The West Bengal Police on Wednesday announced the constitution of a nine-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the violence and riot-like situation in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district throughout almost the entire last week over protests against the Waqf Amendment Act becoming violent.

Also, the National Commission for Women (NCW), on Wednesday, announced the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the violence.

The two announcements came on a day when a petition has already been filed at Calcutta High Court by some victim families of Murshidabad seeking a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the violence. The hearing on the matter will be held on Thursday.

The nine-member SIT of the state police to probe the Murshidabad violence will be headed by an officer of the rank of additional superintendent of police, who will be assisted by two officers in the ranks of deputy superintendents of police and six inspector-ranking officers.

At least two workers, including a woman of MGNREGA, were killed and two more seriously injured when a big tree got uprooted and fell on them in Tripura’s mountainous Dhalai district on Wednesday, officials said.

A district administration official said that a big tree got uprooted and fell on the workers when they were digging a check dam in government land under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) at Nailafabari under Ambassa block of Dhalai district.

The check dam is a small dam built across a channel, ditch, or stream to reduce erosion and control water flow. Check dams are often used in agriculture, hilly areas, and arid regions.

The official said Robert Malsum (22) died on the spot while three other injured workers – Juhi Rani Malsum (26), Surjyasa Malsum (35) and Jagat Bhakta Malsum (5) – were immediately shifted to a government hospital, where Juhi Rani succumbed to her injuries during medical treatment.

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Wednesday regretted the tragic incident at the Yelahanka Kogilu Junction here in which an autorickshaw driver lost his life after a girder viaduct during transportation fell onto the three-wheeler crushing its driver to death on the spot.

A long carrier truck transporting a girder from the Wadiyarpura casting yard was involved in the accident that happened around Tuesday midnight. As the truck was taking a turn, the girder support system failed and the massive concrete structure fell onto an autorickshaw, resulting in the death of its driver -- identified as Kasim Saab.

Reacting to the incident, BMRCL, in its official statement, stated, "Whether in operations or construction, public safety is of the utmost priority to BMRCL, and all necessary measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future."

The accident took place while Saab, a resident of Hegde Nagar, was ferrying a passenger towards Nagawara. The passenger had a miraculous escape, police said.

The situation in the minority-dominated Murshidabad of West Bengal, which has been on the boil since last week after protests against the newly-promulgated Waqf (Amendment) Bill turned violent, has moved one more step forward towards normalcy with the Internet services being restored in most parts of the district.

The Net services were suspended earlier this week. However, the suspension of Internet service is continuing at Samserganj, which had been the most troubled pocket and where a father and son, Hargobindo Das and Chandan Das, were hacked by the violent protesters last week.

At the same time, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, will continue in the troubled pockets in the district for some time. However, insiders from the district administration said that depending on the situation and if further improvements in the situation are witnessed, the prohibitory order might be lifted later in the day or on Thursday.

Two women MGNREGA workers were killed and two others injured when a vehicle ran amok and hit them in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district.

The incident occurred on the national highway at Mogalthur on Wednesday, police said.

A Bolero van, which was on its way to Narsapuram from Machilipatnam, lost control and fell into an agriculture field where MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers were engaged in work.

Two of the workers died on the spot, while two others sustained critical injuries. The injured were shifted to the government hospital at Narsapuram in an ambulance.

The deceased have been identified as Gubbala Gangavathi (50) and Kadali Pavani (40). Gubbala Manikyala Rao and Gudala Satyanarayana were injured. The victims hailed from Nakkavaripalem of Moghalthur mandal.

In a tragic incident, one person was killed after a viaduct being transported for the Namma Metro project fell on an autorickshaw in Bengaluru.

The incident occurred around Tuesday midnight at Kogilu Cross near Yelahanka. According to police, the viaduct, which was being transported for the Metro construction, fell from the truck and resulted in the death of the autorickshaw driver on the spot. The deceased has been identified as Kasim Saab.

The incident took place while Saab a resident of Hegde Nagar, was ferrying a passenger towards Nagawara. The passenger had a miraculous escape, police said.

The viaduct — a massive concrete structure — was being transported on an 18-wheeler truck for the airport Metro line. While taking a turn at Kogilu Cross, the truck's trailer detached from the cabin, splitting into two, causing the viaduct to fall onto the road, police said.

In three separate cases, Bengaluru Police arrested 10 persons, including a foreign national, for drug peddling in the city. Narcotic substances and other materials worth Rs 6.77 crore have also been seized from their possession.

The Anti-Narcotics team arrested one person from Kerala and seized 3.5 kilograms of hydroponic ganja, Rs 26 lakh in cash, and a mobile phone. The police stated that the total estimated value of the seized drugs and other materials is Rs 4.52 crore.

The accused, originally from Kerala, had procured the hydroponic ganja from there and was attempting to distribute it in Bengaluru.

Two workers from Telangana have been murdered by a Pakistani national in Dubai, said Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Tuesday.

Ashtapu Prem Sagar and Srinivas were attacked by a Pakistani national at Modern Bakery LLC in Dubai during working hours on April 11.

Bandi Sanjay posted on ‘X’ that he was deeply saddened by the tragic killings. “Spoke to Ministry of External Affairs officials today and our MHA office remains in constant touch with them,” he said.

The minister said that he spoke to Ashtapu Sandeep, brother of Prem Sagar, and assured full support as the family awaits the return of his mortal remains. Through the Indian Consulate, Dubai Police have been urged to expedite the process.

As many as 24 Bangladeshi infiltrators, including women and children, have been arrested from a village close to the coastal border with Bangladesh in the Sundarbans area of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district during the last 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.

Of the 24 infiltrators, 11 are women, nine are men, and the remaining four are children. They were arrested from a village located within the Chilmari forest in the Sundarbans area.

According to the Superintendent of Baruipur police district, Palash Chandra Dhali, a police team conducted a raid on the village, based on specific information from their sources of illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators hiding at the village within the Chilmari forest.

In a series of joint operations, the security forces have recovered illegally held 77 arms, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), grenades, various ammunition and war-like stores, officials said on Tuesday.

The security forces also arrested nine militants of different outfits.

A Defence spokesperson said that the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, ITBP and Manipur Police during the past few days recovered the 77 arms, several IEDs, grenades, different types of ammunition and war-like stores from seven districts -- Churachandpur, Bishnupur, Imphal East, Kakching, Jiribam, Kangpokpi and Imphal West.

He said that the recovered arms include Carbines, Self-Loading Rifles (SLR), AK series rifles, AK series rifles, .303 Light Machine Guns (LMGs), Carbine Machine Guns, .303 Rifles, INSAS rifles, Snipers rifles, Double-barrelled Rifles, Single-barrelled Bolt Action Rifles and pistols.