Salman Khan gets court permission to travel abroad

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   18.04.2018

Jodhpur: Bollywood actor Salman Khan was permitted to travel abroad for his professional assignments by the district and sessions court of Jodhpur on Tuesday. He will, however, have to keep the court informed about his locations and itinerary. Salman’s counsel Mahesh Bora had moved the court seeking its permission to allow the actor to go to three countries — Nepal, USA and Canada — for some promotional events. Earlier this month, the same court had suspended Salman’s sentence in a blackbuck poaching case and granted him bail with a rider that he won’t leave the country without the court’s permission.

“The court on Tuesday granted Salman permission to tour Nepal, Canada and USA on dates between May 25 and July 10,” Bora told TOI. The court has directed the actor to keep it abreast of the date of leaving the country and the number of days he would stay in a particular country with the location of travelling and stay.

On April 5, a trial court in Jodhpur had convicted Salman for poaching two blackbucks in 1998. On the actor’s appeal for bail, the district and sessions court suspended his sentence on April 7, while putting restrictions on him against travelling abroad. “In adherence to the court directions, Salman sought permission to tour the three countries on some promotional events in different cities,” Bora said.

The prosecution, however, protested and argued that he had already been provided relief in terms of suspension of sentence and release on bail. “Besides this, Salman has to make an appearance before the court on May 7 when the first hearing on the appeal against his conviction is to begin. On these grounds, we argued that the actor should not be provided further relief,” said Mahipal Bishnoi, counsel for the Bishnoi community which has been a party to the case.

AI flight delayed to return phone to staffer

Manju.V@timesgroup.com   18.04.2018

Mumbai: Seconds after an Air India Dreamliner began taxiing for departure from London Heathrow to Ahmedabad, the commander learnt that a ground personnel had left his mobile phone behind in the aircraft. The commander decided to stop the aircraft, have a flight attendant open an aircraft door and drop the phone to the ground staffer. Since that generous gesture has made it to a newspaper, suffice to say, it didn’t go to plan.

What unfolded instead has arguably turned flight AI-176 into world’s first documented case of nomophobialed deployment of an inflatable slide raft and a consequent flight delay.

The incident took place on March 18, when seconds into taxiing the commander of the AI Boeing 787-800 (VT-ANP) found out about the unaccompanied cellphone on board his flight. “It belonged to an aircraft maintenance engineer who had readied the flight for departure. He deplaned leaving his London-based cellphone on the flight,’’ said a source.

What transpired next was a series of incredible decisions. “The commander informed the ground staff and asked the engineer to reach the aircraft to collect the phone,’’ said the source. He instructed the cabin crew-incharge to “recycle the door’’, open it and throw the phone. To recycle the door means to change the mode it is set in. Aircraft doors are either set in automatic mode (called “armed” in aviation parlance) or manual mode (unarmed).

“Many tasks need to be completed before cabin crew can strap themselves for takeoff. Amid the confusion caused by the cellphone on the AI flight, the cabin crew-incharge (who is based in Mumbai) appears to have forgotten to change the door’s mode to manual,” said the source.

“As soon as the armed door was opened, the slide raft inflated and fell into position ready for an evacuation,’’ the official added. With one inflatable slide raft deployed, the departure had to be delayed. AI0176, which had started taxiing at 2 pm before the mobile phone fiasco, finally departed at 3.46pm.

On the incident, an Air India spokesperson said, “the March 18 London-Ahmedabad flight was delayed after an evacuation slide deployed”, without divulging details. 

College wakes up to scandal after 25 days

A.Selvaraj@timesgroup.com
   18.04.2018
 
Chennai: The Virudhunagar police believe that the college management placed assistant professor Nirmala Devi under suspension in the hope that the issue would die down. Though they placed her under suspension on March 21, the college authorities neither lodged a formal police complaint nor inquired into the issue by constituting a college committee.

The authorities woke up to the issue only on Sunday, at least 25 days after taking departmental action against Nirmala Devi, only after members of a women forum and DYFI members protested in front of the college demanding that the college authorities lodge a police complaint against the professor.

After the police got wind of the protest, they approached the college authorities. It was only then that secretary of Devanga Arts and Science College R Ramasamy lodged a formal complaint at the Aruppukottai police station and the police arrested Nirmala Devi.

Virudhunagar district superintendent of police M Rajarajan sent a detailed report of the issue and the case was immediately taken up to the state government, which transferred it to the CB-CID on Tuesday. Ramasamy refused to comment on the issue as the matter is now under police investigation.

The Aruppukottai police registered a case under IPC Sections 370 (trafficking of people), read with 511(conspiracy) and Section 67 of Information Technology Act.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that there were three factions in the college, one of which had leaked information about the issue to the women’s forum and ensured that they stage protests so it would become a bigger deal.

Investigations revealed that Nirmala Devi had obtained her PhD degree in Mathematics five years ago from Madurai Kamaraj University.

(With inputs from Padmini Sivarajah)

‘Probe panel by guv may not lead to fair inquiry’

Chennai: An advocate has approached the Madras high court seeking CBI probe into the allegations against MKU assistant professor Nirmala Devi. The plea moved by advocate G S Mani is likely to be heard by the first bench of the court on Friday. According to the petitioner, when there are allegations against the Tamil Nadu governor, a probe commission formed by him would not give a fair and transparent result. TNN

Nirmala case goes to CB-CID; MKU withdraws probe

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   18.04.2018

Madurai: Director general of police T K Rajendran on Tuesday transferred the case registered by the Aruppukkottai taluk police against assistant professor Nirmala Devi to the Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID).

The case was registered on Monday based on a complaint filed by Devanga Arts College secretary R Ramasamy that Nirmala allegedly tried to lure girl students of the college at Aruppukottai in Virudhunagar district to do sexual favours for “top officials” in Madurai Kamaraj University. The college is affiliated to MKU.

The Virudhunagar district police is continuing a probe into teh case a day after arresting Nirmala from her house.

A police team led by additional deputy superintendent of police Mathi questioned Nirmala on Tuesday on the conversation she had with four students on March 15. Sources said the investigation was video recorded. The police analysed data on her cellphones after confiscating them. The sources said that although Nirmala has confessed to police that it was she who spoke to the girls, she reiterated that her intension was not to lure the girls to do sexual favours.

Her message was taken in the wrong context, she told police.

On Tuesday evening, Nirmala was produced before a Virudhunagar magistrate, who remanded her to 12 days in judicial custody.

Students stage protest, demand fair investigation

Students of Madurai Kamaraj University staged a protest on the university premises demanding a fair investigation to name the top officials mentioned in the phone conversation on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the faculty members and the administration staff of the university too have threatened to protest. The protest was led by Students Federation of India (SFI). They demanded a judicial inquiry . TNN

Soliciting college girls: MKU VC says did not know of case till he saw reports 

‘MKU Reputation Intact, Guv Backs Punishing Guilty’

Pradeepkumar.V @timesgroup.com   18.04.2018

He claims to possess water-divining powers. But Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) vicechancellor P P Chellathurai says he was caught unawares by the controversy caused by Devanga Arts College assistant professor Nirmala Devi, who allegedly asked some woman students to offer sexual favours to ‘top officials’. In an interview with TOI, Chellathurai said he had no idea about the case and was at pains to explain that he did not qualify as a “top university official” merely by virtue of being the vice chancellor.

It appears that the audio clip was recorded on March 15. Devanga College initiated inquiry and suspended Nirmala Devi on March 21. But MKU’s first reaction came after the audio clip was leaked online. What held you back?

Chellathurai: There was no communication from [Devanga College] about the incident to either me or the registrar or the dean of MKU. I was recovering from an eye surgery when a reporter contacted me over phone seeking my comments. It was only then I was alerted to the situation.

Governor Banwarilal Purohit said that only the chancellor holds the power to constitute an inquiry committee. Did you act in haste in forming the now withdrawn fivemember committee of MKU officebearers?

Chellathurai: As per Chapter 2 of the Madurai Kamaraj University Act, 1965, section 9 and sub section 4 (A) under section 12, the governorchancellor is vested with all powers. He is the head of the university and the president of the senate. Usually, vice-chancellors form committees to look into small, local issues concerning the university. As this was a sensitive issue, we submitted a preliminary report to the governor on Monday afternoon, and he later decided that an inquiry committee ought to be formed at the highest level.

What was the gist of your interaction with Purohit?

Chellathurai: He asked me to give full support to the inquiry committee to bring out the hidden dimensions in this issue. He is a godly, grandfatherly person. There is no greater sin, no bigger stain to the entire teaching community than implicating him (Purohit) in this issue. Those who are guilty will be punished. We must wait for the inquiry to conclude before throwing stones at people.

There is a shadow of doubt on top office-bearers at MKU due to the contents of the audio tape...

Chellathurai: I am not a top officer because I happen to be the vice chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University. In my view, this woman (Devi) works in a small college. For her, even an assistant registrar can be a top officer.

You believe that the audio tape has been doctored to sabotage MKU’s reputation...

Chellathurai: The reputation of MKU is intact. My students are happy. But we still need to determine if Madurai Kamaraj University was involved in any way. There is a possibility that the audio tape could have been doctored. 


Governer asked me to give full support to the inquiry committee to bring out the hidden dimensions in this issue, said vice-chancellor P P Chellathurai

DVAC registers corruption case against ACP after ₹5 lakh seized from office

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   18.04.2018

Chennai : Following its first surprise check at a police station in the state since 2011, on April 13, the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) registered a corruption case against ACP P K Kamil Basha under three sections of the IPC on Monday.

A copy of the FIR has been sent to the city police commissioner, said police officials. “Departmental action will be initiated against Basha and he will be suspended,” a top cop said.

The surprise check led by DVAC officials yielded ₹5.08 lakh in cash. While ₹2.5 lakh was stored in the form of ₹2,000 and ₹500 notes in three drawers in Basha’s office at the Thirumangalam police station, ₹2.58 lakh was recovered from a contractor who had come to meet the cop.

DVAC officials said Basha collected bribes from petitioners and counter-petitioners for settling cases, adding that the details were noted down in a diary under the guise of donations made to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.

Vigilance officials led by deputy superintendent of police Lavakumar nailed Basha following a tip that the ACP had received money from a contractor for settling a land dispute.

The DVAC team barged into his office around 10.30pm on Friday night after the contractor, identified as Selvam from Kodungaiyur, arrived to meet Basha.

Subsequently, police personnel questioned Basha and Selvam separately to verify if their statements corroborated with each other. The inquiries went on till 5am on Saturday following which DVAC officials let off Basha after informing him that he would have to appear before investigation officers for further questioning.

Police officials said Basha, who has a year to go for his retirement, had landed in trouble earlier when he was found to have delayed registering a case against a doctor from whose residence in Tiruvannamalai a 15-year-old girl from Koyambedu had been rescued last year.

A woman had taken the girl to Tiruvannamalai under the pretext of getting her a job at a medical shop before the girl was sexually exploited by many people.

The case, handled by the Tirumangalam all-woman police, was monitored directly by Basha. 



DVAC officials said Basha collected bribes from petitioners and counter-petitioners for settling cases, adding that the details were noted down in a diary under the guise of donations made to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam

Can’t interfere with ₹10L fee cap for PG med courses in Pondy: SC

Requests HC To Decide On Issue In 6 Mths

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com   18.04.2018

Chennai : Postgraduate medical students studying in deemed universities located in the union territory of Puducherry will continue to pay just ₹10 lakh as ‘interim fee’ annually. They got the reprieve on Monday, when the Supreme Court refused to interfere in the interim fee (₹10 lakh) fixed by Madras high court, until the fee fixation committee prescribes a final fee structure.

Dismissing a special leave petition filed by Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute against an order of the Madras high court, a bench comprising Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, said, “We are not inclined to interfere. The special leave petition is dismissed. However, we request the high court to decide the matter within a period of six months. At the same time, it is stated that some committee is undertaking the fee fixation in accordance. It is open to submit the report of the committee before the high court. With respect to fee structure, the fees which is realised as per impugned order, will hold good till such time the high court decides the matter.”

On June 16, 2017, as a big relief to students who had been asked to cough up fees ranging from ₹40 lakh to ₹50 lakh by Puducherry deemed universities, the high court had said it would be enough if students paid ₹10 lakh as first year’s fee and that final figures should be prescribed by a committee formed by the UGC and the Centre.

“When self-financing private medical colleges can survive by charging a fee of ₹5.5 lakh per annum for students under state quota and ₹14 lakh for students under management quota, which is 50% of the total seats, we find it difficult to accept that the fee of ₹40 lakh to ₹50 lakh per annum charged by deemed universities, is reasonable,” the high court said in its order.

Noting that it could not keep its eyes shut to the issue, the first bench of Madras high court headed by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee said, “By reason of exorbitant fee notified by deemed universities, there are still seats going vacant and students who have duly competed and succeeded in clearing the admission tests, and have undergone counselling, being deprived of an opportunity to pursue their higher studies by reason of prohibitive fees, which is prima facie unsustainable in law.”

The bench then directed the deemed universities to admit the students provisionally selected in the order of merit, subject to the condition that the student should deposit ₹10 lakh each at the time of admission towards annual fee for the first year with CENTAC, and subject to other conditions that in the event of the fee determined by the fee committee constituted by the UGC and union HRD ministry being more, they should pay the differential amount.