Bengal: MBBS student detained for alleged links with terror outfits released by NIA
Kolkata (PTI): An MBBS student, who was detained by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district for his alleged links to terror outfits, was released on Saturday evening, a senior police officer said.
The accused, identified as Janisur Alam alias Nisar Alam, an MBBS student of Al-Falah University, Haryana, and resident of Ludhiana with ancestral roots in Konal village near Dalkhola in Uttar Dinajpur, was picked up from the Surjapur Bazar area on Friday morning, he said.
Alam was "detained" from the Surjapur Bazar area in Uttar Dinajpur while returning from a wedding ceremony at his ancestral home, on suspicion of alleged terror links by sleuths of the NIA, he said.
"He had travelled to his ancestral home with his mother and sister to attend a relative's wedding. Officers of the NIA intercepted him on his way back, after tracking his movements through mobile-tower location data," the officer said.
Later, on Saturday evening, the accused student, who was questioned at the NIA's Siliguri office, was released, he said.
"He was released after questioning. His mobile phone has been seized, and told to be present if summoned again by the probe agency," the officer said.
"A few days ago, there was a wedding in the family, and Alam had come home to attend the event," he said, adding, they were suspecting his involvement in activities related to the recent Delhi blast.
However, the NIA was yet to provide detailed information on his alleged links.
Another officer earlier stated that Alam was also seen "loitering suspiciously" near a station in the area before being detained.
"During questioning, he allegedly attempted to flee, following which he was taken into custody," a source in the central probe agency said.
"We are yet to establish whether he has any direct connection with the Delhi blast. Digital devices and documents were seized from his possession," he said.
Relatives and family members said Alam was a quiet, studious individual.
"He was a very calm and a polite young man, always busy with studies and showing no interest in anything else. To think that he could be connected to an explosion is simply unbelievable," Alam’s uncle said.
His mother claimed that her son has always been law-abiding, and the allegations against him were beyond comprehension.
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
