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Murshidabad district has two separate “police districts”, namely Murshidabad and Jangipur, with one Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in superintendent rank being in-charge of the police district.

The West Bengal government on Friday announced the replacement of the current police superintendents in both the police districts of minority–dominated Murshidabad district, which had been on the boil earlier this month following communal violence and riot-like situation as protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act there turned violent.

Murshidabad district has two separate “police districts”, namely Murshidabad and Jangipur, with one Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in superintendent rank being in-charge of the police district.

As per a notification issued by the state government on Friday evening, a copy of which is available with IANS, the erstwhile superintendent of Murshidabad Police, Surya Pratap Yadav, has been transferred to a comparatively less significant post of commanding officer of Narayani Battalion in Cooch Behar district.

Yadav has been replaced by Kumar Sunny Raj, the erstwhile superintendent of Ranaghat Police district in Nadia district.

Similarly, on Friday, the state government also ordered the replacement of the erstwhile superintendent of Jangipur Police district, Ananda Roy, who has again been a comparatively lesser significant post of commanding officer of the third battalion, Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) at Salua in West Midnapore district.

Roy has been replaced by Amit Kumar Shaw, the erstwhile deputy commissioner (traffic) of Kolkata Police.

Officially, the state government has described the transfers as routine ones.

Both the police districts in Murshidabad had been under scathing criticism from various sections for reacting late in preventing communal violence in the district as they ignored early intelligence inputs about the possible violence.

Even West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose had been critical of the role of the state police in the matter.

Also, on Friday, the National Commission for Women issued a statement highlighting the negligence and failure on part of the West Bengal government to take preventive action against the communal violence despite having enough and prior intelligence inputs

The terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on tourists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, including one Nepalese national, who were brutally gunned down.

Trinamool Congress General Secretary and party Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee, on Sunday, asked the Union government to initiate action in reclaiming Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“Mere ‘surgical strikes’ or ‘symbolic threats’ to Pakistan will not be enough after the Pahalgam attack. It’s time to teach them a lesson in the language they understand. It’s time to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Period,” said the Trinamool MP.

He also criticised the Union government for allegedly pushing a narrative instead of investigating the lapses that led to the Pahalgam attack.

“Over the past few days, I have been closely following the conduct of the mainstream media and those at the helm of the Union government. Instead of deeply investigating the lapses that led to this unprecedented terror attack in Pahalgam, they seem more focused on pushing a narrative that benefits a particular political party,” Banerjee said without directly naming the BJP.

He also said that it is high time that all concerned rise above petty politics and confront this issue decisively, once and for all.

Trinamool Congress leadership has already announced that they will be backing any efforts by the Union government in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack.

Of the several tourists killed in the Pahalgam attack, three were from West Bengal, and one of them was a Central Intelligence Bureau official.

After the Pahalgam attack a resident from Nadia district of West Bengal, Havaldar Jhantu Ali Sheikh, who was attached to the Para Special Forces of the Indian army, was also killed in an ambush by the terrorist last week.

Akash Chawla, the owner of Rituraj Hotel, and manager Gaurav Kapoor were taken into custody in the morning, they said.

The owner and the manager of the central Kolkata hotel, where a devastating fire killed 14 people, were arrested on Thursday, police said.

Akash Chawla, the owner of Rituraj Hotel, and manager Gaurav Kapoor were taken into custody in the morning, they said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Jorasanko police station under various sections of the BNS, including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and the West Bengal Fire Services Act against them, they added.

Police said 12 of the 14 bodies recovered from the hotel were identified and their post-mortem examinations completed.

These bodies have been handed over to their families, they said, adding that efforts were underway to ascertain the identities of the remaining two bodies.

There were 88 guests in 42 rooms of the six-storey budget hotel, located in Mechhua in the congested Burrabazar area, when the fire broke out at 8.10 pm on Tuesday.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor Firhad Hakim said all the rooftop restaurants will have to be shut down to ensure unhindered access to premises in case of an emergency.

Days after the Kolkata hotel fire that claimed the lives of 14 people, the KMC on Friday ordered the closure of all rooftop restaurants in the city.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor and Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said all the rooftop restaurants will have to be shut down to ensure unhindered access to premises in case of an emergency.

“A roof, being a common space, cannot be sold for commercial purposes,” he said.

Asked if the authorities will use force to shut down the rooftop restaurants in Kolkata immediately, Hakim said, “We are issuing notices to them for immediate closure of restaurants on rooftops and shifting such eateries to lower floors of a building or other places. If they fail to comply with the order, we will take appropriate steps.” The mayor said a meeting among the municipal commissioner, fire brigade officials and police officers would be held soon to chalk out steps to prevent any recurrence of the April 29 fire incident in future.

A rooftop restaurant in the Park Street area in south Kolkata has already been served a closure notice, an official said.

The KMC is now preparing a report on the number of rooftop restaurants in every borough and will take action, he said.

The mayor said people should remain more conscious and vigilant about safety issues.

Fourteen people were killed in the devastating fire at the Rituraj Hotel at Mechhuapatti in the Burrabazar area.

St Xavier’s Institution-Sodpure, Julien Day School and Delhi Public School Ruby Park were among the schools that announced summer vacations from Friday following CM Banerjee’s appeal.

Several private schools in West Bengal have declared summer vacations from Friday, after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged the educational institutions to advance the holidays by a week in the wake of the India-Pakistan military conflict.

St Xavier’s Institution-Sodpure, Julien Day School and Delhi Public School Ruby Park were among the schools that announced summer vacations from Friday following CM Banerjee’s appeal.

“We were scheduled to hold classes till May 13… But, in view of the emerging situation and as suggested by the CM, we advanced the dates by a few days,” said Lipika Ghosh, Principal of St Xavier’s Institution, Sodpure.

A spokesperson of Julien Day School said, “We have advanced the summer vacation dates from the initial plan of May 16 to May 9 following the directive of the CM.” Delhi Public School Ruby Park, too, has announced holidays for a month from Friday.

Secretary of La Martiniere School for Boys and Girls, Supriyo Dhar added: “After the CM’s request, we have decided to switch to online classes from today till May 16. We had earlier announced to start the vacations from May 17, and that remains.” The chief minister had on Wednesday appealed to private schools in the state to declare summer vacations from May 9 in light of the tensions between India and Pakistan.

However, several schools maintained that they had already chalked out their academic calendar before the Pahalgam terror attack, and the military conflict between India and Pakistan.

“Yes, we are closing from tomorrow (May 10) after the ‘Rabindra Jayanti’ (birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, a state holiday) celebrations today. But, this was decided much earlier,” Principal of Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, Meena Kak, said.

Principal of B D Memorial International School-Narendrapur, Madhumita Sengupta, also said that it had already fixed May 8 as the last day of classes before the summer vacations.

“Our academic calendar had been set” before the developments surrounding the Pahalgam incident, she said.

The Mahadevi Birla World Academy and Calcutta Girls High School also said dates for the summer vacations had been fixed well in advance.

In the districts as well, several private schools announced the commencement of summer vacations from Friday.

“Following the developments after ‘Operation Sindoor’, we have decided to advance the day of commencement of vacations from May 16 to May 9,” a spokesperson of a private school in Jalpaiguri said.

Summer vacations are already underway in state-run and state-aided schools from April 30, owing to excess heat.

In his report, he suggested a slew of measures, including setting up an inquiry commission and outposts of central forces in districts bordering Bangladesh

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has submitted a report on the recent riots in Murshidabad district to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, mentioning that the “twin spectre of radicalisation and militancy” poses a serious challenge to the state.

In his report, he suggested a slew of measures, including setting up an inquiry commission and outposts of central forces in districts bordering Bangladesh, besides writing, “needless to add, the provisions under Article 356 of the Constitution also remain”.

Asked about the mention of “the provisions under Article 356 of the Constitution” in the report, an official told PTI, “The governor has not proposed for implementation of Article 356. He meant to say that the provisions of Article 356 of the Constitution are open to the Centre if the situation in the state further deteriorates.” The imposition of Article 356 of the Constitution refers to the President’s rule in a state.

The governor also expressed apprehension about a “spillover” of the Murshidabad violence to other districts of the state and recommended that the central government should consider “constitutional options to put a check on the current situation besides generating confidence of people in the rule of law”.

“The twin spectre of radicalisation and militancy poses a serious challenge for West Bengal, especially in two of the several districts sharing an international border with Bangladesh, viz., Murshidabad and Malda. In both these districts, there is an adverse demographic composition with Hindus being minorities. Another district, viz., Uttar Dinajpur, has a plurality,” Mr Bose mentioned in his report, a copy of which is with PTI.

The governor suggested several measures in the aftermath of violence that claimed the lives of at least three people, including a man and his son, and left several injured. The riot occurred amid anti-Waqf (Amendment) Act protests.

“Formulating an overarching legislation to empower the Union Government to maintain law and order when the state machinery fails to act effectively. Appointing a commission of Inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, to look into the reported acts of omission and commission as indicated above and to suggest measures to prevent such incidents in future and needless to add, the provisions under Article 356 of the Constitution also remain,” the report mentioned.

Of late, there are “indications of radicalisation and polarisation”, it said.

“The divisions are so deep that even in the face of escalation of violence, the chief minister’s repeated ‘undertaking’ that she would protect minority interests, and that the Act would not be implemented in the state, have done little to assuage the Muslim community or stem the tide. It is imperative that the rule of law must be firmly established, and the police must prevent violence,” Mr Bose wrote in the report.

The governor also said, “To go by the history of political violence that the state is prone to and from the spillover effect that the Murshidabad violence had over other districts in the state, may I suggest that the Government of India considers the Constitutional options not only to put a check on the current situation but also to generate confidence of people in the rule of law.”

In the report, the Bengal governor also claimed that the riots appeared “premeditated” and the state government was “aware of the imminent build-up of a threat to law and order in Murshidabad”.

“As the Notification of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 was issued on 08.04.2025, conflagration unfolded in Murshidabad district that spiralled out of control and continued for several days. On 08.04.2025, the state government promulgated temporary suspension order of internet…Thus, the state government was aware of the imminent build-up of threat to law and order in Murshidabad,” Mr Bose alleged in his report.

It was expected that the state government also put in place a “viable security mechanism on the ground that could prevent any occurrence and escalation of violence”, he said.

“Clearly, the sequence of events that unfolded shows the woeful lack of coordination among administration and law enforcement agencies that were either too feeble to rise up to the challenge or were reluctant to do so,” Mr Bose alleged.

The ruling TMC functionaries and the state government officials could not be reached for their comments on the governor’s report.

The patient, Nasrin Khatoon, died at the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, where she was being treated since January.

Four months after a woman was allegedly administered expired saline at a hospital in Paschim Medinipur district rendering her critically ill, she died in a medical establishment in Kolkata on Monday, a health department official said.

The patient, Nasrin Khatoon, died at the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, where she was being treated since January.

Khatoon was allegedly administered the “expired” intravenous fluid at the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital in January when she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy.

Another pregnant woman, identified as Mamoni Rui Das, died allegedly following administration of “expired” Ringer’s Lactate saline at the same hospital in January.

Ringer’s Lactate is an intravenous fluid that doctors use to treat dehydration and restore fluid balance in the body.

“Following treatment in all these months, Khatoon’s condition was improving. She was shifted from the ICU to a general ward some time back. But her condition started deteriorating from May 9, and she died this morning,” the official said.

Khatoon was undergoing dialysis regularly since she was admitted to the SSKM Hospital, he said.

Rui Das died on January 10, while the condition of four others – Mampi Singh, Nasrin Khatoon, Minara Bibi, and Rekha Sau – admitted at the same hospital, deteriorated and were brought to SSKM Hospital.

The development prompted the health department to constitute a 13-member committee to investigate the matter.

Mampi Singh and Minara Bibi were discharged later, while Nasrin’s treatment continued at the Kolkata facility, the official said.

West Bengal CID has been investigating the matter as the state government suspended 12 doctors of the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital for negligence in connection with the matter.

The state government also provided Rui Das’ family with compensation of Rs 5 lakh along with a government job.

The robbery took place on May 5 around 11.45 am when the two employees of a private foreign exchange company took a taxi from S N Banerjee Road to deposit the funds to a state-run bank in Park Circus area of the metropolis.

A Kolkata Police assistant sub-inspector was on Wednesday arrested for his alleged involvement in the loot of Rs 2.66 crore from two employees of a private firm while they were travelling in a taxi in Entally area here, officials said.

The robbery took place on May 5 around 11.45 am when the two employees of a private foreign exchange company took a taxi from S N Banerjee Road to deposit the funds to a state-run bank in Park Circus area of the metropolis.

“The ASI had planned the entire robbery. We have arrested him,” a police officer said, without elaborating.

The employees of the company had claimed that two unidentified persons had got inside the taxi after forcing the driver to stop near Kamardanga, following which they escaped with the money.

The detective department of the Kolkata Police started an investigation after receiving a complaint.

With the arrest of the ASI, four persons have so far been apprehended, including a staff of the firm, in connection with the robbery, police said.

“We are not ready for any fresh tests after such gruelling preparations for the 2016 WBSSC recruitment examinations and being considered eligible for the jobs,” member of teachers rights forum said.

Vowing not to sit for fresh recruitment tests, the protesting teachers – terminated on April 3 following a Supreme Court order invalidating the appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff of state-aided schools – on Monday announced plans to take their agitation beyond West Bengal to the national capital.

“In the coming days, apart from continuing our protests here in the city, we wish to let the nation know about the injustice meted out to thousands of eligible teachers who had qualified in the 2016 SSC exams by their own merit and qualification,” said Brindaban Ghosh, a member of the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum.

“Why should untainted teachers continue to be penalised for the illegalities committed by a section of candidates? Why can’t the available mirror OMR images be used to differentiate between the ‘tainted’ and ‘untainted’?” He was part of a six-member delegation that met Principal Education Secretary Vinod Kumar and Secretary Subhra Chakraborty.

“We are not ready for any fresh tests after such gruelling preparations for the 2016 WBSSC recruitment examinations and being considered eligible for the jobs,” Mr Ghosh asserted.

“If a small percentage was involved in illegalities, why should every eligible candidate be victimised?”, he said.

He added, “With all humility, we again urge the state government to ensure that the tainted ones are singled out by checking every OMR sheet of about 26,000 candidates.”

Another forum member Habibur Rahman said, “Even if there was miscommunication between the SC bench and the state over the issue in previous hearings, we now humbly urge the apex court to consider our situation from a humanitarian point of view.”

Expressing regret that neither Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee nor Education Minister Bratya Basu sat with them to listen to their demands, Rahman said, “The two top education officials voiced their sympathy about our situation. They said they would communicate with the government regarding our stand.”

“But there are certain issues which can only be addressed at the ministerial level. We will send a fresh mail to the Education Minister by tomorrow requesting a face-to-face discussion,” he added.

Asked about the SC directive for the SSC to issue a fresh notification regarding the 2016 recruitment by May 31, Mr Ghosh responded, “We don’t want any new notification. Let the government consult legal experts to communicate our situation to the Hon’ble judges. We pray the state submits before the SC the formation of a new panel containing names of untainted candidates.”

Mr Ghosh also noted that several affected teaching and non-teaching staff members are suffering from serious health conditions, including cancer, and urged the state and the SC to consider these humanitarian concerns.

He said bureaucrats informed the delegation that review petitions about the April 3 order were being initiated by the SSC and the state government.

“However, we were told that the listing process in the SC is beyond the control of the state government. We urged them to expedite the matter with the state’s lawyers. The ball is in the SC’s court now,” Ghosh said.

Asked whether the discussions were positive, Ghosh said, “We cannot say that. Several issues came up for discussion. The government clarified its stance on what it can and cannot do under the current circumstances.” The protesting teachers have been staging a sit-in near Bikash Bhavan for the past 20 days, demanding reinstatement.

Tensions escalated on May 15 when around 1,000 protestors entered the Bikash Bhavan compound and refused to allow state employees to leave until they received assurances that no fresh recruitment tests would be required.

Police later resorted to a lathi-charge, leaving several protestors injured.

On Sunday, Basu urged the protestors to place their faith in the government, assuring them that all legal avenues were being explored to resolve the crisis.

He reiterated that “untainted” teachers – those who lost their jobs due to procedural lapses in the 2016 recruitment – would continue to receive salaries and remain in service until the fresh recruitment process concludes by December 31.

Basu also cautioned the protestors “not to fall prey to political motives.” The Supreme Court had invalidated the appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff of state-aided schools, deeming the recruitment process “vitiated and tainted.”

Kolkata Student gang-raped: This horrific incident comes 10 months after the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the city’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Two men watched as a third raped a 24-year-old Kolkata college student in a guardroom – after having bullied the guard into leaving – at the city’s South Calcutta Law College late Wednesday night, according to the details of a police complaint accessed by NDTV this evening.

In a complaint filed Thursday evening, the woman said three men – whom she only identified with the initials ‘J’, ‘M’, and ‘P’ – cornered her at 7.30 pm after a meeting of the ruling Trinamool Congress’ student wing. She said ‘M’ and ‘P’ locked her in a room with ‘J’, who tried to rape her.

“I fought back… I cried and asked him to let me go… I even touched his feet but he didn’t let me go…” she told the cops, “He tried to force me with the intention of having sex. I kept pushing him back. I asked him to let me go. ‘I can’t do this, I have a boyfriend and I love him’, I said.”

‘I Had A Panic Attack’

She also said she had a panic attack during the assault and begged for an inhaler.

“I had a panic attack and (was) having shortness of breath. Then ‘J’ called ‘M’ and ‘P’ to come inside. I asked for help but they were not helping me. Then I told them to bring an inhaler for me… ‘M’ brought that. I took it and felt better,” she said and told the cops she then tried to escape by running outside.

But, according to the woman, the men caught her and the attack continued.

The main gate, she said, had been locked “and the guard was helpless and did not help”.

She said she was then bundled into the guard’s room (the guard was thrown out) where “‘J’ undressed me and started raping me. When I fought he blackmailed me…”

The woman said throughout the alleged rape and after she had been threatened – on pain of death of her family and boyfriend – to not tell anyone about what had happened to her.

‘Was Hit On Head With Hockey Stick’

“‘J’ was forcefully raping me… ‘M’ and ‘P’ stood and saw everything…” she said, claiming also that she was hit on the head, with a hockey stick, while the sexual assault continued.

At 10.50 pm, she said in her complaint, the men released her, warning her again about informing the authorities. “But today I made up my mind… I want justice. Being a law student, I am the victim now and I want the justice to be served as soon as possible…”

RG Kar Rape, Murder Nightmare

The horrific allegations – which brings back terrifying memories of last year’s rape and murder at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital – have also sparked a political row, with the Bharatiya Janata Party targeting the Trinamool Congress ahead of next year’s Assembly election.

And the BJP pointing out the main accused – Manojit Mishra – is linked to the Trinamool’s youth wing has added fuel to the fire. As in the RG Kar case, the BJP also said the Trinamool is ‘protecting’ him.

The BJP had ealier shared photos on social media showing Mishra standing next to senior party leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Lok Sabha MP.

In her complaint the young woman does identify one of her attackers – ‘M’ – as an “ex-student as well as an official of the college… unofficially, he is the head of the TMCP (i.e., the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad) unit of the college and holds much power… everyone listened to him.”

In its first reaction to the incident, the Trinamool admitted the main accused had links to its youth wing but insisted that fact would not stop him from getting the strictest possible punishment.