to file appeal against HC verdict

Kolkata: 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. The crucial rural polls are slated in June this year. In a setback to the state government, the Calcutta High Court had Friday directed that these elections would be held in three phases using central armed forces on dates...  

Mamata Banerjee to visit Darjeeling, meet GJM leaders

Kolkata: 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). "The chief minister will leave for Darjeeling May 14. She will have a meeting with the GTA officials and attend several government functions to announce development schemes for the region. She...  

'Mayabazar' is India's greatest film ever: IBNLive poll

New Delhi: Telugu film 'Mayabazar' has topped the poll conducted by IBNLive to find out India's greatest film till date. Malayalam film 'Manichitrathazhu' came 2nd while another Malayalam film 'Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha' grabbed the 3rd spot. Almost every big name of Telugu, Tamil and Kannada film industry was associated with Kadri Venkata Reddy's film 'Mayabazar', which was released in 1957. Be it cinematography or be it music, this film was...  

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

Kolkata: 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. Debjani in her letter, alleged that Sudipta masterminded the racket while she was merely a salaried employee who was manipulated. She also blamed the media for misrepresenting her relationship with Sudipta. Mamata government has...  

Opposition trying to derail panchayat poll process: Mamata

Burdwan: 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. "We have been trying to hold panchayat...  

Panchayat elections: WB govt to appeal against Calcutta HC order

Kolkata: 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. "We will appeal against the order before a division bench as early as possible because it is unrealistic and will undermine the federal structure and the state's minimum powers,"...  

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

Kolkata: 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. The court also directed the government to furnish list of observors as asked by the SEC by Saturday. The government was also...  

WB: Movie on chit fund scam to release today

Kolkata: 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...