Sandeshkhali: TMC leader Shiba Prasad Hajra remanded to 8 days of police custody
Barasat (WB), Feb 18: Trinamool Congress leader Shiba Prasad Hajra, one of the prime accused in the case of alleged land grab and sexual harassment of women in Sandeshkhali, was remanded to police custody for eight days by a court in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Sunday.
Hazra, who is also a Zilla Parishad member of North 24 Parganas district, was picked up from a hideout in Sandeshkhali on Saturday.
The police arrested him under various sections of the IPC including 354A (sexual harassment), 376D (gangrape) and 307 (attempt to murder).
The last two sections were added after a survivor recorded her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before a magistrate.
Hazra has also been booked under IPC Sections 354B (trying to disrobe a woman in public place), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 509 (insulting modesty of a woman) and others.
He would again be produced at the court on February 26.
The police produced Hazra before a court in Basirhat and sought custody for 10 days. However, eight days of police remand was given.
The police claimed in the court that Hazra was arrested when he was trying to escape.
The court was also told that he was an influential person and granting bail to him might affect law and order in Sandeshkhali.
Hazra was also TMC block president of Sandeshkhali Block II. Following his arrest, the charge was handed over to the local MLA.
Of the two other prime accused, police arrested Uttam Sardar a week ago while Shajahan Sheikh is absconding.
A total of 18 people have been arrested in the case so far.
Villages in Sandeshkhali area have witnessed protests over allegations of sexual atrocities on women and land grabbing since the first week of February.
Sandeshkhali came to limelight after Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials were attacked by a mob when they went to search the premises of Sheikh on January 5 in connection with a probe into an alleged ration distribution scam.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Will implement recommendations of expert panel on NEET-UG exam: Centre to SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it would be implementing all the corrective measures suggested by its seven-member expert panel on exam reforms after reviewing the National Testing Agency's functioning in holding NEET-UG last year.
The top court on August 2, last year refused to annul the controversy-ridden NEET-UG of 2024, saying there was no sufficient material on record at present to indicate a systemic leak or malpractice compromising the integrity of the examination.
It had also expanded the remit of the seven-member expert panel, headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan, to review the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and recommend exam reforms to make the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate), transparent and free from malpractices.
On Thursday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, apprised a bench comprising justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra that the Centre-appointed committee has filed its report and the government will be implementing all the recommendations.
“We are going to implement all the recommendations and it (matter) can be listed after six months,” the law officer said.
“The matter is adjourned for three months. List this special leave petition in the month of April,” the bench said.
The entire report has not been placed on the records as it also contained some details regarding issues like printing of questions etc.
On October 21 last year, the top court had extended the time granted to the Centre-appointed seven-member expert panel to file its report on exam reforms.
The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admission in undergraduate medical programs.
While expanding the scope of the expert panel, the top court had flagged multiple lapses on the part of NTA like the security breach at an examination centre in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh where the rear door of the strongroom was opened and unauthorised people were permitted to access question papers, transportation of question papers by e-rickshaws and distribution of wrong set of question papers among the candidates.
Besides Radhakrishnan, other members of the expert committee are Randeep Guleria, B J Rao, Ramamurthy K, Pankaj Bansal, Aditya Mittal and Govind Jaiswal.
The bench said the remit of the committee, in addition to the tasks that it has been entrusted with by the Union government and the NTA, shall encompass examination security and administration, data security and technological enhancements.
Its responsibilities will also include policy and stakeholder engagement, collaboration and international cooperation, and recommendations for providing mental health support to students and training of NTA staff, it said.
Over 23 lakh students took up the NEET-UG in 2024 for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses.
In November last year, the top court dismissed a petition seeking review of the August 2 verdict by which it had refused to allow a fresh NEET-UG 2024 examination.
