A cyclist died after being hit by a vehicle on Taratala Road on Tuesday night. Mohammad Ahetesham, 19, a resident of Shahi Astabal, was declared dead at SSKM Hospital, police said. The identity of the offending vehicle is yet to be ascertained.

Demolition case

The deputy commissioner of police (port division), S.W. Reza, and officer-in-charge of Ekbalpore police station, Amanulah Khan, attended Calcutta High Court on Wednesday in response to an earlier order issued by the division bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar and Justice Arindam Mukherjee. The court had summoned the duo for allegedly flouting an order asking them to help the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) demolish a five-storey unauthorised building on Remount Road. The bench expressed dissatisfaction as the chief engineer of borough II and executive engineer of the CMC failed to attend the hearing. The court fixed the matter for hearing on March 20 and asked the deputy commissioner to ensure the presence of both engineers that day. In the order, the bench made it clear that whole building must be demolished. The bench also directed a former OC of Ekbalpore police station to attend court on March 20 because the building had allegedly come up during his tenure.

Biker injured in accident

A 44-year-old motorcyclist fractured his right elbow after the two-wheeler skidded near the Ultadanga bridge, close to the Hudco crossing, around 8.20pm on Tuesday. Police took Prakash Malo to ESI Hospital in Maniktala, from where he was shifted to a nursing home.

Garbage heap fire

A fire broke out in a heap of garbage on the first floor of a nine-storey building on Ezra Street on Wednesday morning. Three fire tenders doused the flames. No one was trapped or injured, police said.

Railway meet

The general manager of Eastern Railway, Suneet Sharma, met senior officials on Wednesday to take stock of railway preparedness to fight the coronavirus. Sharma stressed the need to keep away from rumours, said officials.

No church gatherings

The Catholic diocese of Baruipur has written to all priests that gatherings for Friday and Sunday Mass should be suspended until further notice.

People should be instructed to avoid public gatherings, the notice said. “People are advised to pray at home. Hence the gathering on Friday for Way of the Cross and Sunday Mass should be suspended until further notice is issued from our end,” said Shyamal Bose, co-adjutor, bishop of Baruipur.

Tolly team back from S Africa

Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee and director Srijit Mukherji are expected to return to Calcutta from South Africa, where they had been shooting, on Thursday morning.

The duo have wrapped up the shooting for the latest Kakababu film in South Africa.

Mukherji had left for South Africa on March 1, a day after his marriage reception in Calcutta, while Prosenjit joined him a few days later, sources said.

Grocery shop fire

A fire broke out in a grocery shop at Jadubabu market in Bhowanipore on Tuesday evening. Two tenders brought the fire under control within half an hour, police said. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. No one was injured, the police said.

Postal services DG

Arundhaty Ghosh, who had served as chief postmaster general, West Bengal circle, till November 2018, has been appointed the director general of postal services. The appointment was cleared by the President on Wednesday. She is currently the member (services) of the postal services board.

Found dead

A 72-year-old man was found dead at his home on Bagpota Road in Sarsuna on Tuesday night. Sunil Kumar Biswas was found unconscious and declared dead at hospital. The body has been sent for post-mortem. An unnatural death case has been started.

Fire kills child

A three-year-old girl was charred to death when a fire broke out at Ramharichar Part III sar in Assam’s Goalpara district around 11am on Wednesday. Six houses were gutted.

Sanowar Hussain, the father of deceased Samina Khatun, his father Sukumuddin, and another family member sustained injuries while trying to douse the fire.

The officer-in-charge of Boguan police station, Sofiqul Islam, who rushed to the spot, said, “The area does not fall under my police station but since Pancharatna river police station, under which it falls, is far away, I thought my team could help the family. However, everything perished before we reached the spot.”

“Prima facie, it seems the fire broke out from the kitchen of Hussain’s house which had a thatched roof. Due to wind, it spread so quickly that before one could do anything, six houses with thatched roofs were gutted,” Islam said.

Sources said fire tenders cannot reach the sar area.

Group files FIR against adviser

The All Assam Midday Meal Workers and Helpers’ Association on Wednesday lodged an FIR against its adviser, Trishna Nath, at Dispur police station here for allegedly misusing lakhs of rupees.

Association central executive member Sewali Sutradhar said, “I had handed over Rs 7 lakh to Nath and her husband, Dharma Kanta Gogoi, for organisational work and Rs 16 lakh to Nath to provide e-rickshaws and tractors to association members in May last year. She also received Rs 800 from each association member from across the state for organisational work. But the work has not been done till date.”

Association vice-president Khudeza Khatun said, “We removed Nath from the post of adviser in the association’s last general conference held in Nagaon on March 15 this year. Despite her removal, Nath has been illegally exercising her power as adviser to siphon off funds from different units, citing various reasons.”