Violence erupts during final phase of West Bengal polling
Kolkata: The seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal has been marred by violent incidents across the state. Reports indicate clashes between party workers and instances of vandalism, including an attack on a spare EVM in South 24 Parganas district.
In the Jadavpur constituency, clashes erupted between activists of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Indian Secular Front (ISF), with both sides resorting to hurling crude bombs. The situation escalated to a point where police intervention became necessary, resulting in the dispersal of the crowd. Authorities later recovered crude bombs from the scene.
Meanwhile, in Kultali, South 24 Parganas district, booth numbers 40 and 41 witnessed an alarming incident of mob violence, leading to the vandalization of a spare EVM and a VVPAT machine. The Election Commission has called for a report from the Returning Officer regarding the incident.
BJP candidate Tapas Roy faced hostility from TMC workers during his visit to booths in Cossipore, Kolkata North constituency, where slogans of "go back" were raised against him.
Accusations have also been leveled against TMC workers and police regarding alleged intimidation tactics employed in the Barmajoor area of Sandeshkhali. The BJP claims that polling agents' houses were visited, and threats were made. Women in Sandeshkhali have reportedly protested against these actions.
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'Godman' Kharat held in 8th sexual exploitation case; court denies police remand, sends him to jail
Nashik (PTI): Police took custody of self-proclaimed godman-cum-astrologer Ashok Kharat in an eighth case related to sexual exploitation of women and produced him before a Nashik district court which sent him to jail till May 12 after rejecting the plea for his police remand on Thursday.
On April 29, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police in north Maharashtra filed a request application in the court demanding Kharat's custody in the eighth case.
After the court granted them the necessary permission, the SIT took custody of Kharat, who was in jail in connection with the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.
The 'godman', named in a dozen FIRs related to rape and financial fraud, was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate B N Ichpurani in the eighth case through video conferencing due to security reasons.
The eighth case related to Kharat allegedly sexually exploiting a woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems, according to police.
During the hearing, the prosecution demanded police custody of the accused in the latest case.
However, the defence strongly opposed the demand and argued that the SIT was giving same reasons for police custody every time and there was no strong reason for accepting their plea.
The court accepted the argument put forth by the defence and remanded Kharat to judicial custody till May 12 in the eighth case.
The SIT will produce Kharat in the court on Friday again and seek his police custody in the ninth case. As the self-styled godman has been granted judicial custody in the eighth case, he will be sent to Nashik Road Central Jail and the SIT will take his custody from there.
Meanwhile, Kharat's judicial custody in the fourth case ended on Thursday. On April 18, the accused was remanded to judicial custody till April 30 in the fourth case of sexual exploitation of women.
In a related development, the SIT conducted a search at Kharat's office in the 'Canada Corner' area of Nashik city on Wednesday. A 'panchnama' (record of search and seizure proceedings) was conducted and the office was locked and sealed again.
Kharat, a well-heeled man with political connections, was arrested for the first time on March 18 after a woman alleged he had repeatedly raped her for three years.
He is accused of sexually exploiting several women by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic, and also committing large-scale financial fraud.
The SIT is conducting a probe into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against the astrologer in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts.
