West Bengal lynching: Main accused arrested
Malda (WB): Another person, the main accused, in connection with the alleged lynching of a 20- year-old-man in West Bengal's Malda district, has been arrested, police said on Saturday.
With the arrest of the prime accused, the number of persons arrested in the case went up to four, the police said.
The victim, Sanaul Sheikh, was assaulted allegedly by some locals at Baishnabnagar Bazar on June 26 after he was found stealing a bike.
Police had started a case following a complaint lodged by his mother.
"Bappa Ghosh, the main accused of Baishnabnagar lynching case has been arrested at Pakur in Jharkhand," the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Malda district, Alok Rajoria, said.
A purported video of the attack had gone viral and some of the culprits were identified on the basis of it.
Two accused were arrested on June 30 and another one was arrested on July 3. Sheikh was initially taken to Bedrabad primary health centre, from where he was referred to Malda Medical College and Hospital.
He was later shifted to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, where he died on June 29.
A joint delegation of the Left Front and the Congress led by CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty and Leader of opposition in the state Assembly, Abdul Mannan visited Baishnabnagar on Saturday and spoke to victim's family.
"Since Lok Sabha elections results, BJP in various parts of the state and country have been involved in lynching of people over Jai Sri Ram slogans. Our constitution allows everybody to practice his or her religion. BJP is trying to snatch away that right. But we would never allow it to happen.
We would fight till end," Mannan said.
He also accused ruling TMC in Bengal of making space for the saffron party in the state by pursuing communal policies and poaching on elected representatives of Congress and CPI(M).
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Lok Sabha refers Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill to JPC
New Delhi (PTI): The Lok Sabha on Monday referred the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to a joint parliamentary committee comprising members from both Houses of Parliament for a detailed analysis and recommendations.
The decision was taken following a voice vote after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman suggested it.
Earlier, after the Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha, opposition members Manish Tewari (Congress), Saugata Roy (Trinamool Congress) and T Sumathy (DMK) strongly opposed it, alleging that the legislation sought to dilute the provisions of law under which companies mandatorily have to pay 2 per cent of their profits towards corporate social responsibility (CSR).
The finance minister strongly refuted the allegations and said that the Bill has been introduced after two years of deliberations.
She said the apprehensions of the members were unfounded as the Bill seeks to amend only the criteria of net profits, not the entire clause related to CSR.
Sitharaman then suggested to Speaker Om Birla that the Bill be sent to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) for extensive deliberations and proper suggestions.
At this, Tewari said that since a parliamentary standing committee on corporate affairs is already in place, the Bill should be sent to that panel rather than constituting a new JPC.
Intervening the Congress MP, Home Minister Amit Shah said that none of the opposition members talked about referring the legislation to a parliamentary committee, and now, when the finance minister herself has sought it, they were arguing as to which panel the Bill should be sent.
Speaker Birla then put the proposal of the finance minister to a vote, and it was approved with a voice vote by the House, sending the Bill to a JPC for which the members will be selected later.
The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aims to amend the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008, and the Companies Act to facilitate ease of doing business and address the gaps identified by the Company Law Committee in its 2022 report.
The Union Cabinet had already okayed the proposed Bill, aimed at further easing the compliance burden on businesses and advancing the government’s agenda of decriminalising minor corporate offences.
The proposed amendments are expected to rationalise penalties, shift several minor procedural lapses from criminal liability to monetary penalties, and streamline regulatory processes to promote ease of doing business.
The reforms are also aimed at improving the overall corporate compliance framework while reducing litigation and encouraging a more facilitative regulatory environment for companies and LLPs.
Sitharaman also said the Bill is aimed at promoting further ease of doing business and ease of living for corporates by decriminalising more provisions and amending certain other provisions.
It is aimed at providing ease of compliance for ‘one person companies’, small companies, startups and producer companies, the minister said in the Bill's statement of objects and reasons.
According to Sitharaman, the amendments also seek to streamline the existing regulatory practices to strengthen as well as recognise new concepts in light of the rapidly evolving corporate landscape and changing business practices.
