Regional

Letter to Didi on machine of ‘health hazard’ in Darjeeling district hospital

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 The distributed antenna system is a health hazard with potential health risks. The GTA has initiated an enquiry into this and the initial reports reveal it was installed during the COVID but appears suspicious and alarming, wrote Amar Singh Rai

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 3.07.24 : The Darjeeling District Hospital.: File picture
The chairman of the Rogi Kalyan Samity of Darjeeling district hospital wrote to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday regarding the discovery of “telecommunication equipment” in the hospital building requesting her to personally look into the matter.

Amar Singh Rai, the chairman of the committee, termed the discovery surprising, suspicious and alarming.

“To everyone’s surprise only the other day, a ‘telecommunication equipment’ was found to have been installed inside the Darjeeling district hospital of which the concerned authorities like the GTA or even myself, as the chairman of the Rogi Kalyan Samity are unaware of,” said Rai.

Sources said that Rajesh Chauhan, deputy chairman, GTA Sabha, who is looking into the administrative affairs of the Darjeeling district hospital came across the distributed antenna system (DAS) for mobile service operators beside the office issuing birth and death certificates on the hospital’s fourth floor while inspecting the building on June 24.

The distributed antenna system is a health hazard with potential health risks. The GTA has initiated an enquiry into this and the initial reports reveal it was installed during the COVID but appears suspicious and alarming,” wrote Rai.

DAS equipment enhances the signals.

Since the discovery of the system installed by a private party inside the hospital, questions have been raised regarding the people who took the initiative to install the system beside the office issuing birth and death certificates on the hospital’s fourth floor.

Also, the memorandum of understanding between the Space Tele Pvt Limited, which is headquartered in Gurugram and the “Darjeeling District Hospital” is signed on plain paper instead of stamped paper and there is no mention of any financial costs.

“How was the equipment installed inside a hospital without the GTA’s knowledge,” said Chauhan.

Soumya Purkait, principal secretary, GTA in a letter to Space Tele Pvt Limited on June 28 has flagged a number of anomalies in the installation process.

The GTA official stated that the equipment was installed on December 16, 2020, without approval from competent authorities and that the memorandum of understanding has been “executed in a plain paper”.

“The pinpoint location/schedule of property under contract for installation is also missing,” the letter states.

The GTA states that the MoU between the company and “District Hospital Darjeeling” for a period of 15 years cannot be considered legal but is considered “illegal and perverse in the eyes of the law.”

Purkait has also stated that “the potential health risks associated with prolonged exposure to waves emitted by such equipment are well-documented.”

“Given the presence of patients and staff in a hospital environment, the continued operation of this equipment poses a significant safety concern,” stated Purkait and has asked the private company to remove the equipment within seven days.

Abhijit Kumar Prasad, a representative of Space Tele on Monday said that equipment was installed at the behest of a doctor.

“In 2020, during the Covid-19 period, Dr Kumar of the Darjeeling hospital told us connectivity was an issue and patients too facing problems at the hospital. Based on his email, we installed the equipment but he refused to sign the MoU,” said Abhijit.

When contacted Dr Kumar S, refused to acknowledge that he had made the request through an email. “In fact, I was the one to protest when those equipment were being installed then,” said Dr Kumar.
Courtesy & source- The Telegraph
https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/letter-to-mamata-banerjee-on-machine-of-health-hazard-in-darjeeling-district-hospital/cid/2031167
Crime, Politics, West Bengal

Bengal Raj Bhavan molestation case: Woman employee moves Supreme Court against immunity to Governor Bose

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According to Article 361, criminal proceedings cannot be instituted in a court against the Governor during his term of office
CV Ananda Bose: File

PTI, New Delhi, 04.07.24 : A contractual woman employee, who has alleged molestation by West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, has moved the Supreme Court against “blanket immunity” conferred to him under Article 361 of the Constitution.

According to Article 361, criminal proceedings cannot be instituted in a court against the Governor during his term of office.

The woman petitioner has sought directions to frame specific guidelines under which Governors enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution.

“This court has to decide whether a victim like the petitioner can be rendered remediless, with the only option being to wait for the accused to demit his office, which delay will then be inexplainable during the trial, and render the entire procedure a mere lip service, without any justice to the victim herein,” the plea said.

The plea has also sought a probe into the case by West Bengal police and protection for her and her family along with compensation from the government for her loss of reputation.

The contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan had lodged a complaint with Kolkata Police alleging that she was molested by Bose in the governor’s house on April 24 and May 2.

She accused Bose of orchestrating a “ridiculous drama” to deflect attention from his actions, emphasising that he should have provided the CCTV footage from premises to police at the outset of the investigation.

Footage from two CCTV cameras positioned at the main (north) gate, spanning from 5.32 pm to 6.41 pm on May 2, was shown to a select group of people and journalists at the Central Marble Hall on the ground floor of Raj Bhavan.

In the first footage, the employee, dressed in jeans and a top, was seen hurrying to the police outpost housed within the governor’s house amidst a significant number of police personnel who were deployed in the premises for the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on that day.

The second footage, which lasted for around 10 minutes, showed various vehicles including fire tenders arriving at the north gate of Raj Bhavan and policemen lining up for their regular duties. The victim, however, could not be spotted.

Amid the controversy over the woman’s allegation, Bose had filed a defamation case against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on June 28, a day after the CM claimed that women complained to her that they were afraid to visit the Raj Bhavan because of the activities there.

The Calcutta High Court has adjourned till Thursday the hearing in the matter.
Crime, West Bengal

Youth shoots at woman, takes own life at guest house in Calcutta’s Lake Gardens

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 The woman sustained a bullet injury in her abdomen and has been admitted to a hospital in Jadavpur
ew Metro Guest House at Lake Gardens: Pradip Sanyal

Monalisa Chaudhuri, TT, Lake Gardens, 04.07.24 : A peaceful neighbourhood in Lake Gardens heard two consecutive gunshots on Wednesday afternoon.

A young man who had checked into a guest house with a woman allegedly shot her before locking himself in the room and shooting himself dead.

The woman sustained a bullet injury in her abdomen and has been admitted to a hospital in Jadavpur.

Nikku Kumari Dubey, 21, is said to have told police that she was earlier in a relationship with the man, Rakesh Kumar Shah, 27, but a recent rift between the two resulted in a break-up that Shah could not accept.

Cops said the two had checked into a room on the third floor of New Metro Guest House at Lake Gardens around 2pm on Wednesday.

“Around 4.50pm, the caretaker of the guest house heard a gunshot. Shortly after, the woman ran down to the reception and said she had been shot by the man who came with her. Before the staff could react, they heard another gunshot,” said an officer of Lake police station.

One of the guest house owners told Metro over the phone that their manager, Rajib Dey, was at the reception when the firing was reported.

“We heard that the guest was carrying a gun and had locked himself in the room after he shot at the woman. The woman ran downstairs and said she had been shot,” the owner said.

Shah and Dubey are from Budge Budge in South 24-Parganas. Dubey told the police it was to be a “reconciliation meeting”.

“She said they grew up in the same neighbourhood in Budge Budge and were in a relationship for several years. Recently, she wanted to come out of it but Shah was reluctant. She said he was trying to blackmail her and when she tried to leave the room, he opened fire,” said an officer.

The police said this version was based on preliminary inquiry and Dubey’s statements were yet to be verified.

By the time the police entered the third-floor room, which was locked from inside, Shah was dead. He had shot himself in the head, cops said.

Shah’s family said the two (Shah and Dubey) left home together on Wednesday morning.

“My son loved her a lot. But she had left him,” Shah’s mother said at their Vidyasagar Road home in Budge Budge.

Sources in Lalbazar said the investigating team was in the process of collecting CCTV footage from the guest house to verify the sequence of events.

The police said they had recovered a 9mm pistol, liquor bottles and a purported suicide note from the room.

The identity cards Shah and Dubey submitted at the guest house while checking-in said the two were residents of Bihar, the police said.

Neighbours in Budge Budge confirmed that the two families were originally from Bihar and had shifted to Bengal several years ago.

Shah’s body will undergo a post-mortem on Thursday.

A formal case has been registered at Lake police station.
Crime, Politics, West Bengal

Calcutta High Court to hear Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose’s defamation suit against CM Mamata Banerjee on July 3

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 Bose had filed a defamation case against Banerjee on June 28, a day after she claimed women complained to her that they were afraid to visit the Raj Bhavan because of the activities there
PTI,  Calcutta, 03.07.24 : The Calcutta High Court is on Wednesday scheduled to hear a defamation suit filed by West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Bose had filed a defamation case against Banerjee on June 28, a day after she claimed women complained to her that they were afraid to visit the Raj Bhavan because of the activities there.

The defamation suit filed by Bose is listed for hearing on Wednesday before the bench of Justice Krishna Rao, according to the high court’s website.

During an administrative meeting in the state secretariat, Banerjee had on June 27 said “women have informed me they are afraid to visit Raj Bhavan due to recent incidents reported there”.

Following Banerjee’s remarks, the governor had said it was expected of public representatives not to create “erroneous and slanderous impressions”.

On May 2, a contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan had made an allegation of molestation against Bose, following which the Calcutta Police started an inquiry.

Under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a governor during his/her term in office.
Crime, Regional

Woman ends life after being humiliated in Kangaroo court, four arrested

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MP, 2 July 2024, Siliguri: A housewife took her own life allegedly after being humiliated by a kangaroo court, where the woman and her husband were allegedly beaten up by the villagers. 

The incident occurred in Bakravita area under Fulbari number 1 Gram Panchayat. New Jalpaiguri Police have arrested four people in connection with the case, based on a complaint lodged. She committed suicide by drinking poison.  
The accused were produced at Jalpaiguri Court on Tuesday. The arrested have been identified as Brajen Adhikary, Swapna Adhikary wife of Brajen Adhikary, Sagar Roy and his wife Shibani Roy, all residents of the Bakravita area. The deceased has been identified as Savita Barman. 
According to sources, Savita allegedly had an extra marital affair, therefore, she had left her husband a few days before the incident. Later, she had called her husband, Tapas Barman over the phone and expressed desire to return home with him. 
Accordingly, he brought his wife back and dropped her at her parent’s house. However, some of Tapas’s neighbours asked him to bring Savita to Bakravita. On Friday, when Tapas brought her to the area, a mob consisting of the villagers allegedly began beating her up. When Tapas tried to save his wife, they allegedly beat up Tapas as well. 
On Saturday, Sabita drank poison. Tapas admitted her to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH), where she died on Sunday. 
Later, Tapas and Savita’s brother lodged a written complaint at the NJP Police Station, based on which the four were made. 
On Tuesday, Deepak Sarkar, Deputy Commissioner of Police went to New Jalpaiguri Police station. He said: “Four people have been arrested so far. Investigation is underway.” 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Pist
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/woman-ends-life-after-being-humiliated-in-kangaroo-court-four-arrested-570347
Crime, National

Alertness while filing e-FIR

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Meghashree Poddar, EOI, 23 July 2024 : On July 1st 2024, new criminal regulations were supplanted with the Indian Reformatory code. On Monday, the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, all three of India’s new criminal laws went into effect. These regulations will supplant the provincial period Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Strategy and the Indian Proof Demonstration, individually.
New laws have made it easier for residents to get in touch with the police now. From July 1, they can record a First Data Report (FIR) online through entryway. Moreover, wrongdoings can be accounted for from outside the city through a zero FIR. These progressions expect to guarantee reasonableness with compulsory sound and video accounts of methodology like pursuit, seizure, and addressing. 
In addition, specific deadlines for police procedures are set by the new laws to ensure accountability and avoid unnecessary delays. Police across the nation are ready for the rollout because they have officers trained in the new Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNSS)and Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS),which replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Till June 24,upwards of 36,716 police had been prepared. We have now made auxiliary preparation units, which will prepare cops at the region level. A senior officer in Delhi stated, “This exercise will continue until every cop has been trained in the new laws.” Preparing go on at the locale level to guarantee all officials  are knowledgeable in the new guidelines.
To meet BNS requirements, the police are considering purchasing tablets for investigating officers. e-FIRs and online chargesheets will be made easier with these tablets, which are connected to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) and come equipped with the police app e-praman. Officials will utilize these gadgets to catch recordings and photographs of crime locations with GPS and time-labeling, guaranteeing credibility.” 
There is accentuation on guaranteeing that the proof gathered is true and that the examining official is available at the crime location. A senior police officer stated, “The hash value of this digital evidence will be preserved to rule out any tampering and guarantee that unaltered evidence reaches the court.” Officers will be able to upload videos directly to CCTNS using the new app and tablets, putting the integrity of digital evidence first. Hash values will be utilized to affirm the validness of advanced records, with any progressions demonstrating altering. A backup of the case files and evidence will also be provided by the cloud-based service. As a capable resident, we ought to move towards however with alert. 
The following are the given moves toward do an e-fir safely:-
Law Commission Recommendations for Secure Online Complaint Filing in e FIR
The complainant could be verified by requiring the upload of a valid ID, like Aadhaar, and verifying the mobile number with an OTP. The name of the suspect on the unified public gateway is to be gotten until thee FIR is endorsed by the complainant.
Meaning of Regulation Commission’s e FIR 
Suggestions for Wrong doing
Announcing:
*It guarantees free wrongdoing enrollment with programmed receipt age.
*The complaint’s nature and contents will continue to be accurate.
*The Commission suggests e-FIR for all cognisable offenses with obscure denounced.
*Features the important job of police associations in settling blind wrongdoings.
*Problems with Implementing the Law Commission’s Recommendations for e-FIR Procedures The commission did not explain what an “e-FIR” is.
*Confirmation of gotten data by the police headquarters before recommended design in three days or less. In different cases (culpable with over three years of detainment), the traditional strategy endorsed under the Indian Reformatory Code (IPC)should be followed.
*The cop is expected to get the mark of the complainant in somewhere around three days to enlist an e FIR. Any other way, it will not be enrolled.
*Only in cases in which the accused is known is the procedure provided.
*However the Commission referenced that eight States (Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand)are dwelling an e-FIR, it didn’t talk about any of the models to be taken on by those States.
*No utilization of the ‘e-validation procedure or computerized signature’ as characterized in the Data Innovation (IT) Act, 2000, for marking grievances. 
Just situations where human connection can be deferred for a restricted period without unfavorably affecting the case might be allowed to be enlisted electronically. It would be smarter to utilize e-confirmation methods that are commanded for the check of the complainant, and an e FIR is enlisted right away. 
(The views of the author are personal)
Education, National

NEET-UG row: SC to hear batch of pleas on July 8

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PTI, New Delhi, Jul 2, 2024 :  The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on July 8 a batch of pleas related to the controversy-ridden NEET-UG, including those alleging irregularities in the examination held on May 5 and seeking a direction that it be held afresh.
According to the cause list for July 8 uploaded on the apex court’s website, the batch of 26 petitions would come up for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
The NEET-UG, 2024 was held across 4,750 centres on May 5 and around 24 lakh candidates appeared in it.
Initially expected on June 14, the results were announced on June 4 due to an early completion of answer-sheet evaluation.
Allegations of irregularities, including paper leaks, have led to protests in several cities and sparring between rival political parties.
On June 11, hearing a plea seeking that the exam be held afresh on the grounds of alleged question paper leak and other malpractices, the top court observed that the sanctity of the NEET-UG has been affected and sought responses from the Centre and the NTA on the petition.
It, however, refused to stay the counselling of the successful candidates for admissions to MBBS, BDS and other courses.
On June 20, the top court sought the responses of the Centre, the NTA and others on a slew of petitions, including those seeking the scrapping of the NEET-UG and a court-monitored probe amid a mounting outrage over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the all-India medical entrance test.
Hearing separate pleas on the exam on June 18, the apex court said even if there was “0.001 per cent negligence” on the part of anyone in the conduct of the examination, it should be thoroughly dealt with.
The Centre and the NTA had, on June 13, told the court that they had cancelled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates.
They were given the option to either take a re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded for loss of time.
The NTA announced the revised rank list on Monday after issuing the results of the re-test held on June 23.
A total of 67 students had scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in the NTA’s history, with six from a Haryana centre figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities in the examination held on May 5. It has been alleged that grace marks contributed to 67 students sharing the top rank.
The number of candidates sharing the top rank in the NEET-UG reduced to 61 from 67 as the NTA announced the revised results on Monday. 

Education, National

NEET-PG likely to beheld mid-Aug: Sources

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PTI, New Delhi, Jul 2, 2024 :  The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Post Graduate (NEET-PG) 2024 is likely to be held mid-August, sources said on Tuesday.
    
The revised date for the medical entrance exam is expected to be announced this week.
    
A meeting was held in the Union home ministry on Monday, in which officials from the health ministry, National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), along with its technical partner Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and Cyber Cell officials discussed the preparedness for the NEET-PG, which is to be held online.
    
“Besides the NEET-PG, the meeting was held to evaluate the robustness of the system for the conduct of the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination, which is scheduled for July 6,” a source said.
    
Monday’s meeting was held to check the “robustness” of the system for the conduct of the exam in the coming days, the sources added.
    
It was learnt that the TCS top brass briefed the meeting about the various aspects of the exam procedure.
    
On June 22, the Union health ministry postponed the NEET-PG entrance examination, scheduled to be held on June 23, as a “precautionary measure” in the wake of allegations on the integrity of certain competitive exams.
    
The health ministry had said it will undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of the processes of the NEET-PG, conducted by the NBEMS along with its technical partner TCS for medical students.
National

Lonavala incident : Five Lives Lost in waterfall mishap: govt to ban entry of tourists at certain spots

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https://www.kalimpongnews.in.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Pune-incident.mp4#t=0.1

Agencies, 2 July 2024: Following the tragic incident in which five members of a family lost their lives near Maharashtra’s Bhushi Dam near Lonavala on Sunday, the Pune district collector Suhas Divase has brought out strict guidelines for tourists and local authorities. The instructions aim to ensure safety in tourist spots and avert similar instances in the future.

A safety survey will soon be conducted in various areas around the Western Ghats including Maval, Khed, Mulshi, Bhor, Junnar, Ambegaon and Velha, which experience tourism activity and yet have the potential for hazards. Officials will also visit various dams, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, forest areas and forts around the region to inspect safety measures. These are the safety instructions issued for tourists and local authorities by the administration:


Police said the spot where the incident took place is a “restricted area” under the jurisdiction of Indian Railways and the Forest Department. A day after five persons including four children were swept away in a waterfall located in a “restricted area” approximately 2 kilometres from Bhushi Dam in Lonavala.

Regional

Call for independent investigation into construction of unauthorized highrises in Darjeeling

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EOI, DARJEELING, JULY 1, 2024 : Questioning the functioning of the Darjeeling Municipality and alleged corruption, the People’s Forum, a non political organization, has submitted a memorandum to the Darjeeling district administration, demanding an independent investigation. The PF has alleged the Darjeeling Municipality is hand in glove with builders, allowing them to construct unauthorized structures. “There is rampant and unauthorized construction of high rises without proper approval.

Building plans have been passed without conversion of land,” PF convener Bhanu Lama said on Monday. Lama highlighted that buildings and other structures were being constructed on public footpaths and drains without proper authorization. “We have nothing to say on how people are constructing their structures. But the onus is on the municipality. How have they allowed such illegal constructions? Public roads, drains and footpaths have been occupied and encroached upon,” said Lama.
Interestingly, the Darjeeling Municipality a few days ago had issued notice to five hotels directing them to clear the public drains on which slabs have been constructed.
The PF convener said construction of massive high rises had turned Darjeeling into a concrete jungle which had the possibility of affecting tourism in the hills. “Key tourist panoramic view points are now blocked by unauthorized structures and buildings. This will affect tourism and the heritage charm of our area. Tourists come to the hills for its greenery and serenity,” said Lama. 
Lama said heritage sites were under threat from illegal high rise and the Land Reform Act of 1955 under section 14 (C) of Tribal Land was being violated. “Apartments and shops have been constructed on tribal land without conversion of land and without obtaining permission from the tribal department. This has disrupted the demographic and cultural balance of the region. Illegal and rampant construction is a threat to the heritage sites of the place,” said the PF convener. 
Lama said to curb such illegal activities within the municipality, an independent enquiry committee be formed to investigate and legal actions be taken on the defaulters.
“The district administration or the West Bengal Government should form an inquiry committee to investigate the activities and decisions of the board members of the Darjeeling Municipality. Strict legal actions should be taken against those found guilty of unauthorized approvals and construction including demolition of illegal structures and order to the registration officer not to entertain any documents for registration of a flat unless the number of floors to be built is specifically mentioned,” he said. 
Lama also advocated for regular monitoring of construction of buildings, preservation of heritage sites and public spaces
National, Politics

BJP seeks CM Mamata’s resignation over ‘severe deterioration’ of law and order in state

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PTI, New Delhi, Jul 01 2024 : The BJP called for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation on Monday over a “severe deterioration” in the state’s law and order after a video of a man flogging a couple in public in West Bengal surfaced on social media.

The man seen in the video beating up a couple with a bamboo stick was allegedly a local TMC leader from Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district, where the incident occurred following a kangaroo court decision.
The accused, Tajmul alias JCB, was arrested.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia highlighted the flogging incident and questioned the chief minister’s commitment to justice and governance.
During a press conference, he condemned the act as a grave violation of dignity and fundamental rights and criticised Banerjee’s silence.
“It is a shame that she has not spoken a word on this. As a woman and a chief minister, she should be the first to come out and condemn this incident,” Bhatia asserted.
He also alleged that the perpetrator was a leader from Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.
“What makes the matter worse is the fact that the accused happens to be a TMC leader. This is a blatant miscarriage of justice,” the BJP leader claimed.
Bhatia also attacked Banerjee over West Bengal’s governance, accusing the chief minister of failing to maintain law and order.
“Law and order have completely collapsed in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee should resign forthwith as she is unable to ensure the safety and security of citizens,” he said.
Bhatia also highlighted a controversial statement by TMC MLA Hamdulillah, who allegedly justified the incident by referring to justice systems in certain Islamic nations.
“He justified it by saying this kind of justice prevails in Islamic nations, thus endorsing a Talibani style of dispensing justice in a country that believes in the Constitution of India,” Bhatia said.
He also questioned the silence of prominent opposition leaders on the issue.
“Where is Mallikarjun Kharge? Where is Sonia Gandhi? Where is Lalu Prasad Yadav? None of them have made any statement condemning this ghastly incident. Such is their belief in the Constitution of India, or rather, in the Talibani rule of law imposed by the TMC on the citizens of West Bengal,” he said.
Assuring the people of West Bengal and India, Bhatia said, “Our national president JP Nadda has raised this issue and, on behalf of the party, I assure every citizen that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with the victims. We believe in the Constitution of India and will ensure that this Talabani kind of government does not exist for another day.
National, Politics

Criminal laws passed ‘forcibly’, INDIA will not allow ‘bulldozer’ justice in par system: Cong

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PTI, NEW DELHI, JULY 1, 2024 :  Three new criminal laws came into effect in the country on Monday, bringing far-reaching changes in India’s criminal justice system. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) take into account some of the current social realities and modern-day crimes. 

The new laws replaced the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively. From Monday, all fresh FIRs will be registered under the BNS. However, cases filed earlier will continue to be tried under the old laws till their final disposals. 
The new laws brought in a modern justice system, incorporating provisions such as Zero FIR, online registration of police complaints, summonses through electronic modes such as SMS and mandatory videography of crime scenes for all heinous crimes. 
The new laws have tried to address some of the current social realities and crimes and are going to provide a mechanism to effectively deal with these, keeping in view the ideals enshrined in the Constitution, official sources said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who piloted the laws, had said the new laws would give priority to providing justice, unlike the colonial-era laws that gave primacy to penal action.”
These laws are made by Indians, for Indians and by an Indian Parliament and marks the end of colonial criminal justice laws,” Shah had said. 
The Home Minister had further said the laws were not just about changing the nomenclature but bringing about a complete overhaul. 
“Soul, body and spirit” of the new laws is Indian,” he had said. Justice is an umbrella term that encompasses both the victim and the culprit, the Home Minister had said and added these new laws would ensure political, economic and social justice with an Indian ethos. 
According to the new laws, judgment in criminal cases has to come within45 days of completion of trial and charges must be framed within 60days of first hearing. Statement of rape victims will be recorded by a woman police officer in presence of her guardian or relative and medical reports have to come within seven days. 
Organised crimes and acts of terrorism have been defined, sedition has been replaced with treason and video recording of all search and seizures made mandatory. 
A new chapter on crimes against women and children has been added, buying and selling of any child made a heinous crime and there is a provision for death sentence or life imprisonment for gang rape of a minor. 
Offences against women and children, murder and offences against the State have been given precedence in the new law. 
With the new laws coming into effect, the Congress on Monday accused the Union government of getting them “forcibly” passed in Parliament after suspending 146 MPs and asserted that going forward, the INDIA bloc will not allow such “bulldozer justice” to prevail in the country’s parliamentary system. 
In a post in Hindi on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: “After the political and moral shock in the elections, Modi ji and the BJP are pretending to respect the Constitution, but the truth is that the three laws of the criminal justice system which are being implemented from today, were passed forcibly after suspension of 146MPs.” “INDIA will no longer allow this ‘bulldozer justice’ to prevail in the parliamentary system,” he asserted. 
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also took a swipe at the government after the first FIR was lodged under the new laws. “The first FIR has already been filed under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023. 
It is by Delhi Police against a street vendor for obstruction, after he was earning his daily livelihood under a foot-over bridge of New Delhi Railway Station, “Ramesh said. Delhi Police registered its first FIR under provisions of the new criminal code the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against a street vendor selling water and tobacco products from a cart that allegedly obstructed a public way in central Delhi’s Kamala Market area on Monday, officials said.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also slammed the government as the new criminal laws came into effect and said it was another case of “bulldozing” existing laws and replacing them with three new bills without adequate discussion and debate. 
In a post on X, Chidambaram said: “90-99 per cent of the so-called new laws are a cut, copy and paste job. A task that could have been completed with a few amendments to the existing three laws has been turned into a wasteful exercise.” 
“Yes, there are a few improvements in the new laws and we have welcomed them. They could have been introduced as amendments. 
On the other hand, there are several retrograde provisions. Some changes are prima facie unconstitutional,” he said. MPs, who were members of the standing committee, pored over the provisions and wrote detailed dissent notes to the three Bills, the senior leader said. Chidambaram added the government did not rebut or answer any of the criticisms in the dissent notes and there was no worthwhile debate in Parliament. “Law scholars, bar associations, judges and lawyers have in numerous articles and seminars pointed out the grave deficiencies in the three new laws. No one in government has cared to answer the questions,” he said. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the Congress’ concern was that the bills were passed without discussion.
“Something as important and as far reaching as this. Many of us had called for an overhaul of the IPC but we wanted a discussion and the discussion never took place and that is something very regrettable in a democracy like ours,” he told reporters outside Parliament. 
Crime, Techno/ Science, West Bengal

Rampant sharing of personal info on internet often results in child abuse: WBCPCR

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WBCPCR Chairperson Tulika Das said the traffickers and other unscrupulous persons use fake identities on social media platforms to lure children into their traps.
Rampant sharing of personal info on internet often results in child abuse: WBCPCR: File Photo: Representational Image

IANS | New Delhi | July 1, 2024 : Rampant sharing of personal information on social media by children often results in events of child abuse, child trafficking, and child marriage, according to the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR).

WBCPCR Chairperson Tulika Das said the traffickers and other unscrupulous persons use fake identities on social media platforms to lure children into their traps.

This matter also came up during a programme organised to observe ‘State Child Protection Day’ by the WBCPCR in collaboration with the UNICEF.

According to Das, children are becoming increasingly vulnerable, and many incidents of child trafficking, child marriage, child abuse, and child pornography are taking place as traffickers take to the internet to dupe them.

Cautioning that traffickers and other unscrupulous persons use fake identities on social media to lure children into their traps, Das emphasised that it is necessary to make the children aware of the pitfalls of careless sharing of personal information and photos on the internet by making it a part of the school curriculum.

“WBCPCR recommends that digital literacy be included in the school curriculum and taught in a child-friendly way to safeguard them when they study or play or make friends on the internet,” she said.

The Commission has already released anti-trafficking posters, audio messages, and music videos to create awareness on this matter.

The UNICEF also works closely with the WBCPCR on various child safety programmes in the state.

According to the chief of UNICEF in West Bengal, Prabhat Kumar, both children and adults should be careful when using the internet.

“You must think before posting, sharing, and accepting any information or data on the internet. Always inform your friends, relatives, or the police if you find someone becoming a victim of cyberbullying,” Kumar said.
Crime, Regional

Malda: Class VIII student kidnapped for Rs 60L ransom

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MP, 30 June 2024, Malda: A Class VIII student of Boronagar Danga area under Kaliachak Police Station was allegedly kidnapped for ransom of Rs 60 lakh. 

The police started an investigation and arrested one in the incident though the 14-year-old abducted boy is yet to be rescued. 
The family and the villagers are in deep anxiety over the situation. The father of the abducted boy, Enamul Hoque, has filed a complaint with the police against his brother and nephew for this. Hoque said: “My son went to the field to graze our goats at around 4.30 pm on Friday but didn’t return though the goats returned on their own. We searched for him but in vain. 
We then received ransom calls asking for Rs 60 lakh for his release else they would kill my son. 
I am merely a door-to-door vendor of readymade clothes, from where will I manage so much money. There’s a family dispute with my brother and sister over ancestral property so I filed a complaint against my brother and nephew.” 
Meanwhile, in another incident three school students of Class IX drowned in the River Ganga at Birnagar under Baishnabnagar Police Station at around 9.30 am on Saturday. 
The deceased have been identified as Akash Mondal (14), Krishna Saha (15) and Tushar Saha (14) of which only the body of Akash could be recovered from the river till Sunday afternoon. The search is still on for the others. 
These students of Birnagar High School had reached the banks of the river in school uniform to bathe. The local fishermen hearing the cry of other students managed to save one though the others could not be found.
A large contingent of police and disaster management personnel reached the spot and started the search with divers and speed boats. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/malda-class-viii-student-kidnapped-for-rs-60l-ransom-570010
Crime, International, Regional

Bangladeshi nationals held for illegally entering India

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MP, 30 June 2024: Siliguri: The Special Task Force (STF) Siliguri, apprehended two Bangladeshi nationals from the India-Bangladesh border for illegally entering India from Bangladesh on Saturday night. 

The accused have been identified as Junait Minia (21 years) and Kabir Hossain (22 years), residents of Bangladesh. 
Police sources said that based on secret information, a special team of STF raided the India-Bangladesh border in Fulbari on Saturday night, where they arrested the accused as they illegally crossed the border without any valid document. 
During the preliminary interrogation, those arrested said that they had come to India from Bangladesh in search of work. 
The accused were produced at Jalpaiguri District Court on Sunday. Meanwhile, the STF West Bengal arrested one more Bangladeshi National named Sarif Mondal (64 years) of Dhaka, Bangladesh from Cooch Behar. 
Sources said, he had entered the North East states of India illegally from Bangladesh and later came to Cooch Behar for some illegal activity. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/bangladeshi-nationals-held-570012
National

Airport canopy collapses bare faults, structural engineers challenge ‘rain’ narrative

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Each airport canopy collapse — Jabalpur, Delhi and Rajkot — was preceded by or occurred during heavy rainfall. But engineers say the excessive rainwater would by itself have, at its worst, exacerbated the underlying issues of concern that resulted in the catastrophic structural failures
Parked vehicles damaged by the collapse of a canopy at Delhi airport on Friday.: PTI picture

G.S. Mudur, TT, New Delhi, 30.06.24 : The structural failures that have triggered the back-to-back airport canopy collapses in Jabalpur, Delhi and Rajkot demand detailed investigation, sections of structural engineers said on Saturday, challenging the narrative blaming the failures on excessive rainfall.

Each airport canopy collapse — Jabalpur on Thursday, Delhi on Friday and Rajkot on Saturday — was preceded by or occurred during heavy rainfall. But engineers say the excessive rainwater would by itself have, at its worst, exacerbated the underlying issues of concern that resulted in the catastrophic structural failures.
Authorities have sought to link the failures to heavy rainfall. The Jabalpur airport director Rajeev Ratna Pandey, for instance, told the PTI news agency that the canopy had collapsed after water accumulated over it because of the rain. “It ripped under the weight of the water and the water fell with great force on a car.”

Structural engineers, however, believe there are lessons to be learned from each of the three failures.

“Rain or water load should not be a challenge for either steel or concrete structures,” Sangeeta Wij, a former vice-president of the Indian Association of Structural Engineers (IASE), an apex professional body, told The Telegraph.

Large structures are typically constructed from steel sections with fixed or hinged joints and one possible line of investigation, she said, would be to focus on the joints. There are multiple ways to execute the joints — through welding, bolts or connectors.

“Joints need to be executed with perfection — execution needs to match the original design intent. And lack of appropriate execution can make the joint vulnerable,” she added.

Under heavy rain or strong wind conditions, Wij said, a vulnerable joint may be unable to absorb the ballooning effect from the wind and could cause structural instability that could lead to a collapse.

Poor maintenance is another possible source of trouble, said another structural engineer who is an associate professor of civil engineering in a government academic institution.

“Imagine a situation where a joint section is rusted or damaged in some other way. Heavy rain might then push the damage beyond its tipping point,” the engineer, who requested anonymity, told this newspaper.

“Rainwater is not directly responsible but it could act on an already weak area. Adequate maintenance and timely repair could prevent such failures.”

Wij and others in the structural engineering community are hoping the airport canopy failures would prompt greater introspection about what to prioritise during construction projects that they say are increasingly executed through engineering procurement construction (EPC) contracts and in exceedingly tighter time schedules.

“Sometimes, under EPC contracts, the focus seems to be first on the cost, then on aesthetics, and then on structural safety,” said Wij.

Damaged roof of the Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal- 1, in New Delhi, Saturday, June 29, 2024. Operations at the Terminal 1 have been suspended following a roof collapse incident on Friday that killed one person and injured six others.:PTI

Some engineers say the absence of regulatory oversight on the practice of structural engineering keeps a window open for “unscrupulous engineers” to prioritise the contractors’ demands over structural safety.

The IASE, in a quarterly newsletter titled Crosfall (Confidential Reporting of Structural Failures and Lessons Learnt), has since July 2022 analysed several incidents — the failure of a precast arch over an expressway, the collapse of a canopy over a railway platform, and the collapse of a 95m bridge, among others.

“In our country, more often than not, the system of review of structural designs and drawings by senior structural engineers is missing,” an anonymous engineer had flagged two years ago in Crosfall.

The analyses in Crosfall have identified poor structural design, a mismatch between design and execution, and hasty construction among the causes of the various failures studied.

“Most developed and developing countries have set up regulatory bodies such as engineering councils for their structural engineers. Engineers need to pass an exam and obtain licences, and undergo periodic trainingto maintain their licences,” Wij said.

“We don’t have this. A much-awaited Engineers Bill will bring greater accountability and recognition to the profession, ensuring greater emphasis on structural safety.” 
Crime, Politics, Regional

BJP demands CBI probe into torture of woman party leader in CoochBehar

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Paul, who led a BJP delegation to the Mathabhanga area of the district, claimed that the woman, president of the local unit’s minority morcha, was beaten and stripped by TMC miscreants on June 25 while she was grazing cattle in the field.

PTI, 29 June 2024, Kolkata: BJP state general secretary Agnimitra Paul on Saturday demanded a CBI probe into the alleged incident of stripping and physical torture of a woman leader of the saffron party in West Bengal’s Coochbehar district, accusing police of inaction against the real perpetrators.

Paul, who led a BJP delegation to the Mathabhanga area of the district, claimed that the woman, president of the local unit’s minority morcha, was beaten and stripped by TMC miscreants on June 25 while she was grazing cattle in the field. 

“Under the regime of a woman chief minister, a woman representing the mothers, sisters, and the minority community of Bengal was beaten, stripped, and verbally abused in public by a local TMC leader and his associates.

“Police and the government are turning a blind eye to such blatant violence against a woman. We have no faith in this administration. We demand a CBI probe,” she said.

Paul and other BJP leaders briefly blocked the road in Choupti near the police lines and later met Additional SP and the woman involved.

However, a police officer said the incident appeared to be a domestic dispute, and seven out of the ten persons named in the FIR have been arrested. The remaining three will be apprehended soon, he added.

TMC spokesperson Partha Pratim Roy countered BJP’s claims, stating that they were politicising a family dispute following their defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in Coochbehar.

BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government was diverting attention from the incident by suddenly highlighting issues like hawkers encroaching on pavements.

“I have personally spoken to the traumatised woman. She is experiencing pain in her head. We are arranging for her treatment in Kolkata,” Majumdar told reporters.

Another TMC spokesperson Trinankur Bhattacharya told PTI that BJP was trying to politicise every minor incident to disrupt peace in Bengal after their electoral defeat and discredit the state government. “They are making baseless allegations. In every unfortunate incident, police take action and apprehend the culprits. However, these people do not belong to our party,” he added.  
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