A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Kolkata has sentenced 33‑year‑old Saeed Mohammad Idris, a Hyderabad‑based Lashkar‑e‑Taiba (LeT) operative, to ten years in prison and imposed a fine in a sedition case that traces its roots to a 2020 arrest of a college student in West Bengal. Background and Context The case, which has drawn national attention, is part of a broader crackdown on extremist networks that have been linked to cross‑border terrorism. In March 2020, Tania Parvin, a 19‑year‑old student from Baduria in North 24 Parganas, was arrested by the Bengal Special Task Force (STF) on charges of…
Author: Map of Netherlands
Kolkata’s Motilal Gupta Road repair has become a pressing issue as the once vital link between Behala and Tollygunge lies in disrepair, forcing commuters to endure longer travel times and hazardous conditions. Background/Context Motilal Gupta Road, a key artery that connects Sakherbazar in Behala to Tollygunge, has been in a state of neglect for over five years. The road, which once facilitated smooth traffic flow for residents, students, and businesses, now suffers from potholes, uneven surfaces, and inadequate drainage. The situation has escalated after the Kolkata Environment and Infrastructure Improvement Project (KEIIP) announced a drainage upgrade that promised a complete…
In a fiery rally in Purulia on Wednesday, Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee took to the stage to accuse a wave of former Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders who have now joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of stalling the district’s development. “BJP netas blocking Purulia development” has become the rallying cry of the TMC, as Banerjee blasted the new BJP leadership for allegedly hindering progress and misleading the people of Purulia. Background and Context Purulia, a district in West Bengal’s western frontier, has long been a battleground for political influence. Historically dominated by the Left Front,…
Bharti Airtel has just completed a major upgrade to the Vidyasagar Setu, laying 1.3 km of fibre and installing six new antennae across the bridge’s span, ensuring uninterrupted mobile connectivity for commuters between Kolkata and Howrah. The move, announced on January 22, 2026, is part of Airtel’s broader push to strengthen its network in West Bengal, where it has already deployed over 5,250 new sites in the past three years. Background / Context The Vidyasagar Setu, also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, is one of the busiest transport corridors in eastern India, carrying an estimated 200,000 vehicles daily. In a city…
LT Elevator, the Kolkata‑based mechanical elevator and parking solutions provider, has set an ambitious revenue target of Rs 400 crore by the close of FY2028. The company’s bold projection follows the strategic acquisition of Ricardo Elevators and a planned partnership with a South Korean mechanical parking firm, positioning it for rapid scale in a market that is witnessing a surge in demand for smart mobility infrastructure. Background and Context India’s urbanisation trajectory has accelerated the need for efficient vertical transport and parking solutions. With the government’s Smart Cities Mission and the National Urban Transport Policy pushing for integrated mobility ecosystems, elevator and…
LT Elevator, a Kolkata‑based mechanical elevator and parking solutions provider, has announced a bold revenue target of Rs 400 crore by the fiscal year 2028. The company, which currently generates around Rs 100 crore in annual sales, is poised to cross the Rs 150 crore mark by the end of the current fiscal year following its strategic acquisition of Ricardo Elevators. With plans to double its manufacturing capacity and forge a partnership with a South Korean firm for mechanical parking, LT Elevator is positioning itself as a key player in India’s rapidly expanding elevator and smart parking market. Background/Context India’s built‑up environment is undergoing a rapid…
In a landmark decision that reverberates across the political and judicial landscapes of West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court has upheld a life sentence for two men convicted of the 2013 panchayat poll murder. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, confirms the severity of the crime that unfolded a night before the local elections in Birbhum district, and underscores the judiciary’s commitment to justice in politically charged violence. Background/Context The incident that sparked this case occurred on 22 July 2013, when Sagar Ghosh, father of independent candidate Hriday Ghosh, was shot multiple times at the entrance of his home in Bandhnabagram…
In a dramatic turn of events, a BJP panchayat member in Tamluk was arrested on Monday after a booth-level officer (BLO) filed an FIR alleging that the local neta attempted to submit multiple Form 7 applications to delete the names of 343 living voters from the electoral roll by falsely declaring them dead. The arrest has ignited a firestorm of political controversy and raised urgent questions about the integrity of voter rolls in West Bengal. Background and Context The incident unfolded at booth no. 242 in the Padumbasan area of Tamluk, a region that has long been a battleground between the ruling…
In a dramatic turn of events that has sent shockwaves through West Bengal’s political landscape, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) panchayat member was arrested on Monday in Tamluk after a booth-level officer (BLO) filed a First Information Report (FIR) alleging that the local neta attempted to delete 343 living voters from the electoral roll by falsely declaring them dead. The arrest, which took place at booth no. 242 in the Padumbasan area, marks a rare instance of a BJP official being taken into custody over alleged voter roll tampering in the state. Background and Context Voter roll integrity is a…
Five more suspects have been taken into custody in the Beldanga violence case, bringing the total number of arrests to 36. Police officials confirmed that the latest arrests were made after a coordinated raid on Monday, and the suspects were identified through CCTV footage and social media videos that circulated online. Background and Context The unrest that erupted in Beldanga and parts of Rejinagar last Sunday shocked the local community and drew national attention. Shops and markets were shut down, and residents feared for their safety. The police response was swift: a joint operation involving the district police and the…