Kolkata, Oct 4: The parents of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Saturday, have refuted the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) published, where Kolkata has been termed as the safest city across the country.

As per the NCRB report, Kolkata for 2023 (latest available) has recorded the lowest cognisable offences per lakh people, which is the fourth time in a row.

On Saturday, while speaking to the media persons, the parents of the R.G. Kar victim rubbished this part of the NCRB report, and claimed that these findings were not based on proper field research and probably the report was prepared to please anyone.

“Was my daughter secured, and that too at her workplace? Was the senior citizen at Kultali in South 24 Parganas district, who became a victim of gang-rape this week, safe? No one is secure here. I do not know who prepared the report. It seems that the report was prepared while sitting in the comfort of the office and without any proper field-based research,” the victim’s mother said.

The victim’s father expressed doubts over the credibility of those in the NCRB who have prepared the report.

“I do not know who in NCRB is responsible for preparing such reports. Even if I believe that the report of Kolkata being the safest city in the country, does that not mean the safety aspect in other Indian cities is unimaginable? I doubt that the NCRB had been misled, and hence the outcome was such a report,” the victim’s father said.

According to him, the only possibility is that the police personnel in Kolkata do not register most of the complaints filed by common people, and hence the crime figures in the city are projected as low.

“We can realise what the reality is since our daughter left. Probably, the experiences are the same,” he added.

As per the latest report of NCRB, Kolkata recorded 83.9 cognisable offences per lakh people in 2023, the lowest among the 19 cities.

Palghar, Maharashtra: In a significant breakthrough, the Naigaon Police have arrested a murder accused who had been absconding for nearly a month. The accused, Sunil Kharpat Prajapati (35), was traced and detained from a ship docked at Okha-Dwarka port in Gujarat after a meticulous manhunt.

The case dates back to September 7, 2025, when a dispute broke out between two workers of Synergy Hygiel Company at Kaman, Vasai (East). The deceased, Dilip Saroj, and the accused, Prajapati, had been given money by their employer, Prakash Ghunkar Chamaria, to share expenses for meals. However, Prajapati allegedly withheld the amount from Saroj, sparking a heated quarrel.

According to police, during the altercation, Prajapati assaulted Saroj with a blunt object, inflicting severe injuries on his head, eyes, and right arm. Saroj succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment, leading police to upgrade the charges to murder under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Given the gravity of the crime, senior officers formed two dedicated teams from the Crime Detection Branch to trace the fugitive. Acting on credible intelligence, investigators learned that the accused had taken shelter aboard a vessel at Okha port in Gujarat. Over 200 ships in the vicinity were thoroughly searched before police located Prajapati hiding on one of them.

He was taken into custody and later confessed to his role in the crime during questioning, officials said. The accused is now in police custody, and further investigation is underway.

Chennai, Oct 4: Authorities have detected adulteration in samples of cough syrups produced by a city-based pharmaceutical company, prompting an immediate halt in production and intensifying regulatory action after recent child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Officials from the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) confirmed that test results of syrups collected during an inspection at the firm’s manufacturing unit in Sunguvarchathram, Kancheepuram district, revealed the medicines were adulterated.

The company has been ordered to explain the findings and cease production until further notice.

The crackdown follows the Tamil Nadu government’s statewide ban on the cough syrup brand Coldrif, enforced from October 1, after concerns that the medicine may have been linked to the death of at least 11 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan due to suspected kidney failure.

Health authorities have also cleared stocks of the syrup from the local market to prevent further risk.

According to officials, the same manufacturer had supplied its cough syrups to multiple states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Puducherry, raising concerns about the reach of the potentially unsafe product.

Samples collected last week were sent to state-run laboratories for detailed analysis, and the initial results confirmed contamination.

The ripple effect of the safety scare has been felt across states. On Saturday, the Madhya Pradesh government announced a ban on the sale of Coldrif after nine child deaths were reported since September 7 due to suspected renal failure.

At least 13 children, including cases from Chhindwara and Nagpur, remain under treatment. In Rajasthan, the crisis has triggered administrative action.

The state government suspended its Drug Controller, Rajaram Sharma, following allegations of influencing the process of drug quality determination.

The Rajasthan Medical and Health Department has also halted the supply of 19 medicines manufactured by Jaipur-based Kaysons Pharma until further review and safety clearance.

Health experts say the episode underscores gaps in quality control and the urgent need for stricter oversight of pharmaceutical production and distribution.

Authorities in Tamil Nadu are expected to intensify inspections of local drug makers and coordinate with other states to track and recall any potentially unsafe consignments.

With public safety concerns mounting, officials said further updates on the manufacturer’s explanation and long-term corrective measures will follow once investigations conclude.