Kolkata, Sep 11 (PTI) Following are PTI's top stories

Following are PTI's top stories from the eastern region at 5 pm. CAL2 JH-LYNCHING-POLICE Lynching case: J'khand police defends decision to drop murder charges against accused Seraikela: The Jharkhand Police on Wednesday strongly defended its decision to scale down charges -- from murder to culpable homicide not amounting to murder -- against the 11 accused in the lynching case of Tabrez Ansari, saying it was based on investigation and medical report.

CES4 BH-SUSHIL-NITISH Nitish captain of NDA in Bihar, hitting fours and sixes: Dy CM Patna: As the "captain" of the NDA in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is hitting fours and sixes and inflicting defeat on rivals, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi said on Wednesday, in an obvious rebuff to a BJP leader who had advocated a change of guard after the next assembly polls. CES5 JH-PM-LD-SCHEMES PM Modi to launch pension schemes from Jharkhand on Thursday Ranchi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation an ambitious pension scheme for the farmers from here on Thursday.

CES7 WB-NARADA-CBI Narada case: CBI conducts voice sample tests of former Kolkata mayor, TMC MP Kolkata: The CBI on Wednesday conducted voice sample tests of former Kolkata Municipal Corporation mayor Sovan Chatterjee and Trinamool Congress MP Aparupa Poddar in connection with Narada sting operation, sources in the agency said..