Kidnap arrest

Krishnanagar, May 8: A homemaker was arrested in Nadia last night for kidnapping a schoolgirl after promising her a career in modelling in Mumbai.

Police are also looking for Mukti Sarkar’s husband, Rajsekhar, alias Gobinda, who works at a store in the Maharashtra capital.

The arrest comes a couple of days after US secretary of state Hillary Clinton attended a programme in Calcutta on human trafficking. She also met heads of nine NGOs to discuss the problems women and girls face in India.

Debt suicide

Burdwan: A debt-ridden farmer committed suicide in Burdwan on Monday. Dalim Pal, 45, consumed pesticide after most of his crop on 10 bighas was destroyed in several hailstorms through April, his elder brother Swapan said. Dalim had also taken a loan of Rs 60,000.

Railway line

Calcutta: The railway line between Talpur and Arambagh in Hooghly would be commissioned before the Pujas, officials have said. G. C. Agarwal, the general manager of Eastern Railway, on Tuesday conducted an inspection for the 20km stretch, which is part of the Tarakeswar-Bishnupur project.

Rape cuffs

Chinsurah: Three youths were arrested in Hooghly district on Monday night on charges of raping a 30-year-old woman on May 4.

Fish project

Durgapur: The fisheries department has sought 78 abandoned open-cast coal mines from Eastern Coalfields Limited in Asansol and Durgapur for pisciculture.

22 fall ill

Malda : At least 22 people fell ill after consuming curd in Malda’s Kaliachak on Tuesday. Police said 12 persons had been admitted to the Malda Medical College and Hospital while the rest were undergoing treatment at the Kaliachak rural hospital.