Kolkata, Oct 23: The Border Security Force (BSF) has apprehended a minor boy with 11 gold biscuits along the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) in the North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal.

The incident has brought to light how smugglers are now using minors as couriers to evade arrest.

“Troops of the 143 Bn BSF, South Bengal Frontier, deployed at the Bithari Border Outpost, had received intelligence inputs of an attempt to smuggle gold in their area of jurisdiction. During checks, they came across an Indian minor carrying a briefcase. During a search, a black packet with the 11 gold biscuits were found in his possession,” a senior BSF official said.

According to an official, the weight of the seized gold is 1,286.17 grams. It is valued at around Rs 1.64 crore.

During questioning, the boy said that he is a resident of Daharkanda village in the Swarupnagar police station area of North 24-Parganas. He also said that he had been sent by his mother to deliver the packet to a designated point.

The boy has been handed over to concerned authorities, along with the gold, for further legal processing. A search has been launched for the boy’s mother and others involved in the racket.

“This recovery once again underscores the alertness, professionalism, and commitment of BSF troops in curbing cross-border smuggling along the India–Bangladesh border, despite attempts by criminal networks to exploit minors for such illegal activities,” the official said.

While stating that the BSF personnel are fully capable of preventing all kinds of illegal activities along the border, he urged the border population to report any information regarding gold smuggling or other crimes to ensure peace in the area.

“They can call the Seema Sathi Helpline Number 14419 or send a WhatsApp text or voice message to 9903472227. Those providing credible information would be suitably rewarded and their identities kept confidential,” he said.

New Delhi, Oct 23: The Election Commission of India’s (ECI’s) two-day conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) at the India International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi concluded on Thursday, the poll panel said, adding, that it also interacted one-on-one with the CEOs of poll-bound States/UT of Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal.

The conference was presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in the presence of Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

The primary focus of the session was to assess the readiness of all State and Union Territory CEO offices for the crucial SIR exercise that ensures accuracy and inclusiveness in India’s voter lists.

This conference follows up on a similar preparedness review held on September 10 this year, where all States and UTs presented detailed data on electors, qualifying dates, and the current status of electoral rolls as per the last completed revision.

According to the poll panel, CEOs of the States/UTs from across the country attended this crucial Conference.

“The Commission directed the CEOs to finalise their preparations for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in their respective States/UTs,” the poll panel said in its press note.

Notably, after the presentations by senior officers of the Commission on the SIR process, queries raised by the CEOs were also clarified.

“The Commission assessed the progress made on the directions previously issued to the CEOs to map the current electors with the voters as per the last SIR in the State/UT,” it said.

The poll panel also interacted one-to-one with the CEOs of poll-bound States/UT of Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal.

Earlier, the ECI also reviewed the status of appointment and training of field-level officials including District Election Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant EROs (AEROs), Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and Booth Level Agents (BLAs).

The conference aimed to standardise processes, strengthen coordination across states, and ensure that every eligible citizen is duly enrolled ahead of the next election cycle.

Navi Mumbai, October 23: Four persons have been booked for allegedly sexually harassing and assaulting an 18-year-old girl after forcibly entering her residence in Sanpada, police said on Thursday.

According to officials from the Sanpada Police Station, the incident took place on the night of October 20 when one of the accused, who had earlier claimed to be in love with the victim, arrived at her home along with three associates.

The group allegedly barged into the house, confronted the girl, and touched her inappropriately. When the victim resisted and asked them to leave, one of the men reportedly attacked her with an iron rod, causing injuries.

During the altercation, the victim’s brother tried to intervene but was also physically assaulted by the accused. The group fled the scene soon after the incident, police said.

Following a complaint, a case was registered against four persons, two of whom are yet to be identified. They have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for sexual harassment, assault, and house trespass, officials confirmed.

As of Thursday, no arrests have been made in the case. The police have launched a manhunt to trace the accused, and further investigation is underway.

Authorities said the statements of the victim and witnesses have been recorded, and medical examination reports are awaited.

“The accused will be arrested soon. We are verifying their backgrounds and gathering evidence,” an officer from Sanpada Police Station said.