The West Bengal Government is committed to compensate the losses suffered by chit fund investors in the wake of the Saradha Group's fold-up, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said.

Five persons, including four children, died after being hit by lightning during a thunder shower at Chancold in Malda district, the police said on Monday.

Noting there has been a 30 percent increase in revenue generation in West Bengal, state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday vowed to free the state from the crippling debt burden which had been passed on from by previous government.

President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday arrived in West Bengal on a three-day visit to his home state during which he is scheduled to attend a number of programmes in the state capital.

Three brothers were arrested for allegedly raping their sister-in-law in their house, police said on Tuesday.

Four members of a family including two children were burnt to death and seven others seriously injured when their house caught fire at Bagagara village in West Midnapore district in the wee hours on Wednesday, police said.

At least 20 passengers were injured when a private bus collided with a truck at Goaripara under Krishnaganj Police station in Nadia district on Saturday, the police said.

Alleging that the UPA government was using central agencies to disturb her government and her party while Congress was conspiring in league with CPI (M), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday dared the Centre to 'touch' her.

Seven persons were killed and 33 others injured, 10 of them seriously, when the vehicle in which they were travelling hit a lamp post and overturned in Bankura district on Sunday, police said.

The West Bengal government on Thursday announced fresh panchayat election dates on May 5 and 8, but the State Election Commission told the Calcutta High Court that it would not conduct the polls without deployment of central paramilitary forces.