Kolkata

Five arrested in Bengal for issuing forged Indian passports to Bangladeshis

The group is believed to have illegally issued at least 73 counterfeit Indian passports, mainly to infiltrators, including Bangladeshi nationals, using fake documents

Mamata Banerjee inaugurates Infosys development centre in Kolkata

IT giant Infosys on Wednesday inaugurated a development centre built at a cost of Rs 426 crore at New Town near here. Inaugurating the development centre, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "This is a New Year gift to West Bengal". "This centre of Infosys will help other IT companies to come to West Bengal. West Bengal is a leading IT state in the country. Nearly 2,200 IT companies have presence in the state, including big ones like TCS, Wipro, IBM and Accenture," she said. The chief minister also said it is a historic day for the state. Banerjee said, "We wanted Infosys in the state and the company fulfilled our dreams." The chief minister said a new Silicon Valley is coming to New Town on 200 acres with the potential to create 75,000 jobs involving an investment of Rs 27,000 crore. "Twenty-eight companies have already started work with 11 data centres coming up," she said. The Infosys campus, built on 50 acres, will have an employment potential of 4,000 IT professionals. Ba

Bihar sees 15-fold jump in data consumption, state goes big on infra

Bihar has seen a 15-fold jump in data consumption in the last five years as the state goes big on developing infrastructure, investing in connectivity and building rail and road networks, its Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena said. Bihar has witnessed unprecedented growth in infrastructure development with its road density being the third largest in India that facilitates trade and transport. Its electricity generation has expanded from 700 MW to 7,000 MW while the state has built IT parks and data centres are in the offing. Infrastructure is the focus, Meena, the top-most bureaucrat in the Bihar government, said adding massive investments have gone into building infrastructure in the last two decades. "If I talk of the road sector, we have a network of 1.2 lakh kilometres of rural roads. It has been built completely during the last 20 years. We have a very strong network of national highways, state highways and major district roads. And I am happy to share with you that during the .

Left, Cong protest in Kolkata after RG Kar case suspects granted bail

A day after two key suspects in the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar hospital got bail, the Left parties and the Congress on Saturday staged protests at various locations in Kolkata, alleging that the CBI has "failed" to deliver justice in the case. They also alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and the BJP-led Centre have a "tacit understanding". The Congress took out a procession from Rabindra Sadan area to CBI's office at Nizam Palace in southern Kolkata and criticised the central probe agency for its alleged inability to frame charges against the two accused in the case. During the procession, Congress activists were seen holding the party flags aloft and chanting slogans like 'We demand justice' and 'Bichar chai Tilottoma' (Tilottoma wants justice). The police stopped the Congress activists from entering the Nizam Palace, which led to a scuffle between the protesters and the police personnel. SUCI activists marched from Karunamoyee to the

Mahadev betting case: ED conducts fresh raids in Kolkata, freezes Rs 130 cr

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has conducted fresh searches in Kolkata in the Mahadev online betting-linked money laundering case and has frozen securities and deposits worth more than Rs 130 crore. The searches were conducted on Thursday, the agency said in a statement. The case pertains to an ongoing investigation by the federal agency in which a number of high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh are alleged to have been involved. During the searches conducted in Kolkata, securities, bonds and demat accounts worth Rs 130.57 crore were frozen under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the ED said. The agency has alleged that its probe into the Mahadev Online Book (MOB) gaming and betting app has shown the involvement of various high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats from Chhattisgarh, the state where the two main promoters -- Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal -- of the app hail from. It has said the MOB app is an umbr

Bangladesh delegation likely to attend Vijay Diwas celebrations in Kolkata

A Bangladesh delegation is likely to attend the Vijay Diwas celebrations in Kolkata on December 16, which marks the Indian Armed Forces' historic victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, Defence sources said on Thursday. 'Mukti Jodhas' may also take part in the celebrations, they said. A Bangladesh delegation, comprising 'Mukti Jodhas', who were part of the guerrilla resistance force in East Pakistan opposing the Pakistan rule there, and serving officers of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, attend the Vijay Diwas celebrations held by the Indian Army's Eastern Command every year in Kolkata. The Defence sources, while saying that a Bangladesh delegation is likely to attend the celebrations on December 16, however, did not give details of the size of the delegation. The Army's eastern Command, which is headquartered at Fort William here, will hold a series of programmes on Vijay Diwas to mark the historic victory of the Indian Armed Forces in the 1971 war against Pakistan, a senior ...

Advocate Vrinda Grover not to represent RG Kar victim's family in courts

Senior advocate Vrinda Grover will no longer be representing the R G Kar Medical College rape-murder victim's family, sources said on Thursday. They said that the concerned trial court, before which the trial in the rape-murder case is being held, has been informed accordingly and that the counsels stand discharged from the matter. The sources said that at this stage, on account of "certain intervening factors and circumstances", senior advocate Vrinda Grover is constrained to withdraw from the case proceedings in this matter and will no longer be representing the victim's family. The chamber of advocate Grover, including advocates Soutik Banerjee and Arjun Gooptu, were requested by the victim's parents to provide legal representation before the Supreme Court, Calcutta High Court and the Sealdah sessions court and ACJM court, they said. Grover's chamber provided legal services and representation pro bono (free of cost) to the victim's family before all courts from September 2024, t

Kolkata-based Jain Group to invest Rs 500 cr in hospitality sector by 2030

The group aided Sarovar brand's re-entry into Kolkata after a gap of 5 years. Sarovar Portico Kolkata at Rajarhat was launched on Wednesday, a 128-key mid-market hotel

Will we have lollypop? Mamata slams 'occupy' claim of Bangladeshi politicos

Taking a dig at a section of Bangladeshi politicians, who said the country has legitimate claims over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wondered whether Indians "would have lollipop" when external forces would try to occupy Indian lands. Speaking in the West Bengal Assembly, she urged people to remain calm and not get provoked by statements made in Bangladesh, stating that West Bengal will always stand by any decision taken by the Centre. Mocking some Bangladeshi leaders, who have made provocative statements recently, she said, "Stay calm and healthy and have peace of mind." A Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) recently said in a public meeting in Dhaka that the country has legitimate claims over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Asking people of West Bengal to remain calm and not get swayed by provocative statements made by some people in Bangladesh, she said, "In our state, even imams have condemned the comments and attacks on minorities in ..

Hit by absence of B'desh tourists, Kolkata traders think of wooing locals

The ongoing crisis in Bangladesh and subsequent non-arrival of travellers from there has led to a blow to the traders of a particular area in central Kolkata, which is popular among tourists from the neighbouring country for shopping and staying. A section of those perplexed traders are staring at a void, while others are either looking at new avenues or decided to woo back the Indian customers they have lost in the past. An estimated 15,000 families are now affected by the situation. According to a trader, in the past, local customers and tourists from other states in India used to visit these areas for various purposes. They were more or less ignored by the traders and their population gradually dwindled over the years. "Now there is a big question mark. They don't know what to do they don't know in which direction their business will go since they are dependent only on the Bangladeshis," the National Committee Member of Travel Agents Federation of India (East India), Anil Punjab

Air India Express expands, defers Kolkata-Dhaka direct flight plans

Air India Express, the budget-carrier arm of Air India, is embarking on a significant expansion by increasing its fleet size and introducing new routes, as passenger growth remains robust. The airline, however, has deferred plans to launch direct flights between Kolkata and Dhaka, citing the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh. "You would recall we had announced our operational plan for Dhaka, which is a new and significant market for us. But because of the situation there, we have deferred those plans," Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express, said. "As soon as the conditions are right, we will resume those plans," he said. The airline had initially planned to launch the Dhaka services in September with six weekly flights. Despite the deferment, Singh said the airline remains committed to expanding its presence in the eastern sector. He said its international service flights to and from Kathmandu would begin with the summer schedule, starting the end of March ...

Bangladesh summons Kolkata mission head for consultations amid protests

Bangladesh has summoned Shikder Mohammad Ashrafur Rahman, the Acting Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, for urgent consultations following protests over attacks on Hindu minorities. Rahman, who is also Minister - Political Affairs, stationed in Kolkata, has returned to Dhaka. Ashrafur Rahman was called for urgent consultations following ongoing protests outside our mission in Kolkata. Additionally, he will be part of the delegation during the foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries slated for next week. He will be back by the middle of this month, a senior official of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata told PTI on condition of anonymity. The mission in Kolkata has witnessed multiple protests over the past week by political parties and religious groups condemning the reported atrocities against Hindus minorities in Bangladesh. In a related development, the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, Tripura, suspended all visa and consular servi

KMC asks shops to put up signboards in Bengali alongside other languages

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has made it mandatory for every commercial establishment in the metropolis to put up signboards in Bengali along with other languages, an official said. The civic body is determined to enforce the usage of Bengali in signages, and has set a tentative deadline of February 21, 2025 to initiate the process, he said. Municipal Secretary Swapan Kundu said the corporation is in contact with the owners of shops, restaurants and other business establishments to ensure that names and other information about the outlets are written in Bengali in addition to any other language. In October, TMC Councillor Biswarup Dey had said at a KMC session that all signboards in public and private offices should have Bengali text apart from other languages and all notifications, letters and documents of the municipal corporation should also be published in Bengali. Dey had made the proposal in the wake of Bengali receiving the distinction of a classical language by t

Flights to Kolkata from Bangladesh dwindling due to crisis, traders hit

The number of flights to Kolkata from Bangladesh has dwindled over the last few months with a falling passenger count, amid the ongoing crisis in the neighbouring country, officials at the NSCBI airport here said on Sunday. One airline from India has also scrapped its plan to begin flight services between Kolkata and Dhaka for the time being, they said. Flights arriving in Kolkata, operated by US-Bangla Airlines, a private carrier of the neighbouring country, were 84 in July and the number came down to 24 in November, the officials said. According to officials at the Kolkata airport, the airline carried 7,391 passengers to Kolkata in July, which came down to 1,646 in November. The number of departures from Kolkata to Bangladesh simultaneously shows the same trend. Similarly, the national carrier of the neighbouring country Biman Bangladesh had operated 59 flights to Kolkata in July and the number fell to 28 in November, the officials said. Indian low-cost carrier Indigo's flight

CBI files chargesheet in RG Kar case, names Sandip Ghosh as prime accused

The CBI on Friday filed a chargesheet in connection with the RG Kar Hospital financial irregularities in which it has named former principal of the medical establishment Sandip Ghosh as the prime accused, an official said. The Special CBI court at Alipore here, however, did not accept the chargesheet as the official approval required to file a chargesheet against any state government employee was not available, he said. In the 100-odd page chargesheet, the central probe agency has also named four others who were arrested for alleged involvement in the irregularities, he said. "Apart from Ghosh (who has been suspended), the chargesheet includes the names of the other four arrested accused - Biplab Singh, Afsar Ali, Suman Hazra and Ashish Pandey. The CBI has also attached at least 1,000 pages of documents in support of their investigation of the case," the officer told PTI. Another official said: "The West Bengal government needs to approve a chargesheet that has the name of its ...

DLF joint venture firm DCCDL sells IT park in Kolkata for Rs 637 crore

Realty major DLF joint venture firm DCCDL has sold an IT park in Kolkata to Primarc and RDB group for Rs 637 crore. DLF Info City Developers (Kolkata) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd (DCCDL), has entered into a definitive agreement to sell and transfer its Kolkata Tech Park 1 business undertaking to RDB Primarc Techno Park LLP (an affiliate of Primarc & RDB group), on a slump sale basis for an aggregate consideration of about Rs 637 crore, DLF said in a regulatory filing. Kolkata Tech Park 1 is one of the largest IT parks in eastern India with gross leasable area of about 1.49 million sq ft. It is home to global technology leaders. "This is reflective of the value embedded in our core assets created over the years with good quality tenant partners and asset management," DLF Rental Business Vice-Chairman & MD Sriram Khattar said. The deal also "demonstrates our commitment to continuously enhance shareholder value". Primarc Group Managing Director

House price index rises 4.3% in Q2 against 3.3% in previous quarter: RBI

The cities are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Mumbai

Kolkata trams, now on their way out, inspired city's best-known filmmakers

Now that there will be fewer trams on the city's streets, it will not only be an ecological loss but also an aesthetic and political one

Kolkata: ED arrests father-son in Rs 2,800 cr chit fund, laundering scam

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has arrested a father-son duo in Kolkata in an alleged Rs 2,800 crore worth chit fund scam linked money laundering case. A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court sent Basudeb Bagchi and his son Avik Bagchi, promoters of Prayag Group of companies, to ten days of ED custody, it said in a statement. The premises of the two and some others in Kolkata and Mumbai were raided by the ED on November 26. The two are accused of "defrauding" the public by collecting deposits worth Rs 2,800 crore under "false" high-return schemes like monthly income schemes (MIS), redeemable preference shares and club membership certificates. As of now, the ED said, Rs 1,900 crore remains "unpaid" to investors. The Prayag Group of companies operated "illegally" without necessary authorisations from regulatory bodies like the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), affecting lakhs of investors across multip

Kolkata court orders seizure of Rs 24 crore assets in bank fraud case: ED

A special court in Kolkata has ordered the confiscation of assets worth Rs 24 crore of a man, who was declared a fugitive economic offender, and some others in a bank loan fraud case, the ED said on Thursday. The movable and immovable properties, located in prime locations of Kolkata in West Bengal and Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, belong to "mastermind" Pushpesh Kumar Baid and his associates. Baid was declared an offender under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA) by the same court on January 3, the federal agency said in a statement. The Enforcement Directorate case against Baid and others stems from multiple CBI FIRs and chargesheets. He is currently stated to be based in the US. The ED alleged that Baid was "absconding" from the legal proceedings despite a non-bailable warrant being issued against him by the court. "Various companies owned and controlled by Pushpesh Kumar Baid availed loan from the banks by submitting false financial statements and forged deeds of the several