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Kolkata, June 28 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress, on Saturday, officially censured a party Lok Sabha member and a party legislator for making controversial comments over the alleged rape of a law student within the college premises at Kasba in Kolkata earlier this week.

The two leaders who have been censured in the matter are the four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member and senior advocate of Calcutta High Court, Kalyan Banerjee, and the party legislator Madan Mitra.

After the rape incident took place and three persons accused in the case, all having links with Trinamool Congress's students' wing -- Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, Kalyan Banerjee made a comment claiming that it would not be possible for government authorities to provide protection in cases, where a friend rapes another friend.

Later, Madan Mitra, infamous for his frequent loose comments, also made a controversial statement claiming that the rape incident had sent a message to all girls that they should not go to college when it is closed.

Both the comments created a stir across the political and social circles in West Bengal.

On Saturday, Trinamool Congress issued a statement claiming that the remarks made by Banerjee and Mitra in the matter were made in their individual capacities and hence the party had unequivocally disassociated itself from their statements and strongly condemned them.

"These views do not reflect the position of the party in any manner whatsoever. Our stance remains resolute; we have zero tolerance for crimes against women and demand the strictest possible punishment for all those involved in this heinous crime," the statement said.

Meanwhile, a Calcutta High Court advocate Souma Subhra Ray, on Saturday, wrote a letter to the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam seeking suo motu cognisance of the court in the Kasba law college rape case.

In the letter, Ray had requested Justice Sivagnanam to issue directions for a court-monitored and independent criminal investigation, preferably by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to ensure an impartial probe free from state's influence or interference.

Ray has also pleaded for constituting a judicial commission, headed by a retired judge of the Calcutta High Court, to investigate the institutional, administrative and security failures that permitted this incident to occur.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Saturday visited schools in Surat and said that an advanced education system featuring AI, smart boards, and robotics, on the lines of Gujarat, will soon be implemented in the capital’s schools.

Speaking to the media in Gujarat, Sood expressed confidence that this initiative would not only raise the quality of education in Delhi’s government schools but also enhance students’ exposure to modern technologies.

Sood criticised the so-called Delhi education model flaunted by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

He said the self-proclaimed Delhi model of the AAP government and its Education Minister, who went to jail over the liquor scam, have completely failed.

Despite being the national capital with all available resources, Delhi’s government schools have just a few hundred smart boards. In contrast, Gujarat, despite facing natural challenges such as annual floods in several districts, has successfully established over one lakh smart classrooms, he said, adding that this completely exposes the failure of the so-called Delhi model.

On his educational trip to Surat, Sood visited Suman High School Number 6, Udhna, operated under the Surat Municipal Corporation.

The Education Minister visited various classrooms in the school and observed the teaching and learning process being conducted through smart boards.

He interacted with students to understand the utility of smart boards and the educational benefits they receive from this technology.

Sood also visited the school’s AI and Robotics Lab, where he observed practical projects being carried out by students on topics such as drones, 3D printers, and advanced sensor security systems.

While interacting with the students, he appreciated their efforts and extended his best wishes.

Sood’s visit was aimed at observing the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the best educational practices adopted by different states.

He remarked that the reforms introduced by Gujarat in government schools are commendable and that other states should take inspiration from them.

Present on the occasion were the District Education Officer of Surat, administrative officers from the Municipal Primary Education Committee, the District Primary Education Officer, and school administrators, along with other officials.

--IANS

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Agartala, June 28 (IANS) Union Ministry of DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) is actively considering a Tripura government project worth Rs 132 crore to expand the area of cultivation of Queen variety of pineapple and to make the delicious fruit as a global brand, Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath said here on Saturday.

The Minister said that several rounds of meetings were held with DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and he assured to help the state to expand the area of cultivation of the Queen variety of pineapple and to make the tasty fruit a global brand.

“Scindia assured us that he, along with officials, would visit the state to see the pineapple cultivation in the state. According to our discussion with him, we recently submitted the Rs 132 crore project to the DoNER ministry,” Nath told IANS.

He said that through a staggering process, the Queen variety of pineapple being cultivated in Tripura across 365 days of the year, not just as a seasonal fruit, has decided to start with 2,000 hectares.

Tripura is renowned for its Queen and Kew pineapple varieties, both of which flourish in the state's unique hilly and humid climate with minimal chemical intervention. These pineapples are golden yellow in appearance and have a distinct, pleasant aroma upon ripening, said Nath, who also holds the power department.

According to the Minister, the fruit cultivation area in Tripura is 58,491 hectares, out of which 11,862 hectares are now under pineapple cultivation, producing around 1,74,016 metric tonnes annually, with an average productivity of 14.6 tonnes per hectare, slightly below the national average of 17 tonnes per hectare.

“The organic Queen pineapple yields about 12 tonnes per hectare, while the Kew variety has a higher productivity of 15.71 tonnes per hectare. The Queen variety pineapple was granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag status, which highlights the unique quality and distinctiveness in the state,” Nath said.

He said that before the BJP government came to power, farmers cultivating pineapple never reaped benefits.

“However, after the BJP government came to power in 2018, they have started reaping those benefits, and the government is helping them by facilitating exports to other states and countries,” said the Minister.

Tripura, for many years, has been exporting pineapples and lemons to many countries and many Indian states as well.

Tripura has occasionally exported the queen variety pineapples to Dubai, Qatar and Bangladesh, facilitating crores of trade for the state's farmers.

Officials said that besides pineapples, Tripura also exported various other fruits, including lemon and horticultural products, to the UK, Germany and many other countries.

Former President Ram Nath Kovind, at a function in Agartala in 2018, announced the "Queen" variety of pineapple as Tripura's state fruit. Besides pineapples, Tripura also exported a large quantity of jackfruit, tamarind, stone apple, betel leaf, ginger to the UK, Germany, Dubai, Bangladesh and other countries, as well as various Indian states.

--IANS

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Noida, June 28 (IANS) Noida Cyber Police have apprehended three members of a gang involved in a massive cyber fraud case where a businessman from Noida was cheated out of Rs 3.26 crore.

All three individuals allegedly lured the victim by promising five times the profit through investments in the stock market. However, it turned out to be a scam.

The three accused — Puneet, Himanshu, and Vijay Chaudhary — were arrested near Noida Stadium. According to the police investigation, Puneet had rented out his bank account to Himanshu.

Using this account, approximately Rs 30 lakh was transferred as part of the fraudulent transactions. Later, Vijay Chaudhary took control of the same account from Himanshu and used it extensively for conducting cyber fraud activities.

The cybercrime team has revealed that the account witnessed transactions amounting to nearly Rs 1 crore, and the probe into the case is still ongoing to uncover the full extent of the scam and identify any other possible suspects.

Manisha Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), Cyber Crime, confirmed the arrests and stated, “We have detained the three accused involved in this cyber fraud. Our investigation is progressing, and we are committed to bringing all those responsible to justice.”

The modus operandi of the accused involved creating a false impression that investing in certain stock market schemes would yield high returns, thereby duping the businessman into transferring huge sums of money. Once the money was transferred, these criminals used multiple bank accounts to launder the proceeds. This is how they used to avoid detection, said the police.

Crime experts are of the view that this case highlights the increasing sophistication of cyber fraud schemes targeting investors, particularly through promises of unusually high returns in the stock market. Authorities have urged the public to exercise caution and verify investment opportunities through legitimate channels before committing funds.

The Noida Cyber Police are actively tracing the flow of money and examining digital footprints to dismantle the entire network behind this fraud. They are also coordinating with banks and other financial institutions to freeze the accounts linked to the suspects.

As the investigation unfolds, more details are expected to emerge, potentially revealing the broader network and modus operandi used by the accused in executing such high-value scams.

--IANS

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Kolkata, June 28 (IANS) The Kolkata Police, on Saturday, announced the formation of a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), with an Assistant Commissioner-level officer leading it, to probe the case of the rape of a law student within the college premises at Kasba in Kolkata, officials said.

The head of the SIT is Pradip Kumar Ghosal, an Assistant Commissioner posted with the south suburban division of the city police.

The city police have already appealed to record the confidential statement of the victim as well as her parents.

A total of four persons are in police custody now in connection with the case, the latest of whom is a 55-year-old security guard who was identified as the "sole helpless witness" in the matter.

The main accused in the rape case namely -- Monojit Mishra, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay, were presented at a city court on Friday and they all were remanded to police custody till July 1.

All the accused trio were reportedly linked to Trinamool Congress's students' wing -- Trinamool Chhatra Parishad.

The pictures of Mishra with several top Trinamool Congress leaders have already flooded the social media.

Meanwhile, the father of Mishra, who is considered the main accused in the rape case, told a section of the media persons on Saturday, that his son had virtually no connection with his family since he passed out of the law college and claimed to have started practicing as an advocate at a city, besides working as a temporary staff at the same college.

He also said that he would not be participating in the legal process on behalf of his son.

I have done my bit in getting my son educated. Now if at this age he gets booked in such a case, nothing is there that I can do now. If he is proven guilty in the matter he will be punished. But I am not in a position to stand by him. I am not even in a financial position to do that," Mishra's father added.

--IANS

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Jaipur, June 28 (IANS) Tragedy struck the family of Kedarnath helicopter crash victim Rajveer Singh Chauhan once again, as his mother, Vijay Laxmi Chauhan (58), passed away due to a heart attack on Saturday, just a day after observing the 12th day ritual of her son’s death.

On June 15, pilot Rajveer Singh Chauhan, a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the Indian Army, lost his life along with six others in a helicopter crash near Kedarnath. After he retired from the Army, he joined a private aviation company and was flying commercial helicopters. Just four months ago, he had become the father of twin sons.

On Saturday, family members and neighbours had gathered outside the Shastri Nagar Rana Colony residence to discuss a tribute programme planned in Rajveer’s memory. During this time, Vijay Laxmi Chauhan, wife of Govind Singh Chauhan, suddenly experienced severe chest pain. She was rushed to Kanwatia Hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead. The news of her sudden demise has left the community shocked and heartbroken.

Just a day earlier, she had been speaking with relatives and neighbours about a special programme scheduled for Sunday in honour of her late son.

As per the plan, the square and road near Nandi Baba Temple were to be named after Colonel Rajveer Singh Chauhan, along with a 'Veer Tiranga Yatra', a collective tribute meeting, and Hanuman Chalisa recitation for the peace of the departed soul.

Rajveer’s wife, Sona Kanwar, had been coordinating with relatives and community members for the memorial programme when the second tragedy struck the family.

Rajveer Singh, a resident of Shastri Nagar Colony of Jaipur city, served in the Army for about 14 years. His wife Deepika Chauhan is also a Lieutenant Colonel.

The couple became parents for the first time four months ago after 14 years of marriage. Rajveer's father, Govind Singh, is a retired employee who was working with BSNL.

He said that the family was preparing for the Jalwa Poojan of the grandsons these days, but the news has brought a mountain of sorrow.

--IANS

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Jaipur, June 28 (IANS) Rajasthan BJP state in-charge Radha Mohandas Agarwal claimed on Saturday that his party is the only party where coordination can be seen between power and organisation, and listening to workers remains the foundation of the party.

“Workers are always given priority in the party, and through them, the problems of the public are identified and a quick solution is given by the government. Listening to the workers by communicating directly with them and taking advantage of schemes for the public is the basic foundation of the BJP’s working style,” he claimed.

He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary thinking and the policy of taking schemes to the last person in the line and said that the graph of the BJP government is constantly rising across the country as the party gives top priority to public service.

He said that by making the organisation more active, the presence of the party will be strengthened in every village, city and town in the coming time. It was also decided in the meeting that the benefits of the Central government's public welfare schemes - like Ayushman Bharat, Ujjwala Yojana, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission - will be taken to every needy. Along with this, the progress of the schemes will also be evaluated by directly communicating with the beneficiaries.

During the BJP's organisational meeting, state chief Madan Rathore, while addressing the public representatives, made it clear that now the time has come when the power and the organisation together break the traditional political thinking of Rajasthan.

He said that the double-engine government of the BJP is continuously working for the overall development and public welfare of the state, and we have to ensure that after five years, once again the BJP government is formed in Rajasthan under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.

Rathore announced that for effective coordination between the organisation and the power, the BJP will appoint a General Secretary, who will convey the issues of public interest suggested by the workers to the government on a priority basis and ensure their quick solution.

Rathore said that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has fulfilled more than 50 per cent of the promises made to the public in the Sankalp Patra issued by the BJP during the Assembly elections in his first year of tenure.

“This shows that the BJP not only make promises, but also implements them,” he claimed.

Rathore said that the role of the organisation and workers is not limited to elections only, but they have an important role in taking the government's schemes and achievements to the people.

He called upon all the public representatives and workers to take the public welfare works of the government to every village and every street so that every citizen can get the benefit of the policies of the BJP government.

Describing the workers as the "backbone of the organisation", he said that the goal of the BJP is not only to gain power, but to provide service to the last person in society.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, June 28 (IANS) Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav claimed on Saturday that the BJP is the “first party” since Independence to push for a caste census.

He said that under the "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" (Together with all, development for all) policy, the BJP aims to bring change to all sections of society based on scientific data.

He said that over the past 11 years, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, numerous development and welfare schemes have been implemented for the benefit of the poor and marginalised.

He noted that it was PM Modi who gave constitutional status to the OBC Commission.

Yadav emphasised that the Registrar General of India is empowered to conduct caste censuses and said that for the first time since Independence, such an exercise is being carried out to responsibly collect data on social, economic, caste-based, and educational indicators.

He recalled that after the end of the Emergency, a non-Congress government, the Janata Party, came to power at the Centre and constituted the Mandal Commission.

Yadav asserted that the BJP is the first party since Independence to push for a caste census.

He mentioned that the Congress mouthpiece 'National Herald' had even published an article advocating for one-party rule in India. Following this, B.K. Nehru had written a letter, and a committee was reportedly formed within the Congress on this matter.

Yadav alleged that Congress had long been engaged in a systematic effort to equate the party with the family, and the family with the nation. This ideology, he said, led to the declaration of Emergency.

He concluded by saying that the Emergency is remembered as a dark chapter in Indian democracy, one that ignited a people’s struggle driven by national self-respect and democratic values.

--IANS

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Indore, June 28 (IANS) The Indore police have busted a gang involved in incidents of theft and arrested four members, including a minor, a senior police official said on Saturday.

The accused persons have been identified as Lekhraj, Shubham and Rahul and a minor from a residential colony when they were trying to lure passersby on the main road by offering gold and silver jewellery at cheap rates.

The busted gang was under police radar after a case of theft incident was registered at the Dwarakapuri police station in the city.

The complainant had told the police that jewellery and cash were stolen from his house.

While Dwarkapuri police team was in search of the thieves, it received a valuable input from its sources that some people were selling gold jewellery at cheap rates.

"Police received input that some people are selling gold jewellery at cheap rates, and the location was identified near residential colony under Dwarkapuri police station, which made them suspicious," Indore Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya said.

Upon receiving an input and confirming it, the police team decided to lay a trap to nab them.

"Cops approached them in civil dress, impersonating as buyers at Digvijaya multi society. While another police team had cornered the area so that the accused could not escape from the spot," Dandotiya added.

The police operation succeeded with the arrest of four persons.

"One of them is minor, and the action against would be taken as per the Juvenile Act. All of them have confessed their involvement in multiple theft incidents in the city for the last few months," the police officer added.

Dandotiya also told that the police have also recovered gold and silver jewellery valued at more than Rs 3.5 lakh from the accused.

"During initial inquiry, they have confessed their crime, and further investigation is underway. The police are questioning the accused on various aspects of the case," he added.

--IANS

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