Bomb attack on Shillong BJP office
Shillong, Jan 7: Unidentified men lobbed a molotov cocktail at a BJP office here partially damaging it, a police officer said on Monday.
No casualty was reported in the explosion.
The office was attacked before Tuesday's proposed North East bandh called by the North East Students Organisation, an umbrella organisation of students' bodies of the region, in protest against the prime minister's announcement to pass the Citizenship Bill.
An investigation has been initiated into the bomb attack on the BJP office, said Davis N R Marak, superintendent of police of East Khasi Hills district in which Shillong falls.
"Unidentified men attacked the front portion of the office partially damaging it. The incident was reported around midnight last night," BJP state president Shibun Lyngdoh said.
The office does not have CCTVs installed and hence it is up to the police to identity the assailants, he said.
Protests were on in various places of the region over the Citizenship (amendment) Bill.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955. It seeks to grant citizenship to people from minority communities - Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they do not possess any proper document.
The Bill has been opposed by a large section of people and organisations in the Northeast.
Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma of the Congress Sunday on Sunday urged political parties of the Northeastern region to snap their partnership with the BJP following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement that the Citizenship Bill would be passed in the Parliament soon.
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Tribal man brings dead sister's skeleton to bank to withdraw money from her account
Keonjhar (PTI): A tribal man in Odisha's Keonjhar district on Monday brought the skeleton of his dead sister to a bank to withdraw the money deposited in her name, police said.
The incident occurred at Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank located at Patana block of Keonjhar district. The man was identified as Jeetu Munda (50) of Dianali village. He was seeking to withdraw Rs 20,000 from the bank account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda (56), who died on January 26, 2026.
"I have run several times to the bank, and the people there told me to bring the account holder to withdraw money deposited in her name. Though I told them that she had died, they did not listen to me and insisted on bringing her to the bank. Therefore, out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought out her skeleton as proof of her death," an illiterate Jeetu Munda told reporters.
Patana Police Station Inspector in charge (IIC) Kiran Prasad Sahu, who reached the bank after getting information, said, "Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not know what the legal heir or nominee is. The bank officials have failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from the dead person's account."
However, after the incident, the police assured Jeetu Munda that they would facilitate the withdrawal of money from the bank account of his dead sister. Later, the skeleton was again buried at the graveyard in presence of police.
Meanwhile, local Block Development Officer (BDO) Manas Dandpat said that he was not approached by anyone for the legal heir of late Kalra Munda. "Today only, I came to know about it. We will see what can be done to resolve the issue," the BDO said.
Meanwhile, bank sources said that the nominee in Kalra Munda's bank account was also dead. Therefore, Jeetu Munda was the lone claimant over the money deposited in her name.
The local administration has directed the bank officers to make arrangements and ensure that Jeetu Munda, who is the only claimant as per the rules, gets the money as soon as possible.
