Kolkata, Sep 27: The bodies of three elephants — a mother elephant and her two calves — were spotted in a paddy field at Salboni in West Midnapore district of West Bengal, on Sunday morning.

An initial investigation has suggested that the three elephants came in contact with a high-tension electricity wire.

The bodies were first noticed by the local villagers in the morning, who subsequently brought the matter to the notice of the local forest department office.

According to local sources, a herd of elephants was passing through the village. An electric pump was installed to irrigate the farmland with a live wire passing through the land. It is believed that the three elephants died after touching the wire and getting electrocuted.

At the time the report was filed, the forest department officials had reached the spot and started an investigation. They said that the cause of the deaths will be clear after the autopsy.

However, an insider from the state forest department said that the electrocution death of elephants is nothing new in the Jangalmahal region, which is a major elephant zone in the state.

“In the past, elephants died in these forest areas due to electrocution. There had been a lot of uproar about that. There has been a common tendency among farmers in the region to surround their farmlands with electric wires to protect their crops,” the state forest department official said.

Last month, a middle-aged tusker died after getting electrocuted as it came into contact with an illegally energised fence erected around farmland in the Falakata block of Alipurduar district.

The state forest department insider said that in the past, there had been several attempts by the department to stop the villagers from erecting illegally energised fences around their farmland, as this causes elephant deaths, especially when they are passing in a herd from one forest to another.

“Earlier, there had been instances of penalising the offenders on this count. However, the fencing activity has continued,” he added.

Mumbai, Sep 26: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday trained guns on the Election Commission of India, issuing a joint call to the people of Maharashtra and announcing a grand public protest rally in Mumbai on October 4.

Launching a blistering attack, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS accused the Election Commission of deceiving voters and functioning as an extended wing of the ruling party at the Centre.

While the MNS and Shiv Sena UBT are leading the organisational groundwork for the demonstration, the leaders emphasised that the protest goes beyond partisan politics.

Framing the October 4 rally as a mass public movement, the organisers confirmed plans to engage in dialogue with all political parties across the spectrum to forge a unified opposition front.

“This is a rally of the people. To ensure it does not remain confined to a single party but becomes the collective voice of the entire political system and the citizenry, we will reach out to all political parties to join this front,” the statement read.

The statement framed the upcoming agitation as a decisive battle to safeguard the nation’s democratic framework and institutional integrity.

Calling upon citizens to flood the streets of Mumbai, the movement aims to register a strong protest against what the leaders term institutional bias and voter list manipulation under the SIR process. The venue and exact time for the October 4 Mumbai rally will be officially announced shortly.

The statement concluded with a direct appeal to the public to “participate in this rally in large numbers. Come together to save the democracy of this country and the Constitution of this nation!”

Earlier, launching a scathing attack on the BJP and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Raj Thackeray demanded the immediate cancellation of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

He accused the ruling party of leveraging key institutional figures to maintain an “endless grip on power” and called upon all opposition parties across the country to unite for a massive agitation to bring back paper ballots.

Mumbai: The All India Muslim Women’s Association organized a two-day seminar at the Saboo Siddik Musafir Khana in Mumbai to foster awareness among Muslim women and take significant steps toward their empowerment and self-reliance. During this gathering, women were apprised of matters concerning religion, worldly affairs, and current events. Addressing the assembly, Dr. Asma Zehra stated that the event was organized in response to the pressing need for awareness in these turbulent times; educational awareness, in particular, is crucial, so the seminar highlighted the true purpose and significance of education. The event saw the participation of female educators not only from Mumbai but also from across Maharashtra and other parts of the country. Dr. Zehra emphasized that education is what brings about awareness in our generations; thus, the seminar was held to enlighten young women and girls, familiarizing them with professional dynamics and societal roles. She noted that while the government attempts to marginalize minorities—pushing for new laws and the implementation of measures like the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)—this very pressure has awakened the Muslim community. The government’s persistent targeting of Muslims has served to fully alert the community, making them vigilant and wary of every maneuver. The seminar aimed to promote education, foster self-reliance among women and girls, and raise awareness regarding women’s rights in society. Farid Shaikh, head of the Mumbai Peace Committee, played a leading role in this event. He stated that the objective of the seminar was to empower women and boost their morale; consequently, this two-day event was organized in Mumbai, drawing the participation of over 500 teachers, women from various fields, and prominent figures from across the country, ultimately proving to be a success.