Kolkata, Oct 15: The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will finalise its list of candidates for the forthcoming urban civic body elections, including those to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), by Diwali, scheduled for November 8.

The civic body elections are likely to be held in the last week of November, with results expected to be announced by the first week of December.

To minimise dissent and ensure a smooth candidate selection process, the BJP has adopted a multi-tier screening mechanism that combines recommendations from local leaders with applications from professionals, with the final names subject to scrutiny by district- and state-level committees.

A BJP state committee member said discussions on the candidates recommended by the party’s local leadership would begin immediately after Lakshmi Puja on October 8. The shortlisted candidates are expected to be announced soon after Diwali.

The party will draw up its final list from two separate sets of applications. The first will comprise names recommended by local party leaders, while the second will include applications invited from professionals in selected fields, including medicine, law, engineering, media and social work.

A drop box has already been placed at the BJP’s original headquarters on Muralidhar Sen Lane in north Kolkata to receive applications from professionals interested in contesting the civic polls on the party’s ticket. Applicants have been asked to submit their biodata along with their applications.

“Our central leadership does not want any resentment within the party over the selection of candidates for the civic polls. Therefore, the candidate will not be decided by anyone’s single decision. Names will come from the grassroots and then be vetted by the district election core committee and the state-level committee. Only after this process will the final names of the candidates be announced,” the state committee member said.

The BJP’s state leadership will also work on its campaign strategy and identify key issues to be raised during the civic poll campaign. These discussions will take place alongside the exercise to shortlist candidates after Lakshmi Puja.

New Delhi, Oct 15: The Special Staff of Shahdara district has arrested a man posing as a tantric and two of his associates for cheating a 79-year-old man on the pretext of extracting buried ancestral gold through occult rituals and stealing gold jewellery worth approximately Rs 15 lakh from his residence, Delhi Police said on Thursday.

The police recovered Rs 2.73 lakh in cash, a Mahindra Scorpio-N, clothes used during tantric rituals, fake identity documents, mobile phones, and other articles in connection with the case.

The case was registered at Seemapuri police station under FIR No. 622/2026 under Sections 318(4), 305, 123 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), following a complaint by Girijesh Singh, 79.

According to the complaint, the accused, identified as Shoaib Ali, Mahakader Khan, and a man posing as ‘Krishna Pandit’, gained the complainant’s confidence by showing him a genuine gold coin and promising to extract buried ancestral gold through tantric rituals. They induced him to pay approximately Rs 39.30 lakh through cash and UPI transactions.

During the intervening night of August 4, the accused staged a ritual at the complainant’s residence using steel pots containing soil and fake gold biscuits. The complainant alleged that he was administered a sedative and became unconscious. Upon regaining consciousness, he discovered that gold jewellery worth approximately Rs 15 lakh was missing from his cupboard.

Following verification, a case was registered, and the investigation was handed over to the Special Staff of Shahdara district.

A dedicated team was constituted under the leadership of Inspector Ashish Kumar, in-charge of Special Staff, under the supervision of ACP, Operations, Pavan Kumar and the overall supervision of DCP, Shahdara, R.P. Meena.

During the investigation, the main accused, who allegedly posed as Krishna Pandit, was traced to Amba Vihar in UP’s Muzaffarnagar. His identity was established as Tahsin, 48, and he was subsequently arrested.

Police said a black Mahindra Scorpio-N, Rs 2.73 lakh in cash, 11 rings, tantric clothes, two Aadhaar cards bearing the names of Tahsin and Krishna Sharma, a PAN card, an ATM card and two mobile phones were recovered at his instance.

The two alleged associates, Shoaib Ali, 40, a resident of Mayur Vihar in Dasna, Uttar Pradesh, and Mahakader Khan, 48, a resident of Dabagram Salboni in West Bengal, were also arrested. They introduced the complainant to the main accused and facilitated the subsequent transactions.

Police said further investigation is underway to establish the individual roles of the accused, trace the money transferred through various accounts and payment modes, identify the beneficiaries and determine whether other persons were involved in the alleged crime.

Chennai, Oct 15: Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran paid tribute to former President late A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on his birth anniversary on Thursday, recalling his contributions to India’s scientific development and his enduring influence on generations of young people.

Born on October 15, 1931, in Rameswaram, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam became one of India’s most admired public figures, earning recognition as a scientist, the country’s ‘Missile Man’ and a leader who encouraged students to pursue ambitious goals.

His birthday is observed by the Tamil Nadu government as Youth Renaissance Day, reflecting his close association with young people and his emphasis on education, scientific curiosity and national development.

In a message posted on social media platform X, Nagendran described Kalam as a distinguished scientist whose life and ideas continued to inspire the country’s youth.

“Today marks the birth anniversary of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, India’s former President, the Missile Man and a great scientist who inspired young people,” the BJP leader said.

Nagendran said Kalam had made significant contributions to India’s progress in science and technology while encouraging young people to dream, develop their abilities and strive for achievement.

He said the former President’s message went beyond aspirations, urging people to translate their dreams into sustained effort and meaningful accomplishments.

Recalling Kalam’s call to dream and work towards realising those dreams, Nagendran said the message would remain deeply embedded in the minds of Indians.

He urged people to remember Kalam’s lofty ideals and the work he had undertaken for the nation’s advancement, and to honour his memory on his birth anniversary.

The tribute highlighted two closely connected aspects of Kalam’s public life: His role in strengthening India’s scientific capabilities and his commitment to motivating young people to contribute to the country’s future.

His journey from Rameswaram to the presidency remains central to the admiration he commands, particularly among students who associate his name with perseverance, learning and the pursuit of excellence.

Political leaders and public figures also remembered Kalam on the occasion, paying homage to his achievements and recalling the values he championed.

The annual observance of Youth Renaissance Day in Tamil Nadu places particular emphasis on that legacy, linking the remembrance of the former President with the aspirations of younger generations and the importance of turning individual ambition into contributions to society and national progress.