Nirmala College student suspended for disrespecting national anthem
By Express News Service | Published: 03rd March 2018 04:54 AM |
KOCHI: A third-year degree student of Nirmala College, Muvattupuzha, was suspended by college authorities after a video showed him laughing at and moving around while the national anthem was being played in the campus. Principal Dr T M Joseph suspended Aslam Salem, a third- year BA student, after examining the video and recording the statements of students present in the classroom when the incident happened.

“The video came to our notice and after ascertaining the veracity, we placed him under suspension. The college cannot tolerate such conduct and will dismiss him if it is proved beyond doubt that he disrespected the national anthem. The incident happened on the evening of February 27,” Joseph said.

In the video, Aslam can be seen laughing at and moving around even as other students stand in attention as the national anthem is played. The video is believed to have been recorded by another student.Meanwhile, KSU members alleged that Aslam is an active SFI leader and its former unit secretary.

Airport travelator to take you to the Metro in Chennai

By C Shivakumar | Express News Service | Published: 03rd March 2018 03:36 AM |

Last Updated: 03rd March 2018 03:36 AM

CHENNAI: The hassle to reach home after landing at the city airport could soon be over as a travelator that will offer direct connectivity to the adjacent Metro station is expected to be thrown open by the end of this month.

At present, after landing at the airport, passengers look for taxis or autos or trudge along to board the Metro train or wait for a buggy. The travelator would make the journey to the Metro station much easier, possibly resulting in its better patronage.

Incoming passengers from the Metro can use the 800-m-long travelator to access both the international and domestic terminals, according to airport director G Chandramouli.

The walkalator, being set up by the Airports Authority of India, will facilitate seamless travel, said Chandramouli.

It was originally a part of the phase-I modernisation of the airport, which was taken up a few years ago but later dropped from the project for various reasons.

Currently, Chennai Metro commuters heading to the airport have to either use the lift or stairs to get down and wait for buggy cars or walk to the airport.

Sources said there had been several complaints of non-availability of buggy cars and confusion over moving from one facility to the other.

Only four cars are operating between the station and the terminals at an interval of 15 minutes.

Sathyaraj to star in a political satire on actors entering politics 

03.03.2018
Suganth.M@timesgroup.com

Only recently, actor Sathyaraj had delivered a controversial speech on actors entering politics. The actor had remarked that just because they are popular, it doesn’t mean actors know everything, and added that they stand to lose very little if they lose an election.

Now, inspired by the recent happenings in Tamil Nadu, Shivraaj, who had previously directed films like Adithadi and Girivalam, is planning a film revolving around an actor who enters politics.Says the director,“In this current scenario, everyone is floating their own party, but we are still not sure what the outcome of such actions are going to be. I was thinking about this when an idea struck me. So, I decided to turn this into a script and make it as a film, with Sathyaraj sir.”

The film, he informs, is currently in the scripting stage, but Shivraaj has already found a title for it (which he has registered with the producers council) — Cinema Nadiganum Arasiyalvathiyum. Selvabharathi, who directed the Vijay starrers Ninaithen Vanthai and Priyamanavale, is writing the story and dialogues for this political satire, while Shivraaj will handle the screenplay and direction. Sathyaraj, he reveals, has agreed in principle to star in it, and has asked him to come with the finished script. In addition to the actor, who was part of his well-received black comedy Adithadi, the director has also roped in the producer of that film, M Gnanasundari, to produce this one.

“We are planning this as a trlingual — in Tamil,Hindi and Telugu. We are hoping to go on the floors by April,” adds the director. 

Not offering water to hubby not cruelty: HC
03.03.2018 

Shibu.Thomas@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: Not taking care of a husband’s needs or failing to even offer him water when he returns home late from work does not amount to cruelty,” said the Bombay high court recently.

The court dismissed a plea by a 52-year-old Santacruz resident, a bank employee, seeking to divorce from his wife (40) on the grounds that she treated him cruelly. One of the allegations levelled by the man, a bank employee, was that his wife would not look after his needs or offer him water when he returned home late from work. A division bench of Justice Kamalkishor Tated and Justice Sarang Kotwal said it would not amount to cruelty and pointed out that the woman herself was employed as a teacher. “In addition to attending to her job, she was admittedly cooking in the morning as well as in the evening. The evidence shows that on her way she used to purchase vegetables. It is obvious that she herself used to get tired and still she was cooking for the family and doing other household work,” said the bench.

The couple had married in 2005. According to his divorce plea, the man claimed his wife used to come home late from work and pick up quarrels with his aged parents. He alleged that the food cooked by her was not tasty and she would constantly insist that his parents be driven away from the matrimonial home. In 2006, he claimed that she left home while the wife alleged that she was locked out and driven away. In the family court he called in his father as a witness to substabtiate his claims while the woman called in their neighbour and a cousin of the man. The neighbour testified that the woman would be constanly working at home and faced taunts from her in-laws. The family court had dismissed the divorce application in 2012.

The high court perused the evidence and pointed out that the man was out at work the entire day and the woman was also working. Therefore, there was little time for friction between the woman and her in-laws or for him to have witnessed any fights. The man had also cited a non-cognizable complaint that he had lodged against the woman a few months before his divorce plea accusing his wife of scratching and twisting his fingers. “It is quite unbelievable that just for scratching and for twisting of finger the man had to take treatment in hospital. In our opinion, this was done by him to prepare the ground for filing petition for divorce,” said the high court.

Two Periyar univ profs come to blows on campus, land in hosp
03.02.2018

Senthil.Kumaran@timesgroup.com

Salem: Two professors in the physics department of Periyar University herewere hospitalised with injuries after they came to blows on the campus on Friday. P Kumaradhas, head of the department, and P M Anbarasan, professor, later lodged separate complaints with the Suramangalam police.

Kumaradhas joined the department a decade ago, three months ahead of Anbarasan. However, Anbarasan got promoted as professor before Kumaradhas as per hiscareer and paper publications. “Anbarasan was expecting the HoD post as he got promoted as professor from associate professor,” a senior professor in the department told TOI. When Kumaradhas became the HoD based on his seniority, it created enmity between the two, the professor said.

Sources in the university said Kumaradhas and Anbarasan often got into wordy duels even for petty issues. On Friday, Anbarasan noted his date of joining and seniority in the attendance register, though it was not mandatory. Annoyed at this, Kumaradhas demanded to know why it was mentioned in the register. Anbarasan came up with an angry retort, triggering a furious argument. Soon, the two men began assaulting each other with sandals.

Fellow professors and lecturers separated them. Kumaradhas was admitted to the government medical college hospital in Salem city while Anbarasan was admitted to a private hospital. Police have registered a case based on their complaints.

Talking to reporters later, Kumaradhas said it was Anbarasan who had attacked him first with his shoes. When contacted, Anbarasan said he would send his version of the incident through WhatsApp. However, he sent only an evening Tamil daily’s paper cutting and requested TOI to take it as his version. 



Physics department professors Anbarasan (left) and P Kumaradhas

Unreserved train to Sengottai announced 
 
03.03.2018

Chennai: To cater to excess demand, a daytime unreserved biweekly special train has been introduced between Tambaram and Sengottai. Train number 06023 Tambaram – Sengottai unreservedspecial train willleave Tambaram at 7am of March 5, 7, 12 and 14 and reach Sengottai at 10.30pm. Train number 06024 Sengottai–Tambaram unreserved special train will leave Sengottai at 6am on March 6, 8, 13 and 15 and reach Tambaram at 10.30pm. The train will have 16 general second class coaches and will stop at Chengalpet, Melmaruvathur, Villupuram, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Tiruchchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karaikkudi, Manamadurai, Aruppukkottai, Virudhunagar, Sivakasi, Rajapalayam, Sankarankovil and Tenkasi. TNN

Marriage of minor: High court pulls up sub-registrar, advocate

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

03.03.2018

Chennai: Pulling up a sub-registrar and an advocate for manipulating documents and registering a marriage between a minor boy and a girl who has reached legal age of marriage, the Madras high court has ordered appropriate action against the duo. While the Bar council is to take action against advocate E Lenin, the inspector-general of registration shall conduct inquiry against the Poonamallee sub-registrar and take action.

“A perusal of the entire documents would show they have been prepared by the advocate and manipulated as if the boy was a major and got the marriage registered. Legal profession is not meant for conducting marriages. We consider it appropriate to refer the matter to the Bar council for appropriate action. As to the sub-registrar concerned, who had resorted to registering the marriage without proper verification of the age of the boy and girl, the inspector-general of registration shall conduct necessary enquiry and take appropriate action,” ruled a division bench of Justice C T Selvam and Justice NSathish Kumar.

The bench was passing orders when a habeas corpus petition filed by a girl’s father came up for hearing. The couple (the boy and the girl) informed the court their marriage had been registered before the registrar of marriages, office of the sub registrar, Poonamallee, on January 22. They also produced a marriage certificate issued by the office.

Regarding the marriageable age of the boy, they produced a photocopy of a record sheet issued by the principal of a government Adi Dravidar welfare high school, Chennai, showing his date of birth as June 7, 1995. But, further inquiry revealed his date of birth was October 19, 1997. The court passed the strictures after the couple informed it that it was Lenin who made the entire arrangements for marriage, including fabricating documents to show that the boy was a major.