Thrash death

Purulia, Nov. 22: Bibhisan Garai, 31, who was thrashed on Saturday at a meeting of village elders for disrespecting a temple, died last night.

His father was fined Rs 50,000 at Purulia?s Bhikhari Chelium village, 300 km from Calcutta, but he said he could not pay up. Garai was then tied to a tree and beaten up.

CPM red face

Suri: A CPM leader left the Birbhum party brass red-faced with his refusal to let his grandchildren be administered polio drops for the second day. Mohammad Salim, a former district secretary, on Monday refused to listen to Annapurna Mukherjee, the zilla parishad health in-charge, who visited him. He told her homeopathy worked better in preventing polio.

Lawyer strike

Krishnagar: On the sixth day of their strike, government-empanelled lawyers of the sessions court here walked out of a meeting called by the additional district magistrate to offer part of the payment due to them for four years. The lawyers, who claimed their dues amount to Rs 1 crore, left the meeting when offered Rs 1.8 lakh to be shared between 25 of them.

Jute meet

Calcutta: A meeting will be held at Writers? Buildings on Friday to negotiate with jute mill unions that have called a strike from November 29. The labour minister will chair the meeting to be attended by union representatives and Indian Jute Mills Association members.

Minister

Calcutta: Junior Union planning minister M.V. Rajashekharan met the chief minister on Monday. He will monitor progress of the Rashtriya Samavikas Yojna.