Kolkata, Sep 1: Trinamool Congress general secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee, on Tuesday arrived at the Shakespeare Sarani Police station in central Kolkata to face interrogation in connection with the FIRs filed over the removal of an illegal billboard from the roof of his party office on Camac Street.

Banerjee arrived at the police station a little after noon. By then, a large number of Trinamool Congress supporters had already assembled in front of the said police station.

They shouted slogans when he arrived and went inside the police station. “As long as our general secretary is inside the police station, all of us will remain assembled there,” one Trinamool Congress activist told media persons.

The party’s Rajya Sabha member, Derek O’Brien, was supposed to appear at the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station on Monday and face the interrogation in the same matter. But he skipped the appearance, and instead his counsel sent a letter to Kolkata Police seeking seven more days for appearance.

However, Kolkata Police refused to give him seven days and served O’Brien a second notice to appear at the said police station by noon on Wednesday.

Abhishek Banerjee’s personal assistant, Sumit Roy, is also supposed to appear at the same police station by noon on Wednesday.

Tension broke out on Camac Street on August 27 after Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) staff, accompanied by police personnel, reached Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street office to remove the illegal billboard.

The KMC staff and police personnel faced stiff resistance from party activists led by Abhishek Banerjee, O’Brien and other Trinamool Congress leaders. Scuffles broke out between the cops and the party activists.

In the three FIRs filed at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station, the city police have accused the Trinamool Congress activists of not only assaulting the on-duty cops but also attempting to outrage the modesty of a female police officer.

In two of the three FIRs filed, Banerjee, O’Brien and other Trinamool Congress leaders, such as Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee, have been named. The police have arrested 14 people in this connection so far.

Kaushambi, Sep 1: A case has been registered against six people following a firecracker factory blast that claimed 11 lives in the Pipri police station area of Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi, invoking serious charges including Explosives Act violations, officials said on Tuesday.

Two accused, Shabnam and Saina, were arrested and taken into custody for questioning. The FIR has been registered under sections 105/288 BNS and 4/5/9B of the Explosives Act against the accused.

At least 11 people were killed, and five others were injured after a massive fire triggered a series of explosions at a firecracker factory in Manouri Bazaar under Pipri police station limits of Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district.

Action was also taken against the Pipri SHO and beat constables Jitendra Kumar and Krishna Kumar for their “gross negligence in discharging their official duties and for not registering information related to the operation of the firecracker factory” and “not registering information related to the operation” of the facility.

“It is noteworthy that in view of the seriousness of the incident, the Superintendent of Police prima facie found gross negligence and indifference in discharging their official duties and hence, the Station House Officer Pipri Vikas Singh, Outpost House Officer Chail Sub Inspector Amit Dwivedi and former Outpost House Officer Chail Sub Inspector Manish Pal were placed on line duty with immediate effect,” Kaushambi Police said in a statement.

Officials said that the investigation is ongoing and legal proceedings are underway.

Meanwhile, earlier, the District Magistrate assured strict action against those found responsible for the tragedy. He said criminal cases would be registered under serious sections of the law, and stringent measures, including property attachment, would be initiated in accordance with government directives.

Five injured persons are undergoing treatment at Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital in Prayagraj.

Following the explosions, administrative and police teams cordoned off the area and intensified rescue efforts. Officials fear that more people may still be trapped beneath the debris of the factory and nearby structures that collapsed in the blast. Search and clearance operations are continuing.

Patna, Sep 1: In a major anti-corruption operation, the Vigilance Investigation Bureau arrested Amit Pratap Singh, Block Development Officer (BDO) of Phulidumar block in Banka district, while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 75,000 on Tuesday.

The trap operation was conducted at the BDO’s private residence in Nehru Colony, Banka town.

Following the arrest, the Vigilance team took the BDO and his maternal uncle, Bachchan Prasad Singh, who was present at the residence, to the Banka Circuit House for questioning.

According to the Vigilance Department, Phulidumar Block Pramukh Gautam Prakash had submitted a written complaint to the Vigilance Bureau in Patna.

He alleged that the BDO was demanding Rs 75,000 in exchange for granting administrative approval and facilitating the withdrawal of funds for various development schemes under the Panchayati Raj Department.

Following the complaint, the Vigilance Bureau conducted a preliminary verification of the allegations.

The verification reportedly confirmed the demand for a bribe, following which a trap team was constituted.

A team led by a DSP-rank officer reached the BDO’s residence in Nehru Colony on Tuesday morning and laid a trap.

According to an official, the Block Pramukh handed over the agreed amount of Rs 75,000 to the BDO, following which the Vigilance personnel immediately apprehended him.

The arrest has caused a stir in administrative circles in Banka, from the Phulidumar block office to the district headquarters.

The arrest came a day after the BDO was involved in another controversy.

On Monday, a heated altercation and scuffle reportedly broke out between Amit Pratap Singh and former Mukhiya Sanjeev Mandal over the issuance of a birth certificate.

Following a complaint lodged by the BDO in connection with that incident, police arrested the former Mukhiya and sent him to judicial custody.

The BDO’s arrest in the alleged bribery case the following day has drawn considerable attention in the district.

The Vigilance team is currently completing the necessary legal formalities.

The accused persons are expected to be produced before the Special Vigilance Court in Patna for further proceedings.