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.
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Delhi sizzles at 42.8 deg C, logs hottest day of year so far
New Delhi (PTI): The national capital sweltered on Saturday, recording its highest maximum temperature of the year so far. Several weather stations reported heatwave conditions across the city, even as the IMD has forecast rain from Monday to Wednesday, bringing some hope of respite to Delhiites.
While a yellow alert had been issued for Saturday, a similar alert remains in place for Sunday as well, warning people of isolated heatwave conditions.
On Saturday, Safdarjung, representative of the city's weather, recorded a maximum temperature of 42.8 degrees Celsius, 5.1 degrees above normal and a 0.9-degree rise from the day before, thus fulfilling the criteria for a heatwave.
According to the India Meteorological Department, a heatwave is classified when the maximum temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or above, and it is 4.5 degrees to 6.4 degrees above normal.
This was also the highest maximum recorded in Delhi in the last four years since 2022, when the maximum had reached 43.5 degrees Celsius on April 28, 2022.
Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 25.2 degrees Celsius, 2.5 degrees above normal and a mere 0.7-degree rise from the day before.
Other weather stations also recorded isolated heatwave conditions. Lodhi Road recorded a maximum temperature of 42.6 degrees Celsius, 5.6 degrees above the normal; Ridge recorded a minimum of 44.5 degrees, 6.1 degrees above the normal; and Ayanagar logged a minimum temperature of 43.2 degrees Celsius, 4.8 degrees above the normal.
While the IMD had initially classified Friday as the season's first isolated heat wave, the MeT department later clarified on Saturday that it had been the third consecutive day of a heatwave.
IMD classifies a heatwave when at least two stations have met the required criteria. An IMD official clarified that while Delhi had fulfilled the heatwave condition only in one station on Thursday, the two-step criteria are actually for the entire subdivision of Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi.
"On Thursday, one station, Rohtak to be specific, of Haryana and Ridge of Delhi, had satisfied heatwave criteria, thus making it the first day. Saturday was the third consecutive day of heat waves," an IMD official said.
Meanwhile, the weather department has issued a yellow alert for Sunday as well. The official added, "These conditions are likely to continue till Sunday.
Under the influence of the setting in of lower tropospheric level easterly winds, the maximum temperature might drop on Tuesday, as forecasts suggest very light rain possible from Monday.
According to forecasts by the MeT department, a spell of very light rain, along with thunderstorms and gusty winds, might bring some respite from Monday to at least Wednesday. The maximum temperature is forecast to fall to 38-40 degrees Celsius by the end of next week.
The minimum temperature is likely to be around 25-27 degrees Celsius for the next couple of days.
The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of Delhi stood at 243 (poor) at 4 pm, compared to an AQI of 226 (poor) recorded at the same time on Friday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to CPCB standards, an AQI of 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
The Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi has forecast the AQI to remain in the poor category over the weekend and then improve to the moderate category in the subsequent days.
