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Indian Express
7 days ago
- Indian Express
Guest houses to complexes: Kolkata's accommodation under scrutiny after arrest of Chandan Mishra's accused killers
The recent arrest of five individuals — including a woman — in connection with the murder of Patna-based gangster Chandan Mishra has cast a spotlight on the security protocol and verification processes of rental accommodations in and around Kolkata. The incident has not only led to a case being filed against a guest house in Anandapur but has also brought renewed attention to the Shukhobrishti housing complex in New Town, which previously faced a case in 2021. On Saturday night, a large police team raided a guest house in Madurdaha, Anandapur, which is a short distance from the Anandapur police station, and arrested the accused in the case. 'There was definitely a violation regarding document verification on the part of the guest house. The documents of three of them were not verified,' said a senior STF official. A case has been filed against the guest house under Section 223(B) of the BNS for disobeying government directives. This contradicts what the guest house owner told mediapersons: that all guests had shown valid identity documents before being allotted rooms. Beyond the guest house, the arrests have once again drawn attention to Shukhobrishti, a massive 150-acre housing project in New Town with more than 20,000 apartments and nearly 350 towers, often referred to as a township in itself. Police had questioned five residents from two separate flats in Shukhobrishti on July 19 in connection with the July 17 Patna murder. This is the second time the complex has come under the scanner. On June 9, 2021, two wanted Punjab gangsters — Jaipal Bhullar and Jaspreet Singh alias Jassi Kharar — were gunned down in a police shootout inside Flat 201 of Block 153 during a raid. Despite assurances from Bidhannagar Police and the introduction of a police clearance certificate system for tenants, enforcement remains inconsistent. Local police sources say criminals continue to 'exploit loopholes' in the rental system, particularly subletting. 'It's a huge complex with so many people staying inside. The real problem is that most of the occupants aren't owners — they are tenants, often from Bihar and UP,' said a senior officer from the West Bengal Special Task Force. 'You can check the background of the tenant who signs the lease, but not necessarily of the friends and acquaintances who come and stay. For instance, Ehsan, who was staying in Shukhobrishti, had no criminal background. But he was contacted by Sahil from Patna to receive Tausheef (the main accused in the murder of Chandan Misra) and others.' The size of the complex, along with absent landlords and weak surveillance, further complicates monitoring. While a 'massive drive' was conducted four years ago to verify tenants, authorities admit that '100 percent verification is not possible' and say that residents and landlords must also take more responsibility. Recently, the Bidhannagar Police had issued show-cause notices to 94 landlords for renting properties without conducting required background checks on tenants. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
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Business Standard
19-07-2025
- Business Standard
Five held near Kolkata in Patna hospital murder case; prime accused escapes
At least five people have been arrested from New Town near Kolkata in connection with the murder of gangster Chandan Mishra in a Patna hospital, police said on Saturday. However, the prime suspects, who were allegedly hiding in the city managed to flee, prompting police to launch a renewed search operation, a senior officer claimed. The five arrested, who were apprehended from a housing complex in the satellite township of the metropolis following raids conducted jointly by the Bihar Police and the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) in the early hours of Saturday, were "providing logistics" to the five main accused who killed Mishra, an officer said. According to CCTV camera footage, the prime suspects escaped the city in a white vehicle, which was spotted passing through Basanti Highway near here, the officer said. The vehicle was later seen moving through the jurisdictions of three police stations - Anandapur, Kolkata Leather Complex, and Bhangar, he added. Police have begun questioning the five arrested accused, who were living in two separate flats in the housing complex in New Town area, the officer said, adding that their mobile phones and other documents have been seized. During Saturday's raid conducted around 5.38 am, one person was arrested from a place outside the housing complex, and after questioning him, four others were held from inside two flats, he said. "These people supposedly helped the criminals in hiding and also in their transportation. We are checking their call lists, their WhatsApp messenger chats in connection with our probe into the matter," the officer said. Mishra, a resident of Buxar district of Bihar, was shot dead by gunmen inside a private hospital in Patna on Thursday morning. He was a murder convict out on parole. "Their mobile phone tower location helped us track them. Bihar Police will produce them before a local court, seeking transit remand," he said. A purported CCTV footage of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed five armed men entering the ICU of the hospital and opening fire at Mishra. Mishra was lodged at Beur Jail and had gone to the hospital for treatment on parole, police said, adding that he was involved in 24 criminal cases, including over 12 murder cases. SP Patna (Central) Diksha had told PTI on Friday that a probe is underway as to how the criminals managed to reach the room where Mishra was admitted without any security check. "This raises serious questions over the security arrangements at the hospital. Five unmasked armed assailants reached the second floor, opened fire at Mishra, and fled the premises. Investigators are certainly looking into any complicity that may have led to the security lapse," she had said.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Time of India
STF gets first police station
1 2 3 Kolkata: Almost six years after the formation of this specialized unit and three years since plan was initiated by Bhawani Bhavan and sent to Nabanna, the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) finally has its own police station that has started functioning from Sunday, June 1, following necessary administrative notifications. "The STF's dedicated police station will streamline operations and enhance efficiency in combating organized crime across Bengal," said SP (operations) Indrajit Basu. The direct advantage, said STF sources, was evident from day one - the production of the accused from Murshidabad took place at - Bidhannagar Court - the designated STF court. "We will not longer be forced to produce the accused across different courts all over the state. This came across as a security and logistical nightmare, especially since the unit deals with terrorists," said a top STF official. "This development will expedite the interrogation process and subsequent investigations," said an officer coordinating operations in south Bengal. The specialized unit lodged its first FIR on Sunday, involving inter state illegal weapons manufacturing and an operation on Saturday evening, the STF conducted a raid at a hotel near New Farakka Bus Stand in Murshidabad, leading to the arrest of Satyajeet Ghosh, 42, hailing from Bihar's Bhagalpur district. Officers recovered four semi-automatic pistols of 7.65 caliber and four pistol magazines from his possession. The case, registered at the newly established STF WB Headquarters Police Station under the Arms Act, resulted in a 14-day police remand granted by the Bidhannagar Court. Investigators believe Ghosh is part of an interstate arms-smuggling network and was in Murshidabad to sell firearms to potential officials emphasized that the dedicated police station and designated court would significantly improve their operational capabilities.
Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Indian Express
Yaba tablets in dholak: Bengal STF seizes contraband worth Rs 20 lakh, 3 held
The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) achieved a significant breakthrough on Thursday, foiling a unique attempt to smuggle banned narcotics in the Chamta-Beparipara area under Tufanganj police station in Cooch Behar district. Acting on confidential information, the STF team from Siliguri intercepted a consignment of Yaba tablets, valued at approximately Rs 20 lakh, which had been ingeniously concealed inside a traditional drum or a dholak. Yaba is an illegal synthetic drug containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine. The operation, conducted on the afternoon of May 15, led to the arrest of three individuals identified as Jahirul Haque Akanda (32) of Tufanganj, Abu Bakkar Chhiddik Miya (50) of Sitai, and Babuuddin Miya (45) of Kotwali, all residents of the Cooch Behar district. When interrogated, the arrested individuals allegedly confessed to transporting a substantial quantity of Yaba tablets within the musical instrument. Subsequent search operations led to the seizure of 1.294 kg of the banned drug along with the drum. Sources within the STF said that the Yaba tablets had been smuggled into north Bengal from another state. A case has been registered at the Tufanganj police station under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Authorities are currently investigating the origin of the drugs and the extent of the smuggling network involved. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
Hans India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
West Bengal STF Apprehends Two JMB Terrorists In Birbhum District
The West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) has successfully detained two individuals linked to the banned terrorist organization Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) following coordinated operations in Birbhum district. The suspects, identified as Ajmol Hossain and Saheb Ali Khan, both 28, were apprehended in the areas of Nalhati and Murarai respectively. Authorities report that the suspects were actively disseminating JMB's extremist ideology and were implicated in anti-India conspiracies aimed at executing terrorist strikes within the country. According to official statements, Hossain and Khan belonged to a network engaged in distributing seditious and terrorist content through sophisticated encrypted channels. The group was also allegedly targeting specific individuals and locations to carry out activities threatening India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The investigation revealed that the two men were tasked with recruiting and radicalizing young Muslim men to join JMB's ranks and inciting them to participate in armed conflict against India. Security officials further disclosed that Hossain had previously attempted to flee to Bangladesh and maintained connections with anti-India elements across the subcontinent. The arrested individuals, in collaboration with other JMB operatives, reportedly sought to acquire firearms and develop explosive devices to advance their extremist agenda within Indian territory. This arrest follows previous law enforcement successes against JMB operatives. In December of last year, a Bangladeshi national named Jahidul Islam received a seven-year rigorous imprisonment sentence from a special NIA court for promoting terrorist activities in India on behalf of JMB. Earlier, another Bangladeshi citizen, Rabiul Islam, was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment by the Kolkata NIA court in a related terror conspiracy case, having been one of five individuals charged for active involvement in JMB's anti-India operations.
