MLA Shaukat Molla’s Convoy Involved in Fatal Accident Near Science City
A tragic road accident involving the convoy of Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Shaukat Molla claimed the life of a young motorcyclist on Tuesday. The accident occurred near Bamanghata, close to Science City, when one of the convoy’s vehicles collided head-on with a motorcycle. According to police sources, the deceased has been identified as Mohammad Tajuddin. He was rushed to the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata in critical condition soon after the accident but later succumbed to his injuries in the afternoon. The incident took place when Shaukat Molla, MLA from Canning East and TMC’s observer for Bhangar, was travelling from Jibantala in South 24 Parganas to Kolkata. Around mid-morning, his convoy encountered the mishap as it was passing through Bamanghata along the Basanti Highway. Eyewitnesses said that the pilot car of the convoy was leading Molla’s vehicle when a motorcycle suddenly came into its path. Unable to control the situation, the police pilot car rammed into the two-wheeler. The impact was so severe that the bike was completely mangled, while the front portion of the pilot car was also badly damaged. Tajuddin, who was riding the motorcycle, sustained multiple serious injuries. Simultaneously, the driver of the pilot car was also injured in the crash. While the driver was immediately taken to the Bhangar Nalmuri hospital for treatment, Tajuddin’s condition was deemed critical, prompting his transfer to SSKM Hospital’s trauma care unit. Despite best efforts by doctors, his injuries proved fatal. Local sources confirmed that the accident caused panic in the area for a brief period, with passersby rushing to assist before emergency services arrived. The police quickly cleared the highway to prevent traffic congestion, as the accident site lies on a busy corridor connecting Kolkata with South 24 Parganas. Preliminary investigation suggests that the motorcycle suddenly swerved into the lane of the pilot car, leaving little time for the police driver to react. However, the exact sequence of events is still under review. Officials from the Leather Complex police station, under whose jurisdiction the accident site falls, have started an investigation to ascertain responsibility. Meanwhile, MLA Shaukat Molla was unharmed as the accident occurred in the vehicle immediately ahead of his. He was travelling in the second car of the convoy. Party sources said he expressed deep grief over the young motorcyclist’s death and extended condolences to the bereaved family. The incident has once again raised concerns about road safety and convoy movements on congested urban highways, where sudden turns and unpredictable traffic often increase the risks of accidents.
India’s premier Institute BIT Mesra signs MoU with alumnus Madan Mohan Mohanka to set up innovation, entrepreneurship centre
India’s one of the premier Institute Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra on Tuesday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Madan Mohan Mohanka, chairman of Tega Industries and a distinguished alumnus, to establish an innovation and entrepreneurship centre at its Ranchi campus. Mohanka, a 1964 graduate of the institute, has pledged 5 crore rupees ($600,000) towards setting up the Madan Mohan Mohanka Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The centre will serve as an incubation hub for startups and aims to promote research, innovation and entrepreneurial ventures among students, faculty and young people in Jharkhand, the institute said in a statement. The MoU was signed in the presence of C.K. Birla, chairman of the C.K. Birla Group, and several BIT Mesra alumni including Vijay Burman, Prem Anup Sinha, Anjana Dikshit and Soma Bannerjee. Vice Chancellor Prof. Indranil Manna and Dean of Alumni and International Relations Prof. Shradha Shivani represented the institute. “With this centre, my vision is to inspire students to dream big and develop solutions that address critical challenges of our time,” Mohanka said. BIT Mesra said the facility will provide state-of-the-art infrastructure and mentorship to entrepreneurs, with support from institutions including State Bank of India, whose deputy managing director and alumnus Prem Anup Sinha said the bank’s Startup Banking service would assist the centre. Founded in 1955, BIT Mesra is one of India’s leading technical institutes, with a 780-acre campus in Ranchi and centres in India and overseas. It was among the first in the country to set up a department of space engineering and rocketry in 1964 and an on-campus entrepreneurs’ park.
KCR suspends K Kavitha Over “Anti-party Activities
Telangana lawmaker K Kavitha was suspended from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Tuesday. The party, led by her father and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. The action came after she publicly blamed senior BRS leader and cousin T Harish Rao for the federal investigation against KCR. The party cited the behaviour as “anti-party activities.” The BRS later stated, “The party leadership is taking this matter seriously as the recent behaviour and ongoing anti-party activities of party MLC K Kavitha are damaging the BRS party. Party president K Chandrasekhar Rao has taken a decision to suspend K. Kavitha from the party with immediate effect,”. The suspension of MLC came just hours after she publicly shamed and levelled sharp accusations against her cousins, former irrigation minister T Harish Rao and former MP J Santosh Rao on Monday. She alleged that the MPs had accumulated a vast wealth from the alleged Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project while pinning the blame to her father. Kavitha further raised questions on the existence of the BRS party itself as the party president was one of the accused in the case over alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project, which is now under the Central Bureau of Investigation. She further infuriated the controversy questioning, “When KCR is forced to face a CBI inquiry, does it even matter whether the BRS survives or not?” The MLC further went on directly pointing at Harish Rao and Santosh for any irregularities in the construction of the Kaleshwaram irrigation project. “It was Harish Rao and Santosh Rao who handled key aspects of the project. They accumulated huge assets blinding KCR. They are the anacondas of corruption,” she went on. Kavitha was under pressure from within the party after her arrest by the CBI in connection with the Delhi liquor policy scam. The lawmaker had to serve a 6 months period in jail from March 16 to August 24, 2024. After putting a hold on her public ordeal for four months she actively returned to politics by independently championing the cause of OBCs, a move that has irked the party leadership.
Landslide in Sudan’s Darfur kills 1,000, rebel group says
A landslide triggered by heavy rains in Sudan’s western Darfur region has destroyed an entire village, killing around 1,000 people, a rebel group said on Monday. The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) said the disaster struck on Aug. 31 in the Tarasin area of the Marra Mountains after days of torrential rainfall. Only one villager was pulled out alive from the rubble, the group added. The SLM appealed to the United Nations and international humanitarian agencies to help recover bodies buried under the debris. Sudan has been gripped by civil war since April 2023, when the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, turned their power struggle into open conflict. Both sides have been accused of atrocities, including killings, rape and looting. The war has killed more than 20,000 people nationwide, according to estimates, with Darfur among the hardest-hit regions. Thousands of civilians displaced by the fighting had sought refuge in the Marra Mountains, where they were caught by the landslide. Darfur’s army-backed governor, Minni Minnawi, described the disaster as a “humanitarian catastrophe.” But rescue efforts have been hampered by the ongoing fighting, leaving survivors with little assistance.
