Kolkata, Sep 2: The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) conducted a raid at a house near the India-Nepal border in the early hours of Wednesday and seized 952 grams of suspected brown sugar. The value of the narcotics could be more than Rs 40 lakh in the illicit market, officials said.

One person has been taken into custody in this connection.

“Around 5 a.m. on September 2, acting on specific information received from the intelligence setup of 41 Bn SSB, a joint operation was conducted by personnel of G Company, Bhatgaon, A Company, Nimuguri, and a team from Galgalia Police Station at the residence of Md Jalal (60), at Thika Toli, Galgalia, Kishanganj, Bihar. During the operation, 952 gms of suspected brown sugar was recovered in five packets from the house, with the help of a sniffer dog. A mobile detection kit verified it to be narcotics. A keypad mobile phone was also recovered from the accused,” a senior SSB official said.

During interrogation, Jalal allegedly disclosed that his son-in-law, named Md Shamshad Alam, is involved in the dealing of narcotics and the packets belonged to him. The police verified the facts and confirmed that Alam is a history sheeter and has been involved in several narcotics smuggling cases.

The seized packets, along with the accused and the phone, have been handed over to the Galgalia Police Station.

On August 30, a joint team of the SSB and police had apprehended a woman from Galgalia with 50 grams of brown sugar. She had revealed that her husband and son are involved in the drug trade.

Drug trafficking is rampant in the area close to the India-Nepal border. Criminals take advantage of the boundary between Bihar and West Bengal and the international border to carry out their nefarious activities, authorities said.

“Once they cross over into West Bengal, the Bihar Police have no jurisdiction and vice versa. The police have no jurisdiction close to the border, while the SSB can’t operate too far inside. The criminals are aware of this and take advantage,” another official said.

The unique nature of the border between India and Nepal also poses a problem for the enforcers. Citizens of both countries require no passports or visas to move across, and not everybody can be searched without a valid reason.

Cross-border trafficking of drugs also takes place. In the past, Indians have been apprehended in Nepal with drugs, while citizens of that country have been found in possession in India. The heavy tourist footfall in Nepal and the demand for banned substances is also an issue.

Officials suspect that several gangs operate in the area. Over time, better co-ordination has evolved between the various agencies, and there is regular information sharing. Intelligence networks have also been activated for information about criminals.

“Apart from maintaining vigil along the border, we co-ordinate with central and state agencies to prevent crime in the area. Locals are also regularly told to seek out help to keep the area crime-free for their own sake,” the SSB official added.

New Delhi, Sep 2: Satish Salian, father of late celebrity manager Disha Salian, on Wednesday said that he would continue his fight for justice after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into his daughter’s death in 2020.

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the CBI to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Disha Salian, who was the former manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Speaking to media, Satish Salian welcomed the court verdict and thanked those who supported his legal battle.

“I expressed my gratitude to the court, and I am grateful to all of you. Because of you all, we got justice. It is because of Nilesh Ojha and his team that I see today’s victory. Just as we are fighting now, we will continue to fight in the future as well,” he told media.

He further said that the truth would ultimately prevail and those found responsible would face consequences.

“See, if we are wrong, then tell us we are wrong. If they are wrong, tell them they are wrong. Now, I will say that truth never loses; truth always wins. And I have 100 per cent belief in my lawyer, Nilesh Ojha. Whoever has done this is very wrong. They will suffer for this,” Salian said.

Meanwhile, while pronouncing the order, the court clarified that no individual should be treated as an accused unless the Investigating Officer finds sufficient material against them during the probe.

The order came while hearing a petition filed by Satish Salian, Disha’s father, alleging lapses by the Mumbai Police in the investigation into his daughter’s death.

Speaking to media after the order, advocate Nilesh Ojha, counsel for Satish Salian, said the court had directed the CBI to record the petitioner’s statement, register an FIR, appoint a senior officer to conduct the investigation, and take custody of all relevant records from Malvani Police Station.

“The court has made it clear that action must be taken against anyone against whom evidence is found. At the same time, no person should be named as an accused without evidence. It has also clarified that if the CBI files a closure report, we will have the right to object and file a protest petition. We have full faith that truth will prevail.” Ojha told media.

Jaipur, Sep 2: A female sanitation worker was killed after she was attacked by a tiger at Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur, officials said on Wednesday. The authorities have ordered an inquiry by forest and police officials into possible lapses in safety protocols.

The incident took place near Enclosure No 16, where the woman was carrying out routine cleaning and maintenance work. The tiger involved in the incident has been identified as ‘Shivaji’.

According to preliminary information, the tiger suddenly attacked the worker while she was cleaning near the enclosure. Other employees rushed to the location after hearing her screams. However, the woman sustained fatal injuries and could not be saved.

Following the incident, Chief Wildlife Warden Arun Prasad, Deputy Conservator of Forests Ashish Vyas, Assistant Conservators of Forests Jitendra Singh Shekhawat and Gaurav Kumar, along with Amer SHO Rajendra Godara, reached Nahargarh Biological Park.

The officials inspected the site and gathered preliminary information regarding the incident. Forest Department and park authorities have initiated an investigation to establish the exact sequence of events.

Police took possession of the deceased worker’s body and sent it to the mortuary. Her family was informed about the incident.

The incident has raised questions about compliance with safety protocols during cleaning and maintenance activities around dangerous-animal enclosures.

As part of the investigation, authorities are examining whether the required Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were followed before the worker entered the area. Reports suggesting that the enclosure or access gate may not have been properly secured are also being examined.

Officials will determine whether there was any negligence or violation of established safety procedures and fix responsibility accordingly.

Nahargarh Biological Park is a major wildlife attraction near Jaipur and receives visitors from Rajasthan, other parts of India and abroad.

In view of the incident, authorities are reviewing safety arrangements and operational procedures within the park, particularly those governing maintenance work around tiger and other dangerous-animal enclosures.

The administrative inquiry will examine the circumstances of the incident and recommend appropriate measures to prevent such incidents in the future.