West Bengal

Kolkata, Oct 18 (PTI) A renowned filmmaker and theatre personality was arrested here on Friday for allegedly raping an actor-student of his theatre group on multiple occasions since December last year, police said.

The matter surfaced on Wednesday night after the victim took to a social networking website to post her complaint about the alleged crime.

Kolkata, Oct 14 (PTI) Indian-American Abhijit Banerjee, who on Monday won the 2019 Nobel for Economics, said Indian economy is on a shaky ground.

The data currently available do not hold any assurance for the country's economic revival anytime soon, he stated.

"The condition of Indian economy is on a shaky ground.

After witnessing the present (growth) data, just can't be sure about it (revival of economy in near future).

Kolkata/New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) West Bengal on Monday received with pride the news of Bengali origin Indian-American Abhijit Banerjee winning the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics.

Banerjee, his wife Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer jointly won the Nobel "for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty."

From his economist mother to politicians and academia-- all hailed Banerjee's achievement.

Kolkata, Oct 4 (PTI) The economic slowdown has dimmed the lights of Bengal's biggest festival this time, forcing Durga puja organizers to scale down celebrations due to shrinking sponsorship.

Not just small-budget pujas, big-ticket ones have also curtailed their budget by nearly 15% to 30%, mostly compromising on marquee decoration, according to organisers.

On an average, setting up a theme-based marquee for the five-day fiesta, replete with safety arrangements and basic amenities, costs anything between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 30 crore in Bengal.

Kolkata, Oct 1 (PTI) The NRC is "a must" for national security and will be implemented, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared on Tuesday but made it clear that Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist refugees will be accorded Indian citizenship beforehand with the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Addressing a BJP seminar on the National Register of Citizens, which has hitherto remained confined to Assam, the party president accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party TMC of misleading the people on the issue.

Kolkata, Oct 1 (PTI) In a relief to former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, the Calcutta High Court granted anticipatory bail to the senior IPS officer in connection with the multi-crore-rupee Saradha chit fund scam on Tuesday, saying it was not an appropriate case for custodial interrogation.

A bench comprising justices S Munshi and S Dasgupta said if Kumar was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the case, he would have to be released immediately on bail by an appropriate court on two sureties of Rs 50,000 each.

Kolkata, Sep 28 (PTI) BJP leader Mukul Roy on Saturday appeared before the CBI probe team to face questioning in connection with Narada tapes scandal, agency sources said.

Roy had been asked to appear in the probe agency's office on Friday. But he did not go there citing "preoccupations" and sought more time.

Kolkata, Sep 25 (PTI) VHP hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday for creating panic over NRC and said her comment that FIRs would be filed in case of loss of requisite documents is indulgence to infiltrators.

Banerjee's comment is detrimental to national security, Vishwa Hindu Parishad international secretary general Milind Parande said.

Kolkata, Sep 25 (PTI) The special crime branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has once again summoned former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar to appear before it on Thursday in connection with the Saradha chitfund scam case.

"We have asked him to appear before the CBI office here tomorrow," a senior CBI official told PTI.

The central agency has given multiple notices to Kumar, who is currently the Additional Director General in the West Bengal Crime Investigation Department, to appear before it for questioning as a witness in the multi-crore scam.

Midnapore (WB), Sep 25 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday allayed fears among the people that NRC exercise will be carried out in the state.

Addressing an administrative meeting at Debra in West Midnapore district, Banerjee said it is shocking that people have commited suicide fearing that NRC would be implemented in the state.

"NRC will not happen in Bengal," she said.