Mr. Urgen Lama, one of the advocates appearing for the petitioners has informed us that the next date of hearing is fixed on September 13, 2023 in the Principal Bench in Kolkata. The above petitions which also include prayers for cancellation of all illegal appointments and an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation are all being heard analogously by the Hon’ble Court.
Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay has today ordered the demolition of a property situated below CST School in 11-mile Kalimpong by midnight tonight (14th of Aug, 2023).
The case concerns a three storied building constructed by one Mohammad Saifulla, son of Sheikh Jahiruddin of Topkhana, 11 Mile, Ward No. 7, Kalimpong. This construction was challenged by Sh. Bir Bahadur Blon, a retuired school teacher, who claimed that the construction was done on his ancestral land.
The event was part of the national research project entitled ‘Spring Rejuvenation for Water Security in Himalaya’ funded under National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS), Government of India being implemented across selected aspirational districts of Himalayan states in the country. The project aims to develop a model ‘water sanctuary’ around a selected spring and undertakes many activities focussing on the rejuvenation of depleting water resource and its optimum management.
The Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench of Partha Sarathi Sen and Arijit Banerjee has finaly given bail to the nine youths Suraj Pradhan, Shyam Kami, Deoraj Lepcha, Mahindra Kami, Firoj Thapa, Ashbin Gurung, Dawa Sherpa @ Dawa Tempa Sherpa, Nabin Rai and Paras Mangar in a case filed in Darjeeling Sadar Police Station Case No. 214 of 2017 (relating to Amitava Malik case). Thanks to the two lawyers Pratap Khati and Vandana Rai who finally filed the bail petition on their behalf.
Calcutta High Court is currently hearing 17 writ petitions filed by volunteer teachers of different secondary and higher secondary schools from Kalimpong district in 2022, challenging their non-consideration for regularization. The petition alleging illegal appointments to hundreds of teachers by the GTA and other related issues commenced on March 23, 2023 in the Principal Bench of the Calcutta High Court in Kolkata.
A very shocking incident came to light recently with multiple employees of eKart (Delivery wing of Flipkart) in Mirik, Darjeeling finding that unbeknownst to them, huge amount of loans had been taken out in their name. What’s astounding is that they became victims of data leak, identity theft and fraud, not by any fraudulent “phone-scam” or “Nigerian Prince” type scam. The data, it turns out was used by their employer eKart to take out loan without informing the victims. We are fearful that what happened in Mirik is just the tip of the iceberg, and there is every possibility that the company’s extent of financial misappropriation, if it can be called that, or straight out financial fraud, may in fact be far wider. Involvement of App-based loan companies KarmaLife and InnoFin in this whole murky business exposes the dirty underbelly of FinTech start-ups, that may be duping thousands of victims, without their knowledge even.
A three-week long Ghoom festival showcasing local art, culture and cuisine along with joyrides of the heritage toy train will be held at the picturesque town near Darjeeling by Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) of the Northeast Frontier Railway, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Darjeeling district is one of the aspirational districts selected for the purpose and Dr Vimal Khawas heads the Darjeeling chapter of the project . The project aims to develop a model ‘water sanctuary’ around a selected spring and undertakes many activities focussing on the rejuvenation of depleting water resource and its optimum management.
A minor was repeatedly raped, allegedly by her own father, in a village under the Mirik sub-division. The inhumane case has come to light only after the child was found to be impregnated.
From multiple sources, we have come to know that the father had allegedly raped his own minor daughter multiple times.
The report takes note that “the tea garden workers in Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars do not have land or ‘Parja-Patta’ (land rights) on their ancestral tea growing lands. To dwell on their ancestral homes, they must send at least one family members to work for the tea company. On failure to send a family member for work, they lose their rights to live on their ancestral lands. Since the land rights are vested with tea company, there have been instances when the aged workers having no children were denied the right to even repair their houses on their ancestral lands.”