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Kolkata Student gang-raped: This horrific incident comes 10 months after the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the city’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Two men watched as a third raped a 24-year-old Kolkata college student in a guardroom – after having bullied the guard into leaving – at the city’s South Calcutta Law College late Wednesday night, according to the details of a police complaint accessed by NDTV this evening.

In a complaint filed Thursday evening, the woman said three men – whom she only identified with the initials ‘J’, ‘M’, and ‘P’ – cornered her at 7.30 pm after a meeting of the ruling Trinamool Congress’ student wing. She said ‘M’ and ‘P’ locked her in a room with ‘J’, who tried to rape her.

“I fought back… I cried and asked him to let me go… I even touched his feet but he didn’t let me go…” she told the cops, “He tried to force me with the intention of having sex. I kept pushing him back. I asked him to let me go. ‘I can’t do this, I have a boyfriend and I love him’, I said.”

‘I Had A Panic Attack’

She also said she had a panic attack during the assault and begged for an inhaler.

“I had a panic attack and (was) having shortness of breath. Then ‘J’ called ‘M’ and ‘P’ to come inside. I asked for help but they were not helping me. Then I told them to bring an inhaler for me… ‘M’ brought that. I took it and felt better,” she said and told the cops she then tried to escape by running outside.

But, according to the woman, the men caught her and the attack continued.

The main gate, she said, had been locked “and the guard was helpless and did not help”.

She said she was then bundled into the guard’s room (the guard was thrown out) where “‘J’ undressed me and started raping me. When I fought he blackmailed me…”

The woman said throughout the alleged rape and after she had been threatened – on pain of death of her family and boyfriend – to not tell anyone about what had happened to her.

‘Was Hit On Head With Hockey Stick’

“‘J’ was forcefully raping me… ‘M’ and ‘P’ stood and saw everything…” she said, claiming also that she was hit on the head, with a hockey stick, while the sexual assault continued.

At 10.50 pm, she said in her complaint, the men released her, warning her again about informing the authorities. “But today I made up my mind… I want justice. Being a law student, I am the victim now and I want the justice to be served as soon as possible…”

RG Kar Rape, Murder Nightmare

The horrific allegations – which brings back terrifying memories of last year’s rape and murder at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital – have also sparked a political row, with the Bharatiya Janata Party targeting the Trinamool Congress ahead of next year’s Assembly election.

And the BJP pointing out the main accused – Manojit Mishra – is linked to the Trinamool’s youth wing has added fuel to the fire. As in the RG Kar case, the BJP also said the Trinamool is ‘protecting’ him.

The BJP had ealier shared photos on social media showing Mishra standing next to senior party leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Lok Sabha MP.

In her complaint the young woman does identify one of her attackers – ‘M’ – as an “ex-student as well as an official of the college… unofficially, he is the head of the TMCP (i.e., the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad) unit of the college and holds much power… everyone listened to him.”

In its first reaction to the incident, the Trinamool admitted the main accused had links to its youth wing but insisted that fact would not stop him from getting the strictest possible punishment.

“I will contest the assembly polls in Bihar. I will contest not just from Bihar but for Bihar and its people,” Chirag Paswan said.

“Yuva Bihari” Chirag Paswan, who got a Union cabinet berth after the last Lok Sabha election, announced at a public rally today that he would contest the coming assembly election in Bihar. 

“I will contest the assembly polls in Bihar. I will contest not just from Bihar but for Bihar and its people. I am the son of Ram Vilas Paswan. I will realise the dreams of my father and work for ‘Bihar first, Bihari first’ to change Bihar,” the Lok Janshakti Party leader said.

“It is for the people of Bihar to decide from which seat in the state I should contest the assembly elections. Whenever I take a political decision, I take it for the sake of the state and its people,” he added.

The 42-year-old, who was said to have been used by the BJP in the last state election to relegate Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party to the second position, also touched an emotional chord, saying now that he has lost his father, the people of Bihar are his only family.

“My alliance is only with the people of Bihar, I will contest on all 243 seats to make the NDA stronger. I will live and die for Bihar and for the people of the state… for the pride of the state,” he said.

Mr Paswan, however, said his plans to contest the elections from an unreserved constituency should not be construed as his chief ministerial ambitions.

“Let me make one thing very clear. My contest will only ensure a better strike rate for my party, which would help the NDA,” he said.

Chirag Paswan had contested against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United in the 2020 assembly polls. This cut down Mr Kumar’s dominant position in the alliance and allowed the BJP to play big brother.

the JD(U) had bitterly blamed the BJP and it created bad blood between Mr Kumar and Paswan Junior. 

In 2021, came the split in the LJP amid a battle between Mr Paswan and his rebel uncle Pashupati Paras over the legacy of Ram Vilas Paswan.

Many held it was orchestrated by Mr Kumar with the help of the BJP, which had backed the rebel and even gave him a cabinet berth.  

But during seat sharing for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP made its change of stance clear, cutting a deal with the Chirag Paswan faction of the LJP.

The party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha said other leaders lack either vision or acceptability but steered clear of commenting on the leadership of JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) asserted on Tuesday that its president and Union minister Chirag Paswan is ready to shoulder a bigger responsibility in poll-bound Bihar, claiming that the state needs a big leap and requires an energetic and fit leader with a long-term vision.

In comments that are bound to render the state’s political dynamics more fluid, Mr Paswan’s close aide and Lok Sabha MP Arun Bharti told PTI the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) should sit together and take a decision as the Union minister is a rare leader from the state with vision and acceptability across all castes and communities.

The party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha said other leaders lack either vision or acceptability but steered clear of commenting on the leadership of JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Arun Bharti, Mr Paswan’s brother-in-law, said Bihar has done a “fabulous job” under Mr Kumar but suggested that its development journey still compares unfavourably to other states.

He said, “Bihar is on the cusp of a paradigm shift. Whoever comes to power after the elections will drive and shape the state’s journey for the next 20-25 years. It is only possible for a leader with vision and acceptability. It is my party’s view that Mr Paswan is fit and capable and is ready to shoulder a bigger responsibility.” The MP, elected from the Jamui constituency vacated by Mr Paswan, who contested and won from Hajipur, pitched the Union minister’s popularity, saying he is a big draw across the state.

Wherever Mr Paswan goes, he garners no less than a crowd of 50,000 people, Mr Bharti claimed.

The LJP (Ram Vilas) is the third biggest constituent of the NDA, which includes the BJP and the JD(U), besides a couple of smaller parties.

While NDA constituents, including the BJP and Mr Paswan, have often said the alliance will contest the polls under Kumar’s leadership, questions have been swirling around the health of the state’s longest-serving chief minister, with opposition parties raising the issue.

Mr Paswan had recently said he wanted to be a part of Bihar politics.

With the assembly elections still around six months away, the LJP (Ram Vilas) appears to be seeking a bigger perch for its leader. The party’s ties with the JD(U) have been uneven, a friction that had prompted Mr Paswan to walk out of the NDA in Bihar during the 2020 elections.

He had focussed on the constituencies contested by the JD(U), inflicting a big dent in its overall tally, even though his own party could win only one seat.

The IB officer, posted in Hyderabad, was on a Leave Travel Concession (LTC) visit with his family.

An Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer from Hyderabad is among the tourists killed in the terror attack in Kashmir on Tuesday.

Manish Ranjan, a native of Bihar, was shot dead in front of his wife and children.

The IB officer, posted in Hyderabad, was on a Leave Travel Concession (LTC) visit with his family. Click here for Kashmir terror attack live updates

The family, along with many other tourists, was in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley, known as ‘Mini Switzerland’, when the terrorists attacked them.

Manish Ranjan was posted in the ministerial section of the IB’s Hyderabad office.

Meanwhile, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Strongly condemning the heinous act, CM Revanth Reddy said that such cowardly strikes cannot shake the spirit and resilience of the Indian people.

He urged the Union government to take the strictest action against the terrorist groups involved.

CM Revanth Reddy prayed for the souls of the ones who lost their lives to rest in peace and extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has also condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Deeply anguished by the terrorist attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. I condemn this senseless act of violence in the strongest terms. My heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” CM Naidu posted on X.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also condemned the terror attack.

“I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic terrorist attack that took place today at Baisaran, Pahalgam, Anantnag region of Jammu and Kashmir, often known as “Mini Switzerland”.”

“The deaths of 27 innocent tourists and the injuries of 20 others are extremely horrible. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish for the speedy recovery of those injured,” the Deputy CM said.

The Jana Sena leader said that despite continuous efforts by the Union government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to combat terrorism in all forms, such incidents remain a matter of grave concern.

He urged the Jammu and Kashmir government and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to ensure complete coordination with Central forces and take stringent measures to safeguard the lives of tourists and local citizens.

“Our Country and all its citizens will stand in full support of any decisive action taken by the Central government to eliminate terrorist threats and ensure national security,” he said.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao said he was deeply saddened and anguished by the tragic loss of lives in the horrific terrorist attack.

“My heartfelt condolences to the families of the tourists who lost their lives. I strongly condemn this cowardly act of violence and urge the Indian government to ensure justice for the victims’ families.”

Police officials said that the woman had come to perform at a wedding event in Shankarpur Diara along with her husband on tuesday evening

In a shocking incident, a female orchestra dancer from Vaishali district in Bihar was allegedly gang raped by three men in front of her husband near Sikandarpur Diyara, under Shahpur police station in Patna’s outskirts, an official said on Thursday.

Police officials said that the woman had come to perform at a wedding event in Shankarpur Diara along with her husband on Tuesday evening.

After the program concluded early on April 30, the couple, unfamiliar with the area, asked a bike rider for directions. The rider allegedly lured them onto a false path and called two associates.

“The three men forcibly took the couple to a maize field, held the husband hostage, and then gang raped the woman on gunpoint,” said Bhanu Pratap Singh, ASP of Danapur.

He said that the suspects fled after committing the crime, adding that the victim courageously reported the assault at Shahpur police station.

The official added that an FIR was registered under relevant sections of Bhartiya Nyay Sahita (BNS) Act, and arrested two accused – Manish Kumar and Manoj Kumar, both residents of Shankarpur.

He said that the third accused remains on the run, with raids ongoing to apprehend him, adding that the victim has undergone a medical examination at the Sub Divisional Hospital, Danapur, and her condition is reported to be stable.

ASP Danapur assured that the third accused will be arrested soon.

On April 28, a woman was gang-raped by three men near Sasamusa railway station under the Kuchaykot police station area of Gopalganj district.

The police said that the incident took place around 5 AM when the woman, who had been staying at her father’s house in Shyampur village to help with his medical treatment, was returning to Uttar Pradesh.

While she was waiting for her train at Sasamusa station, she went to a nearby hand pump to fetch water. It was there that three unidentified men allegedly approached and gagged her mouth. They took her near the railway station and gang-raped her. After committing the crime, they fled from the spot, leaving the victim at the crime scene.

The arrested fraudster was accused of providing the “question paper” of the exam to the aspirants in exchange for money

The police arrested a person from Bihar’s Araria district for his alleged involvement in duping medical aspirants ahead of the NEET-UG held on May four across the country.

The arrested fraudster was accused of providing the “question paper” of the exam to the aspirants in exchange for money, the police said on Monday.

The sleuths of the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) and Araria Police picked up the accused on May 3.

“Acting on a tip-off that a group of fraudsters were allegedly taking money from NEET aspirants, falsely promising them to provide question paper ahead of the exam, EOU alerted its cyber unit in Araria and the district police. A team was formed and SK Faiz was arrested for duping medical aspirants,” the EOU said in a statement.

Investigations also revealed that the accused defrauded students and got money transferred to his account from them, it said.

Further investigation is on, it added.

The Bhar police had warned aspirants and parents against phone calls made by cyber fraudsters luring them to provide question papers ahead of the NEET-UG exam.

The EOU last month arrested Sanjeev Kumar Singh alias Sanjeev Mukhiya, the alleged mastermind of the NEET (UG)-24 paper leak case from Patna. He was also wanted in connection with his alleged involvement in the paper leak case of the Bihar Public Service Commission Teacher Recruitment Exam (TRE-3) held in March 2024.

According to officials, Mukhiya’s gang is spread across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan and it was behind paper leaks in several recruitment exams in several states.

The political shift comes with serious allegations against senior Congress leader and six-time MP Tariq Anwar, further deepening the rift within the party and raising questions over Congress’s strength in the state.

Just days before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled visit to Bihar, a major political jolt has hit the party with 17 prominent leaders from Katihar district deserting the Congress and joining the BJP.

The political shift comes with serious allegations against senior Congress leader and six-time MP Tariq Anwar, further deepening the rift within the party and raising questions over Congress’s strength in the state.

The dramatic defection was led by Vikas Singh, president of the Congress-affiliated labour organisation INTUC, who accused Tariq Anwar of fostering an “anti-upper caste mentality” in both his actions and rhetoric.

“This is just the beginning. Hundreds and thousands of workers are ready to join the BJP in the coming days,” declared Mr Singh while joining the BJP in the presence of Bihar’s PHED Minister Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu at a function held in Patna.

According to Mr Singh, the decision of 17 influential upper-caste Congress leaders to switch sides stems from growing resentment against Mr Anwar’s alleged bias and attitude.

He alleged that Mr Anwar’s working style alienated a large section of upper-caste supporters-an influential voting bloc in Katihar, where caste dynamics often shape electoral outcomes.

The exodus of leaders and simmering caste resentment come at a time when Congress is already facing internal discontent within the INDIA Bloc.

Such developments could erode Tariq Anwar’s traditional support base and tarnish his image, especially ahead of assembly elections.

Katihar, long considered a Congress stronghold under Mr Anwar’s leadership, now appears to be politically vulnerable.

The upper caste community, which holds significant sway in the region, may now drift away from Congress-a potential electoral liability for the party if not addressed swiftly.

While Tariq Anwar has yet to respond publicly to the allegations, the episode has created a new challenge for his leadership. As a senior figure and national face of the party from Bihar, his credibility and mass appeal are under scrutiny.

The development comes ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, with political realignments gaining pace.

The merger of former Union Minister RCP Singh’s party with Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has stirred the political pot in Bihar, with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav claiming a hidden agenda behind the move.

The development comes ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, with political realignments gaining pace.

RCP Singh, a former close aide of CM Nitish Kumar and ex-National President of Janata Dal (United), had floated his party after parting ways with JD(U).

However, on Sunday, he merged his party with Jan Suraaj, founded by political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor.

Reacting to this new alliance, Tejashwi didn’t take names but dropped strong hints that the BJP could be “orchestrating” the development behind the scenes.

“Both of them were in JD(U), one a national vice president, the other a national president. Who is getting all this done and how it is happening, people of Bihar know everything,” Tejashwi said while interacting with the media persons in Patna.

Tejashwi added, “If two rebels of JD(U) have come together, then everyone understands whose game this is. We don’t need to say much. People are watching everything.”

Mr Kishor and Mr Singh alleged that contractors have “hijacked” the JD(U).

Mr Kishor called on JD(U) workers to desert the “sinking ship”, claiming that it was being run by “five contractors” rather than seasoned politicians.

The Jan Suraaj Party founder alleged that contractors with no political background make key decisions in the JD(U) and the state government.

“Nitish Kumar neither runs the party nor the government. Ask the five people running JD(U) to name even a district president of their party – they won’t be able to answer,” he claimed.

Tejashwi Yadav also took a jab at CM Nitish over his recent remark that there was nothing in Bihar before 2005.

In response, Tejashwi said, “2005 has frozen in Nitish Kumar’s mind. Before that, the voices of the people were heard, and bureaucracy didn’t dominate. Retired chief ministers and officers didn’t run Bihar.”

He added that international agencies like the United Nations had praised the work done in Bihar before 2005.

Jasprit Bumrah is set to be left out of the India playing XI for the second Test due to workload management.

Jasprit Bumrah’s possible absence from next week’s second Test against England in Birmingham will rob India’s bowling unit of control, not an ideal element to miss when the visitors are trying to go level at a ground where they have never won a red-ball match. The passage between overs 65 and 82 of the first Test at Leeds, which England won by five wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, will offer further validation to that grim fact. England were 286 for four when India’s pace talisman ended that spell with overall figures of 19-3-57-0, and he was not summoned for another over.

Perhaps, skipper Shubman Gill wanted to preserve him for the second new ball which was due in 15 overs and it also aligned with India’s workload management plan for their premier pacer.

England were still 85 runs away from a win and some tight overs, probably dotted with a couple of wickets, would have set the stage perfectly for Bumrah’s return in the 80th over.

But by the time that mark arrived, England were 349 for five, rattling up 63 runs in 15 overs, in excess of four runs an over, and a mere 22 runs separating them from an incredible victory.

It was beyond even Bumrah to salvage the situation. Now, India might just have to make peace with the reality of not having the 31-year-old in their ranks at Edgbaston.

Mohammed Siraj was distinctly unlucky in the second innings not to have a wicket despite hitting better lines, but his effort in the first essay left a lot to be desired when he eased the pressure Bumrah built from the other end while giving away plenty of boundary balls.

Siraj has considerable Test experience to find some quick remedy, but Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur — India’s third and fourth pacers — only have a combined experience of 16 Tests.

They went over 6 and 5 runs per over across the first Test, and it reduced the impact of the wickets they took.

Prasidh, who had a five-wicket match haul at Headingley, was quite disappointing as he followed the hard lengths strategy that he adopted in Australia but England demanded much fuller lengths from him, and he could deliver the, only in periods.

Can he challenge England batters more meaningfully in Birmingham? Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh believes Prasidh can produce a heftier effort provided he makes some minor tweaks to his approach.

“Prasidh has always been a wicket-taker, but he needs to bowl with some consistency, and needs to focus on the areas he bowls. It will help him bowl more maidens especially when the ball gets older. He can’t bowl on both sides of the wickets,” Ganesh told PTI.

“In England, the ball swings around a bit because of the conditions. He just needs to watch Bumrah on how to bowl consistent lines, lengths. He just needs to concentrate more on the channel outside (off-stump), and he will be better,” he added.

There is a growing clamour to bring Kuldeep Yadav in place of Shardul Thakur for the second Test, but the left-arm wrist spinner has just played one traditional format match in England.

Even in the last Test he played against New Zealand at Bengaluru in 2024, the 30-year-old had spells of 18.3-1-99-3 (Economy: 5.3) and 3-0-26-0 (Economy: 8.6), failing to make much impression in blustery conditions, not very unlike England.

In contrast, Ravindra Jadeja produced figures of 20-1-72-3 (3.6) and 7.4-1-28-0 (3.6) against the Kiwis, and if the left-arm spinner can rediscover that stifling length then Ben Duckett or Ben Stokes might just find it tough to play those unsettling reverse sweeps.

Ganesh feels that replacing Thakur, if that is indeed the plan, with Washington Sundar rather than Kuldeep would make more sense.

“Washington can also take the ball away from left-handers, and of course, he is a much better batsman too and can be slotted in various positions. He has that flexibility,” he noted.

It’s evident that this Indian attack, even without Bumrah, has oodles of quality in it, but can they refocus on their lengths? 

Mr Kishor wanted to launch his party’s signature campaign demanding answers on “unfulfilled” government promises from the ancestral village of the CM.

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor was on Sunday stopped by the administration from entering Kalyan Bigha, the ancestral village of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, where he wanted to interact with locals during his visit to Nalanda district.

Mr Kishor, who wanted to launch his party’s signature campaign demanding answers on “unfulfilled” government promises from the ancestral village of the CM, was stopped by the district administration and security personnel from entering the village. Mr Kishor and his party workers wanted a face-to-face interaction with the residents of Kalyan Bigha.

Officials maintained that the Jan Suraaj Party did not seek prior permission to hold such a gathering at Kalyan Bigha.

“The Jan Suraaj Party had sought permission to hold a public meeting in Bihar Sharif (district headquarters of Nalanda) on May 18…the district administration had given them permission. The party had not sought permission for holding such an event at Kalyan Bigha…that was the reason they were not allowed to enter the village,” Nalanda District Magistrate, Shashank Shubhankar, told PTI.

“Holding public meetings at a particular place requires a lot of preparations by the district administration, including police. That is the reason prior permission is mandatory for such gatherings. Since they had been given permission to hold the public meeting on May 18 in Bihar Sharif only,… They were asked to go to the place in Bihar Sharif for which the permission had been granted,” said the DM.

Interacting with media persons, where he was stopped, Mr Kishor said he wanted to interact with locals but was stopped.

“I wanted to interact with locals to see the situation in Kalyan Bigha, the ancestral village of the CM. But I am not being allowed. This is the government of Nitish Kumar. Earlier, they stopped Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from holding an interaction programme with students in Darbhanga. Now, they are doing it with me.”

In a verbal exchange with officials of the district administration, Mr Kishor was heard saying, “Will you stop me from entering the village ? Do I need permission to visit the village ? I want you to give it in writing, and then I will return. We are law-abiding people…”

The SDM was heard saying, “You need permission as there might be a law-and-order situation. People have filed a complaint.”

Later, Prashant Kishor went to Bihar Sharif and addressed the gathering and also launched the signature campaign. The party launched a signature campaign demanding answers on “unfulfilled” government promises.

The signature campaign will focus on three points – what happened to the Nitish government’s promise of giving Rs 2 lakh each to the 94 lakh poor families, 3 decimal of land to the Mahadalit families and corruption in the ongoing land survey.

Earlier, Mr Kishor had said that a Jan Suraaj Party delegation would collect signatures from one crore people across 40,000 villages in the state till July 11.

The signatures would then be submitted to the governor and the CM if the government “failed” to disclose within a month the status of delivering Rs 2 lakh to each of the 94 lakh poor families identified in the caste survey and of providing land to the landless.