They’ll take us to Bangladesh: Kolkata man hangs self over 'NRC-SIR' anxiety
Kolkata: A 63-year-old resident of Bansdroni, Dilip Kumar Saha, who migrated to Bengal from Bangladesh with his parents in 1972, died by suicide at his home on Sunday. His family has claimed that his actions were driven by "extreme anxiety" over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
According to his family, Saha confined himself to his house for the past week, spending most of his time watching television. "He was extremely worried about the NRC and used to stay glued to news channels. He kept saying that when they come, they will take us away. 'What will happen to you if I am gone? They will take you to Bangladesh, lock you up...' he used to say. I told him again and again that nothing like that would happen. But he wouldn't listen," the Times of India quoted Dilip's wife, Arati, as saying.
A suicide note was recovered, in which Saha blamed no one for his death. He was employed as a Group D worker at a private school in Dhakuria and had reportedly migrated from Nawabganj, Bangladesh, to Kolkata in 1972.
According to a police officer, Saha had been struggling with depression and neurological issues for the past two years. “His panic attacks were noticed even earlier, not just during the Sindoor operations but also during the Ukraine-Russia war. The family has not yet lodged any written complaint," TOI quoted the officer as saying.
The body was sent to MR Bangur Hospital for autopsy. An unnatural death case has been lodged.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
