Hidden cameras found in women’s hostel bathrooms in Chennai, owner arrested

TNN | Dec 4, 2018, 01.42 PM IST

CHENNAI: The Adambakkam police on Tuesday arrested a man who runs a women’s hostel in Thillai Ganga Nagar after inmates found hidden cameras in bathrooms, halls and other places. The cameras were hidden in electrical sockets, bulbs, rods and other places.

The police said seven young IT professionals were staying in the hostel run by Sampath Raj, 48, in Thillai Ganga Nagar first street.

The women grew suspicious about the activities of Sampath after he had made frequent visits to the hostel claiming to check the rooms. He allegedly placed the cameras in the name of carrying out renovation work in the rooms.

The women checked the rooms and the bathrooms thoroughly and found hidden cameras.

Hidden cameras were found in electrical sockets and other places.

A police officer said Sampath had kept changing the position of the hidden cameras until he “got a proper view.”

The police seized the hidden cameras and footages. Further investigations were on.

Tiruvannamalai govt schoolteacher sentenced to rigorous 

imprisonment for sexual assault of orphan girl

TNN | Dec 4, 2018, 07.25 PM IST

TIRUVANNAMALAI: A fast track mahila court in Tiruvannamalai on Monday sentenced a 38-year-old government schoolteacher to seven years rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old orphan girl.

The victim was a Class VIII student at Adi Annamalai Panchayat Union Middle School in Tiruvannamalai in 2013. Her English teacher, N Soundararajan, who was married and has two children, sexually assaulted her several times.

The victim was an inmate of a children’s home on the Girivalam path. She was admitted to the home by her elder brother and elder sister when she was three years old after their parents had died.

Special public prosecutor G Archana said, “The accused, who was initially molesting the girl in the staff room while he was alone, later started taking her to his home when his wife and children were away. The sexual assault came to light on February 20, 2013 after Soundararajan, who was 33 then, forcibly took her home the previous night by threatening to fail her in English paper in the annual examination.”

“He sexually assaulted the girl the whole night and dropped her near the children’s home situated on the Girivalam path in Tiruvannamalai in the early hours of February 20,” Archana said.

The in-charge of the children’s home questioned the girl and came to know about the sexual assault she had suffered. The in-charge alerted the girl’s sister who was married and living about one kilometre away from the home.

The sister filed a complaint with the Tiruvannamalai all-woman police. The police booked him under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences ( POCSO) Act and the IPC. Police sources said Soundararajan was the first person to be booked under the POCSO Act in Tiruvannamalai district after the law came into force in November 2012.

On Monday, magistrate S Natarajan sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of 10,000 on him. The magistrate also directed the district legal service authority to assist the girl in getting a victim compensation of Rs 4 lakh under the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) scheme.

Government moves SC against extension for Pon Manickavel

TNN | Dec 5, 2018, 05.42 AM IST

CHENNAI: Four days after the Madras high court quashed a Tamil Nadu government order transferring all idol theft cases to the CBI while appointing inspector general of police Pon Manickavel as special officer for a year from the date of his retirement on November 30, the Tamil Nadu government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court.

The state assailed the high court verdict on the quashing of the GO as well as the extension granted to Manickavel. Government sources told TOI that the special leave petition was yet to be numbered by the apex court.

Interestingly, the state appointed Abhay Kumar Singh, an additional director-general of police as idol wing chief on Manickavel's superannuation. The HC, however, made it clear that Pon Manickavel would head the force.

Eight Bharathiyar varsity syndicate members face contempt in HC

TNN | Dec 5, 2018, 12.16 AM IST

CHENNAI: The entire syndicate of Bharathiyar University, including the director of collegiate education and directors of medical education and technical education, are staring at contempt for deliberate violation of a high court ruling that prohibited the university from permitting distance education study centres.
Justice N Kirubakaran, slamming all the eight syndicate members for having adopted a resolution violating his order, said: “Are the court orders so ineffective to be violated or are they paper orders to be ignored? If this case is understood properly, one gets the impression that officials are not scrupulously following the orders of the court. On the other hand, they are going against the order or violating the orders.”

He then summoned R Sarumathi, director of collegiate education, Dr A Edwin Joe, director of medical education, represented by Dr Rajasekar, Vivekanandan, director of technical education, G Singaravelu, head of the department of education technology, Bharathiyar University, N Jeyakumar, head of the department of bioinformatics, Bharathiyar University, Ravichandran, head of the department of social science, Annamalai University, M Saravana Kumar, dean, Anna University, Coimbatore, and Chinnadurai, principal, Kamban College of Arts and Science, Tiruppur.

On December 8, 2017, the university gave an undertaking to the court that it would not operate distance education study centres and would not grant affiliation and recognition relating to distance education outside Tamil Nadu from the academic year 2018-19. Recording it, Justice Kirubakaran had prohibited the university from running study centres.

However, on November 28, 2018, the university syndicate adopted a resolution permitting spot admission cum learning centres for the academic year 2018-2019 as a special case. It also allowed them to submit examination applications along with second and third year candidates.

A livid Justice Kirubakaran stayed the resolution and wondered how could candidates admitted in the middle of an academic year be allowed to write examination along with second and third year candidates.

Treating all the eight syndicate members are contemnors, Justice Kirubakaran said, “the syndicate members, who voted in favour of granting of permission are also prima facie liable for violation of the court order.” He directed all of them to be present in court on January 7, 2019.

Electronic version of driving licence enough, Centre tells HC

TNN | Dec 6, 2018, 12.35 AM IST

CHENNAI: It is official. Drivers of motor vehicles need not carry the hard copy of the original driving licence all the time, and that it is alright if they show the electronic version of the driving licence.

The Centre has brought about an amendment to this effect by a notification dated November 2, 2018, Madras high court was informed on Wednesday.

It all began with a memorandum issued by additional director-general of police, state traffic planning cell dated August 24, 2017 stating that drivers found not carrying the original driving license would be prosecuted under Sections 130 and 171 of Motor Vehicle Act.

Assailing this, a batch of PILs, including the one filed by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy and All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners Association, were filed.

When the cases came up for further hearing before a division bench comprising Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice Anitha Sumanth on Monday, a copy of the central government notification dated November 19, 2018 addressed to the DGPs and secretaries of all states and union territories were furnished. The notification amended Rule 139 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989 with regard to production of license and certificate of registration of vehicles.

The bench, disposing of the case, said: “In view of the amendment brought by union of India on November 2, 2018, the writ petitions have become infructuous.”

Recruitment lapse: DVAC starts probe against Manonmaniam Sundaranar University VC

TNN | Dec 6, 2018, 07.31 AM IST

CHENNAI: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption has begun investigation into allegations of irregularities in recruitment during the tenure of K Baskar, the vice-chancellor of Tirunelveli-based Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU).

Sources told TOI that the DVAC sent a letter to the university registrar in the first week of November asking for 30 documents pertaining to the recruitment conducted in 2016 immediately after Baskar took charge. The agency has started its preliminary inquiry, sources said.

The probe concerns irregularities in recruitment of 35 professors in August 2016. A copy of the notice is with TOI. Baskar’s term will end in February 2019. The DVAC had asked for details including a copy of the advertisement indicating the vacancies, documents pertaining to the scrutiny committee, various syndicate resolutions approving the advertisement and the final selected candidates, permissions from the government, finance committee and approval for filling the posts.

Sources said the DVAC had also asked for details such as which candidates were interviewed, the panel members who vetted them, the selection criteria and other criteria that the selection process should adhere to.

When contacted, Baskar told TOI that due process was followed while conducting the recruitment and all records for the same were available. MSU registrar professor Santosh Babu said all the details as demanded by the DVAC have been furnished to them. “We sent the reply 10 days ago. There is no violation of procedures,” he said.

IIT-Madras professor eats poisonous seeds, dies

TNN | Dec 6, 2018, 07.42 AM IST

CHENNAI: A woman assistant professor of IIT Madras who on Tuesday consumed seeds of a poisonous plant in a suicide bid, died in a private hospital early on Wednesday. Police said Aditi was battling depression.

Police said Aditi Simha, 45, an assistant professor in the department of physics, was a PhD holder from IISc, Bengaluru. Aditi lived on the IIT-M campus and visited her mother Neelima in Bengaluru often, police said.

Neelima told police that she had spoken to Aditi at 11 am on Tuesday, when she said she’d be visiting in a few days. Her calls to Aditi after that went unanswered, Neelima told police, adding that she had asked Aditi’s colleague to check on her.

Around 8pm, the assistant professor was found in an unconscious state and was rushed to Apollo Hospitals on Greams Road, where she died at 4am on Wednesday. Doctors said Aditi had consumed seeds of a poisonous plant, which she might have picked from IIT-M’s campus.

Police said Aditi suffered from depression since separating from her husband two years ago. If anyone is in mental distress or have suicidal thoughts, call 104 for the State health departments helpline or call Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre at 2464 0050.