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IVRCL dubs flyover collapse as an ‘accident’

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kolkata-flyover

Hyderabad: The city-based IVRCL which was constructing the flyover in Kolkata, a portion of which collapsed yesterday killing 24 people, today described the incident as an “accident”, a day after another official of the company had dubbed it as an “act of God”.

“An act of God was just an expression only to describe that it is under no one’s control”, P Sita, the construction company’s legal team head, told reporters here.

K Panduranga Rao, Group Head (HR & Admin) of the Hyderabad-based company had told reporters yesterday, “it’s nothing but a God’s act. So far in 27 years we have constructed several number of bridges…such thing (collapse) never happened”.

“We are surprised and extremely shocked. We are there to cooperate with investigation, but investigation takes time”, Sita said.

Showing a photograph in a newspaper, she said that it looked like a site of bomb blast. There were various aspects which would be looked into.

Stating that same construction materials were used in building the ongoing flyover, she asked, “why did this happen? We are anxious to know the reasons”.

Regarding the delay, another official of the company said, “78 per cent work of the flyover is over. A number of clearances have not yet come”.

Meanwhile, a four-member police team from West Bengal today arrived in the city as part of its probe to question officials of IVRCL after the flyover it was constructing collapsed in Kolkata.

“They have come and are doing investigation,” a top police official of Hyderabad Police told PTI.

Kolkata Police had yesterday registered a case against the construction firm under sections 304, 308 and 407 of the IPC and sealed the local office of company engaged in the flyover’s construction.

(Agencies)

Eight persons killed, several trapped in Kolkata flyover collapse

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kolkata-flyover

Kolkata: At least eight persons were killed when a portion of an under-construction flyover collapsed today in busy north Kolkata, leaving scores of others trapped under the debris.

Police sources said that eight persons were killed in the incident, while several others were injured. The death toll could go up, they said.

Several injured persons were rescued from under the debris and were being sent to different hospitals in the vicinity.

“Two persons were brought dead and two others were in serious condition,” Kolkata Medical College and Hospital superintendent Sikha Banerjee said.

“More injured persons are still being brought in to the hospital,” Banerjee said.

Cutting short her visit to West Midnapore district, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was campaigning there, rushed back to the city and visited the site and directed the authorities to speed up the relief and rescue operations carried out by police, fire brigade and disaster management personnel.

Several passenger vehicles, including a bus, were trapped under the debris, as operations were on to clear the rubble and bring out those trapped under.

Huge cranes and other rescue vehicles were pressed into service to clear the debris and bring out the injured.

A PTI correspondent who was at the accident site, saw a number of severely injured persons lying in a pool of blood.

At least a few persons were seen trapped under vehicles, concrete and heavy steel girders.

The incident took place at around noon at the busy Rabindra Sarani-K K Tagore Street crossing near Burrabazar, the trading hub and one of the most congested areas in the city.

A number of hawkers operate under the flyover which is also used for parking several vehicles.

NDRF personnel were also rushed to the site to to assist in the rescue operations.

(PTI)

Park Street rape survivor dies of encephalitis

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RAPE

Kolkata: The Park Street woman who survived rape inside a moving car in Kolkata three years ago died on Friday due to multiple organ failure after she was diagnosed with encephalitis, her counsel said.

“She was hospitalised a few days back where she was diagnosed with encephalitis. She suffered multiple organ failure and died today (Friday) morning,” her counsel A. Guha Thakurta said.

Coming out of a night club in Park Street, the mother of two was allegedly raped at gun point inside a moving car in February 2012 and later thrown out.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had courted controversy after she dubbed the incident as “fabricated”.

However, police subsequently cracked the case arresting those involved, although the prime accused continues to be missing and untraced yet.

She revealed her identity in 2013 and marched on streets of Kolkata to protest a series of rapes and murders in the state.

(IANS)

Reflections on the Jadavpur protests

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Jadavpur Protest

– by Saurobijay Sarkar, Sanhati

Unprecedented is too mild an epithet to describe the Saturday rally by Kolkata students. The number is most conservatively [by the police] 80,000 and by watchers 1,10,000 and more because no one can count the real number as the end of the rally could not even come out of Nandan complex when the starting was getting fully drenched at the end point in Mayo Road where it was blocked. The torrential rain catapulted the spirit of the rally to dizzy heights. Every single participant shouted slogans – the most popular one was the one that went viral throughout India – “hok hok hok kolorob” – some say it is the direct poetic translation of “Halla bol”!

Students surged up and above- all without any specific banner and yet filled up with all RED slogans, Inquilab Zindabad, Lal salaam, Comrade , jab lal lal lal laharayega, hosh thikana mil jaiga”, were some snippets and variations of Hok Kolorob!

Why did the students of Kolkata flare up? A girl student were forcibly abducted in one of the boys hostel and molested by 10 odd students. After rescue every door of the authority was knocked and they were pushed back turned around. The VC appointed an enquiry committee, two women representatives of which actually intimidated the victim and her parents! Students had it enough, they besieged the VC. At around 2’0 clock in the night, VC called the police and they ran amok with the students. Every present girl student was molested. The male students were so brutally smashed that led 20 of them injured, two of them still languishing in the local hospital. 37 arrested including one girl.

This was the cause of flaring. First it was the Jadavpur students who rallied on the first day with 5000, on the second day 10,000 and on the final day that is on 20th crossed lakhs. They came from every college and institution possible. Those who never ever thought to join politics, walked along completely drenched with slogans and songs. The authorities [government, police and VC et al] spread all kinds of rumours, invectives, threats and dis-information! All these were washed out in that torrential rain. Students demand – resignation of VC, Pro-VC and Register and clean apology from the Commissioner or Police and the education minister! The movement will go on till they clinch victory. University has a grinding halt! – This is the anatomy of the movement!

Students of all hues came and joined. Came in the alumni, came in “outsiders” , came in students from all institutions, those who are not students walked along too! All under the leadership of the students, not one single untoward incident, not one vituperative remark to the guarding police personnel, with a wonderful management Kolkata was Occupied! The map was redrawn with the isobaric line of Kolkata joining Dhaka, Tahrir Square, Greece, Europe and Washington, Berkeley, New York- the “occupy map” has now one more entry and the contour is redrawn!

One incident- flared the entire India up! Students of IIM, IITs, IISc, JNU, DU who have bagged confirmed very high pay packet risked to walk along! Walked along those students who did not feel insecure and inferior for their non-elite mark of their institutions! Every one joined, shared and every one of them was a leader! They brought in their parents; they broke the steel-still barricade of their home-prohibitions. They found their AZADI in the rally-“Chin ke lenge AZADI” resounded the corridors of Kolkata! Kolkata was born again!

The author is a Jadavpur University alumnus.

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