Potato farmer commits suicide in Bengal, toll rises to eight

Jalpaiguri (WB): One more potato farmer committed suicide at his home at Dhupguri in the district on Wednesday after allegedly failing to repay loans he had taken to cultivate the vegetable. Nritya Gopal Burman, 45, took his life by hanging himself at his home at Nathua under Dhupguri block this morning, police said, adding, his was the first such case of suicide in north Bengal. The farmer was unhappy as he could not sell the crop at remunerative prices. With this, a total of eight potato farmers took the extreme step in West Bengal in the past fortnight, seven of them in the southern district of Burdwan, though one of them was a resident of Birbhum district. The police quoted the deceased’s family members as saying that Burman had sown potato in his land and had taken loans from various banks for the purpose. Dhupguri BDO Soumen Dutraj confirmed the death. Potato farmers had last week blockaded NH 31 at Dhupguri protesting against non-availability of potato bonds, which would enable them to store their produce in cold storages. (PTI)

Villager arrested for raping a minor

Thane:  A 55-year-old villager from Wadachapada hamlet of Murbad taluka was arrested by the district rural police on the alleged charges of raping a five-year-old relative.Talking to UNI, Murbad API MB Supe said, ‘The girl was playing outside her house on Tuesday afternoon when the accused identified as Krishna Isame, called her inside. Trusting him as he is a distant relative of the family, the child did as he asked.’As per the complaint lodged by the girl’s parents, when the child went inside the house, Isame raped her. They got to know about the incident later in the evening.’The accused has been charged under section 376 of the IPC and also sections 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012,’ Mr Supe said. (UNI)

Underworld don Lakdawala held

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested an alleged aide of underworld don Ejaz Lakdawala, who once had close proximity to Dawood Ibrahim, the Karachi-based mafia boss, having his roots in Mumbai and declared a global terrorist by the US.Police sources said Mohammad Yusuf was involved in recruiting sharpshooters in Punjab to carry out two assassinations of businessmen in Delhi and one in Mumbai, as part of a contract at the behest of Ejaz.Ejaz later fell out of favour with Dawood, and was attacked by his men in 2003 in Bangkok, but escaped unhurt. He was arrested after some time in Ottawa, Canada.Yusuf hails from Bareilly, UP, and was in-charge of Delhi, UP and Punjab operations for Ejaz. (UNI)

Woman ‘unattended’ at hospital dies

Thane: A 24-year-old woman suffering from post-delivery complications died of alleged medical negligence at the Civil Hospital here, police said on Wednesday. Usha Pawar, from Rohini of Kawad gram panchayat, was admitted to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Bhiwandi, near Thane, on Monday where she delivered a child through normal procedure on Tuesday at around 1.45 PM, Bhiwandi taluka police station constable P K Adari said. However, after the delivery she developed complications and was then transferred to Thane Civil Hospital where the doctors, who attended her at around 4.45 PM, declared she was brought dead, Adari said. Angry over the woman not being attended in time for her post-delivery bleeding which resulted in her death, a group of villagers and MNS activists today staged a protest in the hospital premises here and refused to take the body while demanding action against the errant doctors and other staff. (PTI)

Sr citizens duped of Rs 74 lakh

Thane: A number of retired people have been duped by two people who promised them houses under a 10 per cent reserved quota, the city police said on Wednesday. The accused were identified as Pravin Sankhe of Virar and Vasant Sawant who lived in Government Quarters at Bandra. Kalyan division’s Kolsewadi police station API Mrs MS Mane said, “we have booked them under section 420 rw 34 of the IPC, for cheating citizens to amount totalling Rs 73.81 lakh and have launched a manhunt for them. UNI)