Vehicle with damaged side window through which officer’s PA Chandranath Rath (inset) was shot in North 24 Parganas, Bengal

KOLKATA: Motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead Chandranath Rath, personal assistant of BJP’s Bengal face Suvendu Adhikari, and seriously injured another aide Buddhadeb Bera inside his car in Madhyamgram Lane, near Kolkata airport, around 10.20 pm on Wednesday. Rath, who was close to the officer for at least five years, was on his way home when another vehicle stopped his Scorpio and a gunman on a motorcycle fired several rounds at him and Bera from the front passenger window, police said. The victim, about 40 years old, was declared dead when taken to a nearby hospital. The killing followed an outbreak of post-poll political violence in some parts of the state, prompting the BJP leadership to direct its workers to restore peace on the ground. Investigators said they were unsure about the motive behind the attack on Rath and his aide, adding that they would not rule out personal or political rivalry. The shocking crime happened 48 hours after Bengal gave the BJP a massive mandate with 207 seats in the 294-member assembly. Adhikari, who retained his Nandigram seat and also defeated outgoing CM Mamata Banerjee in Bhawanipur, reached the spot where his colleague was shot dead around midnight, but has still not issued any statement.Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said, “This was expected from Trinamool only. They are responsible for this death.” Trinamool condemned the incident and demanded a “court-monitored CBI investigation” to ensure that those responsible “are identified and brought to justice without any delay”. Rath and Bera were going from Kolkata to their house in Michael Nagar, Madhyamgram when the incident happened. According to the police, the incident took place at 10:20 pm on Jessore Road in Dohariya, Madhyamgram. This place is barely 3 km away from NSCBI Airport. Eyewitnesses said that four bikes carrying eight people were following Rath and Bera’s car after crossing the airport. He said that at Dohariya, which is a bit deserted, a car from the other side stopped the car in which Rath and Bera were travelling. The police has confiscated this car. Two bike riders came near the car and started firing indiscriminately. The bike riders fired about eight-nine rounds, in which three bullets hit Rath’s chest, stomach and head. The blame also fell on Bera. These eyewitnesses claim that the bike riders were not wearing helmets and ran away after the firing. The local people took both Rath and Bera to the local private hospital. Rath was declared dead and Bera is being treated. Police are unable to talk to Bera as he is undergoing treatment. A police officer said, “At this point of time, all we can say is that we have collected some CCTV footage. In the footage, some miscreants riding a bike are seen running away. The pictures are being verified.” “It appears the attackers were specifically targeting the chariot. We are not clear about the motive,” the officer said. Senior police officers of Bengal are currently on the spot. The incident site has been cordoned off.

Bhopal: In a bizarre twist in the missing person case, a Satna man has alleged that the police’s “Goa search trip” to trace his 30-year-old wife, who has been missing since March 11, cost him nearly Rs 65,000. Acting on the complaint, Satna police have removed two constables from active duty and sent them to police lines pending investigation.The woman, a mother of three children including a 3-year-old child, was reported missing at the Civil Lines police station on March 12. Her husband claimed that despite filing a complaint, there was little initial progress. A few days later, he was reportedly told by a policeman that his location had been found in Goa, prompting a trip in the name of a search operation.According to the complainant, he bore the entire cost of the journey and spent around Rs 65,000, but neither his wife was found nor any concrete clue emerged. He further alleged that despite the failed attempt, he was being pressured again to arrange funds for another trip to Goa.The man has also lodged a complaint on the CM helpline, stating that he has been running from door to door, struggling to take care of his children in the absence of his wife.“Following the allegations, an inquiry has been constituted and the deputy SP has been asked to conduct an inquiry and submit a report. Meanwhile, both the constables have been removed from active duty until the investigation is concluded,” SP Satna Hansraj Singh told TOI.However, police sources said that the woman’s location was found in Goa and the location of a minor girl, who was missing, was also found there. The teams were going in search of the minor girl when this woman’s location was also found nearby; Therefore, the complainant was asked to accompany them. He also took some of his relatives; However, the police team managed to find the missing minor girl and the youth who had taken her there the very next day and when they could not locate them, the team returned. Police department sources said that the complainant stayed there with his relatives for a few days and then returned.

Panaji: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday expanded the scope of its suo motu PIL on dead fish floating in Mala Lake to include the Mandovi river region to address water pollution.The court took cognizance of one times of India Report on qualitative and quantitative study of water in Mandovi of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). The bench noted the “concerning findings” of the report.The court said that the main issue that needs to be addressed would be the very high amount of fecal coliform bacteria present in the river around the area where the casinos are operating.A bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar directed the Member Secretary, GSPCB, to conduct a similar quantitative and qualitative study and prepare a report on the water quality within the Mandovi, especially at the mouth of the river between Iffi Ghat and Mandovi bridges.“The study will particularly focus on collecting information about the water quality around each casino stationed there or any other marine vessel which is used for tourism purposes within that area,” the court said while directing the submission of the report on June 1.The high court also directed the GSPCB to initiate action on the basis of the report based on the data already available with them and place it before the court on June 1.On the Mala Lake issue, the joint site inspection report by the GSPCB, Water Resources Department and Fisheries Department has pointed to pollution of the water due to sewage discharge. Reports recorded that waste water (sewage) from residential areas along the western perimeter of the lake was seen flowing into the lake through storm water drains. “These observations highlight the fact that sewage is being discharged directly into the lake by residents on the western periphery of the lake,” the court said.It directed the CCP Commissioner to conduct a joint inspection of each residential house to find out the exact cause of the presence of faecal coliform bacteria and identify their sources.“If such discharge is actually found in a particular home-shed, the Commissioner shall take immediate action to seal or rectify the situation,” the HC said. He said that in case of environmental degradation and health hazards, no notice is required before sealing or taking action under the CCP Act and Public Health Act.During the hearing, the CCP told the court that there are 800 to 1,000 residences within 200 meters of the perimeter of the lake, of which 200 have been inspected so far and 31 show cause notices have been issued.The Sewerage and Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa told the court that it runs a pumping station where a part of the sewage is pumped to the STP at Tonka and the rest to the STP at EDC Patto. The corporation told the court that treated water from STPs at Tonka and Patto is not discharged into Mala Lake but into Mandovi.Corporation counsel Akshata Bhatt presented before the court a water analysis report of the STP at Patto, which showed that the water was completely treated before releasing it into Mandovi.

Patna: The Economic Offenses Unit (EOU) on Wednesday conducted searches at five places related to this Amarendra KumarDistrict sub-registrar of Supaul in disproportionate assets case. Acting on search warrants issued by the Special Vigilance Court, Patna, the raids were conducted by teams led by DSP-rank officers in Patna, Saran and Supaul districts.During preliminary verification, officials found prima facie evidence that Amarendra had amassed assets worth more than Rs 1.10 crore – about 65.08% more than his known sources of income. However, the EOU said the market value of the movable and immovable properties detected so far is estimated to be around Rs 10 crore.The search operation began at 8.30 am and covered five locations: his office and a rented house in Supaul’s Gauravgarh area; Flat on Ashiana-Digha Road, Patna; Flat on Boring Road, Patna; And his ancestral home is in Javainiya village under Madhaura of Saran.According to an EOU statement, “During the search, documents revealed that a 41.76-decimal plot, approximately 25 katha, in a posh society in Siliguri, West Bengal, was purchased in the name of his wife Neeta Kumari, a housewife. The plot was purchased at Rs 15 lakh per katha, of which around Rs 4 crore was given in cash to the promoter. Others on border construction Rs 25 lakh was spent, of which receipts for payment to the contractor were also recovered.”In 2021, Amarendra purchased a flat on Ashiana-Digha Road for Rs 65 lakh, which was found to be furnished with electronic goods and other items, estimated to be worth Rs 1.5 crore. Will be evaluated during further investigation.The officials also recovered documents related to two SUVs (2023 and 2024 models) purchased for around Rs 42 lakh as well as a high-end scooter worth around Rs 2 lakh. The investment records include 11 LIC policies in the names of Amarendra, his wife and children and others, with a total value of over Rs 12 lakh.Bank documents revealed that four savings accounts in banks in which Rs 4.5 lakh were deposited, a PPF account in which more than Rs 20 lakh were deposited and one bank account were under investigation. Jewelery worth Rs 1.18 crore along with mutual fund investments worth over Rs 3 lakh and Rs 86,500 in cash were seized from the Supaul residence.The recovered bills include Rs 2,81,000 paid to a resort company and purchases made from branded showrooms and other firms. The bank slip showed deposits of Rs 4 lakh in another bank account of Umesh Prasad Saha on May 4 and 5, 2026. The purpose of these transactions will be investigated.Documents related to 3 katha plots in Sonpur, Saran, purchased in 2016 in the name of his mother-in-law Gayatri Devi, were also seized. The EOU said the documents are being examined and further action will be taken.Amarendra, an officer selected by BPSC in 2010 with 15 years of service, allegedly acquired properties in the name of others to conceal ownership. Information about the raid has been given to the Registration, Excise and Prohibition Department.

Work on the final underpass on Bhairon Marg near Pragati Maidan has progressed.

New Delhi: The Public Works Department (PWD) has set a deadline of February 2027 to complete the construction of the much-delayed Bhairon Marg underpass – a vital part of the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor.PWD Minister Parvesh Verma has said that the “box issue” has almost been resolved and the agency will complete the project by next February. He said that Railways has given in-principle approval to stop train movement for a few days, after which work on this section will proceed.The issue at Pragati Maidan Underpass No. 5 includes structural failures: precast concrete boxes pushed under active railway lines through the “box-pushing” method in 2023 sank, broke and stopped due to severe water leakage leading to flooding in the Yamuna.The underpass is designed to provide signal-free connectivity between Sarai Kale Khan and Mathura Road. It aims to reduce transit time by reducing heavy traffic at ITO intersection and surrounding areas and improve overall traffic flow between East, Central and South-East Delhi, including major stretches near ITO, Rajghat and Laxmi Nagar. Once completed, it will allow commuters to bypass the congested Ring Road-Bhairon Marg junction.“It is set to ease travel for daily commuters from Noida and Central Delhi who use the Ring Road and Mathura Road corridors,” an official said.Officials said that since this stretch passes directly under operational railway tracks, the PWD had requested to stop train movement to prevent sinking of concrete boxes under the railway lines and also because intensive ground stabilization work cannot be carried out while trains are running.The transit corridor project, slated to be inaugurated in June 2022, is a 1.36 km long, six-lane main tunnel designed to decongest central Delhi by connecting Mathura Road to Ring Road. It has six underground underpasses: four on Mathura Road, one on Bhairon Marg and another connecting Bhairon Marg to Ring Road. Underpass No. 5, also known as Bhairon Marg-Ring Road Underpass, is the only incomplete part of the project.PWD has been struggling to fully operationalize the Bhairon Marg underpass for more than three years. However, once the Railways gives its permission, the PWD hopes to complete it by next February, Verma said.The project, funded by the Central Government, was built at a cost of over Rs 920 crore. It also aims to provide hassle-free and seamless access to the new world-class exhibition and convention center at Pragati Maidan, allowing easy participation of exhibitors and visitors.The main tunnel connects the Ring Road to India Gate via Purana Qila Road and passes through Pragati Maidan. The six-lane divided tunnel serves several purposes, including allowing access to Pragati Maidan’s vast basement parking.