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Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
3 elephants, including mother & calf, killed by train while being driven away by hula party in Bengal's Jhargram
Three elephants — including a mother and her calf — were killed after being hit by a train in West Bengal's Jhargram district early Friday while a state forest department-backed Hula party was attempting to drive the herd out of a human settlement. The incident occurred near Banstala railway station under the Kharagpur division of South Eastern Railways, around 14 km from Jhargram town, when the herd was crossing the tracks. The Kharagpur-bound Janshatabdi Express hit the animals around 1.45 am. State Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda told The Indian Express, 'It is an extremely sad incident. Personally too, I am very upset. A mother elephant, a calf, and another adult elephant died after being hit by the train. I will visit the spot shortly.' Hansda added that the Railways had been informed hours earlier of an elephant drive in the area. 'At around 11 pm, we alerted the Railways…. despite this, the incident occurred. We have ordered a probe. Unlike in North Bengal, where speed restrictions are in place in elephant corridors as per Supreme Court orders, there are no such rules in South Bengal,' she said. Forest officials later removed the carcasses and cleared the area. The hula party — a group of local youth hired by the state government to drive away elephants that stray into villages and farmlands — had been driving the herd through the area late at night when the animals crossed the railway tracks. Suvrajyoti Chatterjee, secretary of the Human and Environment Alliance League (HEAL), an NGO working on reducing human-animal conflict in Bengal, said: 'It is now evident that a more pragmatic, science-backed, and robust conflict management strategy is urgently required.' 'The solution to the complex issue of man-elephant conflict must involve inclusive decision-making, with active participation from all stakeholders including the Forest Department, local communities, independent wildlife experts, railway authorities, civil society, and conservation organizations,' Chatterjee said. In August last year, a pregnant elephant that had strayed into Jhargram town died after it was allegedly attacked with a burning spear by a hula party. In February this year, an elephant was severely injured after villagers in Jalpaiguri chased it with an earthmover. In June, forest officials had launched a probe after fireballs were allegedly hurled at a herd in Jhargram, one of which struck a calf. Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More
Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
1 killed, 3 injured in crude bomb blasts in Bengal; TMC leader says devices were meant to target him, party offices
One person died and three others were critically injured in crude bomb blasts in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman on Friday night, the police said, adding that they have cordoned off the blast site and are investigating the materials used in making the devices. Following the incident, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Rabindranath Chatterjee alleged that the crude bombs were being made to target him and other party leaders, and claimed that a suspended party leader was behind it. The deceased has been identified as Barkat Sheikh, while the injured are Sheikh Toofan Chowdhury, Ibrahim Sheikh, and Safiq Mondol. They were taken to Katwa sub-divisional hospital. Officer said Chowdhury is a notorious criminal who was recently released from jail. According to the police, the blasts took place in an abandoned house at around 9 pm at Rajour village in the district's Katwa region. 'The police is on the spot and we have stated an investigation,' Kashinath Mishra, Sub-divisional Police officer (SDPO), Katwa, told reporters. Prima facie, it appears that people were making crude bombs in an abandoned house in the village which blew up, officers said. The roof of the house was damaged in the impact of the explosion. Reacting to the blasts, TMC's Purba Bardhaman district president Rabindranath Chatterjee said, 'They were planning to kill me and the others. Jangal Sheikh is behind all this. Toofan Chowdhury works for him,' he told media persons. Suspended TMC leader Jangal Sheikh is the former councillor of Ward 13 in Katwa municipality. He was arrested in 2015 in a murder case and is presently in jail. 'They were making and stockpiling crude bombs which would have been used to attack our party offices in the region. They also planned to start illegal sand mining in the area,' Chatterjee claimed. Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More
Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Indian Express
Security guard of Kolkata law college where student was raped held, fourth arrest in case
The security guard of the Kolkata law college where a 24-year-old student was allegedly raped was arrested by Kolkata Police Friday in connection with the case. This is the fourth arrest in the case as the police have already taken three men — a contractual staffer, who was a TMC students' wing functionary, and two students — into custody. 'We have arrested security guard of the college in connection with the case,' Rupesh Kumar, the Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Police (Crime), said. In the complaint, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, the woman had alleged that she was raped inside the security guard's room after he was instructed to leave. According to the complaint, the student was raped on the evening of June 25 for hours. The three accused who have been arrested have been identified as Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19) and Pramit Mukherjee (20). Mishra, the prime accused, was a former student of the law college and is currently employed in the institution as a contractual staffer. While he was a Trinamool Chhatra Parishad leader during his time as a student, the TMC claimed he is no longer associated with the party. The two other accused are currently studying in the law college. According to the complaint by the victim, while Mishra allegedly sexually assaulted the woman, the other two locked the door from the outside. Another senior officer associated with the case, informed: 'We have arrested one of the security guards of the college. We found discrepancies in his statement and the victim has also made a direct complaint against him. His role when the crime was being committed is being investigated. He will be produced before court today.' The security guard has been identified as Pinaki Banerjee, a resident of Khardaha. He was on duty when the crime took place inside the college. In her complaint, the victim stated that she was taken to the guard room forcefully by the three accused and the guard was instructed to step out. She further stated that she was raped, physically assaulted and threatened with dire consequences if she opened her mouth. She added that the accused had made a video of her and threated to make it public if she went ahead and complained. According to police sources, other students who were present near the union room of the college will also be questioned. Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
With highest package at Rs 2.14 crore, IIT Kharagpur sees 1,800 job offers this placement season so far
Achieving a major milestone that reinforces its legacy of academic and professional excellence, IIT Kharagpur bagged 1,800 job offers including 409 pre-placement offers (PPOs) and 25 international offers, despite a 'challenging global employment landscape'. 'This season also witnessed nine students receiving offers exceeding INR 1 crore, with the highest compensation package reaching a staggering INR 2.14 crore per annum. These marquee offers came from reputed multinational organizations, demonstrating confidence in the Institute's training, innovation culture, and student potential,' a press release from IIT Kharagpur stated. So far, over 400 companies have participated in the 2024-25 placement process, recruiting students across sectors such as software, analytics, finance, banking, consulting, and core engineering. Amit Patra, Director of IIT Kharagpur, said, 'The achievement of over 1,800 placement offers in the 2024-25 season marks a defining moment for IIT Kharagpur, reaffirming our stature as a global leader in shaping the next generation of industry-ready innovators. As AI and deep-tech continue to redefine industries, we must introspect and evolve our traditional knowledge to counter the challenges in the job scenario. At IIT Kharagpur, we are committed to evolve our curriculum, making it more agile, interdisciplinary and focused so that our graduates not only adapt to these shifts but actively shape them. The strength of our vibrant alumni network and our unwavering focus on real-world problem-solving ensure that our graduates emerge as visionaries, ready to drive the future of technology with purpose and impact.' Rajib Maity, Chairperson of IIT KGP's Career Development Centre, remarked, 'The impressive results we are seeing reflect the strength of our collaborative approach in navigating challenges in today's job market. By fostering teamwork and targeted engagement, we empower our students to showcase their talents and secure meaningful career opportunities. The ongoing success of the placement season at IIT Kharagpur stands as a testament to the Institute's academic rigour, industry readiness, and continued efforts to foster excellence in education and career development.' Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More
