Kolkata (PTI): The West Bengal class 12 board examinations began on Thursday with over 7.10 lakh candidates appearing in three categories across the state.

The examinations, conducted by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE), will continue till February 27.

Of 7,10,811 candidates, 6,35,864 are appearing for the fourth semester examinations, 59,452 are writing the third semester supplementary tests, while 15,495 have opted for the old syllabus system.

In all, 3,95,079 girls are appearing for the examinations this year, 79,347 more than boys, across the three categories.

While the fourth-semester exams are being held between 10 am and noon, the third-semester supplementary takes place between 1 pm and 2:15 pm.

Candidates under the old syllabus system are writing their papers from 10 am to 1.15 pm.

For the first time, around 7,000 invigilators have been sourced from primary, upper primary and secondary schools, as many teachers in higher secondary schools are still involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of electoral rolls, council president Chiranjib Bhattacharya said at a press meet here on Monday.

Around 2,100 centres (higher secondary schools) are being used for the semester III and IV examinations statewide.

As part of stricter monitoring measures, CCTV cameras have been installed at all entrance gates and over 100 venues have been categorised as "sensitive" to be placed under additional supervision.

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New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.

The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.

The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.

The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.

"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.

On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.

Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.

"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.

Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.

During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.

The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.

Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.

Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.

A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.

Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.

"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.

Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.