The Telegraph - Calcutta

The City Diary

lDoctors and nurses of the Calcutta Heart Clinic, a cardiaccare hospital at Salt Lake, were allegedly beaten up by policemen when they protested against the latter’s decision to remove meshing from a well that had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Three doctors and three nurses were arrested by Bidhannagar (south) police officials and three hospital staff, including a woman, had to be admitted to the same hospital after the clash. The hospital was involved in a legal dispute, police said.

MosBusters for north

The Calcutta Municipal Corporation will instal MosBusters, machines to destroy mosquitoes, at Girish Park and Singhi Park, in north Calcutta. Each machine will cost Rs 1.96 lakh. According to municipal commissioner Debasis Som, the machine will emit carbon dioxide, heat and moisture to attract mosquitoes and sandflies. Each machine will cover an area of 8,000 square metres.

Cop arrested

A constable was suspended for misbehaving with patients of a hospital in a drunken state at Barrackpore on Monday. Police said the constable was guarding a prisoner admitted to the hospital. He started to misbehave with patients and nurses. But no one dared to stop him as he was carrying a rifle. The hospital authorities informed the police and a team came to arrest the constable.

Held for gold theft

Ali Hossain, a goldsmith from Barasat, was arrested for stealing gold coins worth about Rs 2.5 lakh from a jewellery shop on Karaya Road. On Sunday night, when the owner was closing the shop, he found 50 gold coins missing from his iron chest. He suspected Ali as he had left the shop earlier than usual. He contacted the Karaya police station. Soon a police team went to Ali’s house in Barasat and recovered the gold coins.

Bus fare complaint

Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty said at Writers’ Buildings on Monday that many private bus operators were not following the new fare schedule of Rs 2 for the first two kilometres in Calcutta. “We have received many complaints,” he said. Discrepancies in the new fare charts brought out by various taxi organisations have also been brought to his notice, he added.

HC acquits mayor

Justice P. Roy of Calcutta High Court on Monday released mayor Subrata Mukherjee from contempt proceedings. Mukherjee had allegedly not obeyed a court directive to pay the pension of a retired civic employee. The ex-employee had filed a case after the mayor directed that his pension be stopped. The court had directed the CMC to pay the pension. As the order was not carried out, Justice Roy asked the mayor to attend court. Accordingly, the mayor presented himself there. His lawyer, Alok Ghosh, told the court that the petitioner, even after his retirement, had demanded a bribe from a person posing as an employee of the assessment section. Hence the action against him

Two injured

Two persons were injured in separate incidents in the city on Monday. Police said a 58-year-old constable, Subir Khan, was badly injured when he was hit by an unknown vehicle on bridge number 4 in the Park Circus area. He was admitted to National Medical College and Hospital. Police said the accident happened while a taxi-checking drive was being conducted. In another incident, Atmaram Kedia, 65, was injured when he was hit by a vehicle on Jamunalal Bajaj Street. He was admitted to Bisuddhananda Hospital.

Thumbs Up

O rahul purakayashtha for winning Birendra Award 2002 for his collection of poems, Amar Samajik Bhumika