Following a tragic stampede at the Chorebagan Durga Puja in north Kolkata that killed 19 and injured 24, police have detained 12 people, including event organisers. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has promised strict action against those responsible for crowd mismanagement and announced an SIT investigation into the incident.
A high-level committee, formed after a deadly stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, reviewed safety arrangements at several community puja pandals. The committee announced new measures, including prohibiting food stalls near entry/exit points and eliminating separate VIP entries, to enhance crowd management and safety during the festival.
Following a fatal pandal stampede, the West Bengal government has deployed nine experienced IPS officers to manage Durga Puja crowds in Kolkata. The Kolkata Police also issued an 11-point advisory, detailing measures like closing pandal entries during rain, regulating visitor movement, and coordinating with puja organisers to ensure safety during the festive rush.
A stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday evening resulted in 19 deaths and 25 injuries. The Chief Minister announced compensation and a SIT probe, while officials have been detained and crowd-pulling pujas advised to close.
A suspected operative of Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was arrested in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district, and investigators believe he could be part of an ISI-backed network tasked with collecting intelligence on VIPs including BJP leaders, recruiting operatives and laying the groundwork for possible terror activities in the state.
West Bengal's Special Task Force has arrested three individuals in Cooch Behar for alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to Pakistan's ISI. The trio is suspected of smuggling Indian SIM cards to Pakistan via Bangladesh and producing counterfeit currency. These arrests follow a series of apprehensions in Bengal related to suspected terror links, including a Pakistani national believed to be a spy.
Odisha Police's STF and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are investigating the rescue of five baby orangutans in Balasore, suspecting an international wildlife trafficking network. The probe focuses on a black SUV seen near the rescue site and potential routes from West Bengal, with officials believing the animals were trafficked from Southeast Asia. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has called for stringent action against those involved.
A suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed operative, Hamim Mondal, was arrested for allegedly reconnoitering West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's residence in Kolkata. The plot, directed by Pakistan-based handlers, involved tracking the CM's movements and identifying security vulnerabilities, with investigators probing potential links to ISI and a larger conspiracy for sabotage.
Notorious gangster Mainpal Dhilla, currently jailed, was granted 12-hour custody parole to marry his Cambodian partner, Meta Chan, in Jhajjar. Dhilla had met Chan in Cambodia after fleeing India in 2018 using a fake identity, where they had children. He was extradited last year after an international operation involving CBI and Interpol.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand inspected Nabanna and surrounding areas ahead of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's first administrative meeting.
Kolkata Police's Special Task Force seized a cache of arms and ammunition near Rajabazar Science College and detained a man days before the two-phase polling in West Bengal.
Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday said not a single "traitor", who crossed over to the dissident factions to "protect their backs", will be allowed to return to the party.
Police in Bihar have busted an illegal arms manufacturing unit and arrested five people. The factory was operating in an underground chamber beneath a paper plate manufacturing unit. Semi-finished pistols, pistol bodies, and manufacturing machines were seized.
A 35-year-old man has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, an associate of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The arrest follows inputs from the CBI, which is investigating the murder that occurred in West Bengal on May 6.
A man has been arrested in Kolkata for allegedly sending an email threatening a suicide bomb attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
'Those under pressure from the BJP and the police, or due to court cases, the ED, CBI, CID, local police officers, or the STF, I request that you make your decision before July 21.'
The CBI has arrested Naveen Kumar Singh in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, an associate of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The arrest was made in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, following a coordinated effort with the UP STF and local police. The investigation continues to explore various angles, including arms supply networks and inter-district links.
Delhi blast: Heightened security in Kolkata ahead of India-South Africa Test
Investigators probing the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari, have found a key lead in the form of a UPI transaction made at a toll plaza in Howrah.
West Bengal Police intensify their investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath, an aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, recovering a second motorcycle and searching for a car suspected to be involved in the crime.
At least 8-10 such objects were found flying over the Hastings area, the Vidyasagar Setu and Maidan on Monday night, they said.
CBI officers who supervised investigations into the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata and the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar are among those awarded police medals on Republic Day.
Five individuals have been arrested in New Town, Kolkata, in connection with the murder of gangster Chandan Mishra in a Patna hospital. The arrests were made following a joint operation by the Patna Police and West Bengal STF.
Senior Indian Police Service officer Manoj Kumar Verma was appointed the new Kolkata Police commissioner, replacing Vineet Goyal, on Tuesday, a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with agitating junior doctors and agreed to their demands in a bid to resolve the more than a month-long impasse over the RG Kar hospital incident.
Asadullah Sheikh, 35, alias Raja, a resident of West Bengal's Purba Burdwan district, was nabbed from his hideout in Chennai's Nilangarai area, he said.
An Indian Mujahideen terrorist, suspected to be involved in the German Bakery blast of Pune in 2010, has been arrested from Kolkata, the police said.
The Special Task Force of Kolkata Police on Sunday arrested three persons from the southern part of the city for their alleged links to Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence.
The ISI network of spies has been operating in India for over a decade.
The arrests were made from different districts of Tripura by teams of Assam police's special task force, he said.
Alam, a resident of Gola Bazaar in Gorakhpur, was picked up from Kolkata in December last year for his alleged involvement in the blasts. Alam, an employee at the West Bengal government's Power Department, is presently being interrogated by the police. ''The STF realised its folly during the interrogation. He is expected to be released soon,'' the official said.
The STF of Kolkata Police has seized mobile phone SIM card which, it believes, was used by the three arrested suspected ISI agents to pass on information to the ISI of Pakistan.
The bomb attack on West Bengal minister Jakir Hossain snowballed into a political controversy with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging that it was a preplanned conspiracy as certain people were 'pressuring' him to switch over to another party, while opposition parties demanded National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the issue.
The Special Task Force of Kolkata police on Wednesday arrested a 14-year-old student for allegedly sending a 'mischievous' e-mail to media houses claiming responsibility for the Delhi high court blasts.
The hijackers had demanded release of Azhar Masood in order to release the passengers of the plane.
The documents recovered from suspected ISI agent Akhtar Khan's home in the city "clearly showed" his links to Pakistan's ISI, a top Special Task Force officer said.
The Delhi government will identify single-use plastic littering hotspots and the entry points of such items into water bodies and drains by October 31 this year, according to a draft action plan for the elimination of the environmentally hazardous products.
As the preparations are in full swing, here's what to expect at this year's Independence Day in different parts of the country.
West Bengal with its porous borders has turned into an easy transit point and secure hideout for the agents of terror outfits like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and Pakistani secret service Inter-Services Intelligence.
A handler of Pakistan's Intelligence Operative and one Border Security Force serving officer have been arrested.
