Another cyclone? Depression likely to approach north Tamil Nadu

Numerical weather models are indicating that conditions are favourable for the system to intensify into a cyclonic storm and impact north TN around December 15-16.

Published: 11th December 2018 05:10 AM 

Image of rain used for representational purpose only.

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Meteorological department on Monday said a depression was forming in the Bay of Bengal and is likely to move towards north Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra’s coast.The IMD bulletin said the low pressure area over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of South Bay of Bengal with associated cyclonic circulation, is likely to become more marked during the next 48 hours and is likely to concentrate into a depression during the subsequent 24 hours. It is likely to move northwest towards north Tamil Nadu and south Coastal Andhra Pradesh coast.


Numerical weather models are indicating that conditions are favourable for the system to intensify into a cyclonic storm and impact north TN around December 15-16.Weather blogger Pradeep John said sea surface temperature, tropical cyclone heat potential and wind sheer, are perfectly placed for intensification of the system. “By and large, there is consensus among the weather models on cyclone formation around December 15-16. There will be lot more clarity in next 2-3 days,” he said.

A warning has been issued advising fishermen not to venture into the sea for the next three days. It is valid till December 11 for fishermen operating in central parts of south Bay of Bengal, and those operating in southwest Bay of Bengal are advised not to venture into sea on December 12-13.

Madras Christian College students protest after Mahima's death, demand sports class be made optional

Mahima collapsed and died on Monday, at around 5 pm after doing the mandatory jogging required in the college’s ‘Sports For All’ initiative.

Published: 11th December 2018 04:27 PM 

Students protesting at the Madras Christian College (Photo | Edex)

By Parvathi Benu

Express News Service

A day after Mahima Jayaraj, a first-year BSc Chemistry student suddenly collapsed and diedafter a mandatory sports class, around 2000 students of the Madras Christian College are staging a protest in the college premises. The protesting students are seeking a probe into Mahima's death and are demanding that the college authorities make the 'Sports for All' sessions optional.

Even though the college authorities have declared a holiday and canceled all classes for the day after students started protesting, they haven't addressed the students' issues or made an attempt to meet the students. Mahima collapsed and died on Monday, at around 5 pm after doing the mandatory jogging required in the college’s ‘Sports For All’ initiative. The first year students have to spend at least 120 hours on the field to receive two credits needed for completing their degree. Even though she was rushed to the Christudas Orthopaedic Speciality Hospital in Tambaram, she was declared dead on arrival.


"All the student bodies gathered around the college's boxing ring, which is right in front of the Principal's quarters at 9 in the morning," says Chandru D, the SFI Chennai District Secretary. An hour after the protest, the Principal issued a notice stating that classes will not be held after 10.20 am in the morning. "If the college grieves Mahima's death, they should have issued this notice yesterday or earlier this morning. Not after the protest," Chandru says.

A few students had previously alleged that the college authorities didn't let Mahima abstain from the sports class, even after she complained of uneasiness. "The students now want the sports subject to be made optional like it was a few years ago. It is a two-credit course and many students are yet to clear their semester because of this," Chandru says.

Mahima's parents haven't filed a complaint and haven't requested a postmortem.

(This article is from www.edexlive.com)

Zomato fires Madurai man for tampering food packs

Zomato also sought an apology to its customers and said that it maintains a zero tolerance policy for tampering of food.

Published: 11th December 2018 09:20 PM 

Zomato delivery man eating from tne parcels. (Photo: Screengrab from twitter video.)

By Express News Service

MADURAI: After a video clip went viral in the social media where a delivery executive of Zomato seen tampering the food packs that were ordered, eating food and replacing it by resealing them, the Zomato found that the delivery person belongs to Madurai and sacked him.

The video that went viral in the social media for the past two days, an executive in Zomato uniform, stops his two-wheeler on the way to delivery from a restaurant and taking out the foods that were meant to deliver to the customer, tasting one by one and resealing them back into the delivery box again.

After several condemns on the issue, Zomato came back with a press release stating that after a thorough enquiry, the video was shot in Madurai and the delivery executive who tampered the food packs was fired from the job. However, Zomato did not reveal the name of the executive.


Zomato also sought an apology to its customers and said that it maintains a zero tolerance policy for tampering of food. "This particular incident, while unfortunate, only makes our commitment to fleet training, scheduling and process even stronger", the release said.

Considering it as a very serious issue, the online food delivery company stated that it will soon introduce tamper-proof tapes, and other precautionary measures, to ensure an extra layer of safeguard against such behaviour.

Professor dies in accident near Perambalur

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUCHI, DECEMBER 12, 2018 00:00 IST

UPDATED: DECEMBER 12, 2018 04:59 IST

A Professor of Horticultural College and Research Institute for Women in Tiruchi died in an accident on Tiruchi-Chennai national highway in Perambalur district on Tuesday.

Police identified the deceased as K. Samiyappan (58), Professor and Head, Department of Plant Protection at the Institute.

Police sources said Samiyappan, along with two other faculty members of the institute, was on a field inspection to Perambalur district at the request of the Horticulture departments of Perambalur and Ariyalur districts to find out the cause of a suspected pest attack in onion crop.

After conducting the inspection in different villages, the trio were headed to Tiruchi in a SUV belonging to the department when the tragedy occurred at Naranamangalam in the evening. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which fell into a roadside ditch. While Samiyappan died in the accident, his colleagues and driver Manikandan escaped with minor injuries. Padalur police have registered a case.

Former PWD chief engineer surrenders in graft case

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

PUDUCHERRY, DECEMBER 12, 2018 00:00 IST

Former Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) C. Anandane, who was convicted by a Special CBI Court in a disproportionate assets case, surrendered before the court here on Tuesday after his bail was rejected by the Madras High Court.

Remanded in custody

Special Judge for CBI cases P. Dhanabal remanded him to judicial custody in the Kalapet Central Prison.

It may be recalled that the Anti Corruption Branch of CBI, Chennai, registered a case against Mr. Anandane, his wife Vijayalakshmi and son Ashok Anand for accumulating assets to the tune of Rs. 3.75 crore during the period from January 1, 1997, to January 7, 2006, disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The Special Judge for CBI cases, P. Dhanabal, on October 30 convicted Anandane and his son Ashok Anand, a MLA, to one-year Rigorous Imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs. 1 lakh on each of them.

Memory card is not a document: Kerala

Krishnadas Rajagopal

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 12, 2018 00:00 IST

Actor Dileep

Dileep, accused in actor rape case, wanted a copy

Copy of the memory card containing a video clip of the alleged sexual assault on the actress-victim in Kerala is only a “material object,” not a document under Section 207 of the Indian Penal Code, the State government told the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

It was arguing against an attempt by accused actor Dileep to get a copy of the memory card.

Appearing before a Bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi, senior advocate Harim Raval, for the State, submitted that there was no requirement to share the memory card with an accused. The card was seized and produced in the trial court as material object and not a document.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for actor Dileep, countered that the term “document” had a wide connotation. “A 100 years ago, an inscription on a tombstone was considered a document by the courts,” Mr. Rohatgi submitted.

Justice Khanwilkar posted the case for Wednesday.

‘Many discrepancies’

Mr. Rohatgi submitted that the mandate of a fair trial required that Dileep was given access to a copy of the memory card to prove his innocence.

Mr. Rohatgi had on December 3 submitted that there were several discrepancies in the police claim and the memory card would prove him right. He said unlike what the police claimed, the video did not appear to have been shot in a moving car. The car was stationary. Further, “human voices could be heard in the background”. The visuals of the alleged incident, Mr. Rohatgi had submitted, would help to prove that it was not a “forced situation.”

Rodents gnaw away nose of body in mortuary

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CUDDALORE, DECEMBER 12, 2018 00:00 IST

He had committed suicide on Monday

In a bizarre incident, a portion of the nose of a youth’s body stored in the freezer of the mortuary at the Chidambaram General Hospital was partially gnawed away by rodents on Tuesday.

When contacted, the Joint Director of Health Services, Dr. Kala, said that an investigation would be conducted.

N. Vaitheeswaran, 24, from Kaakapillai Street in Chidambaram had committed suicide on Monday. The body was taken to the Chidambaram GH for a post-mortem.

Relatives and friends of the victim were in for a rude shock when they noticed the bitten nose as the body was being taken from the mortuary to the post-mortem room on Tuesday.

The relatives alleged that doctors initially tried to cover up the incident.

Though they initially refused to receive the body claiming that the hospital staff were careless in handling the body, they relented later and received it in the evening.

The Joint Director of Health Services said that the body was stored in the freezer and it is likely that rodents could have entered it through a gap in the facility.

‘One-off’ incident

Dr. Tamilarasan, Chief Medical Officer of Chidambaram GH termed it as a ‘one-off’ incident and said he had contacted the concerned agency responsible for maintenance of freezer boxes to cover the boxes with iron meshes. The official also denied that the hospital was infested with rodents.

The body was stored in the freezer and it is likely that rodents could have entered it through a gap in the facility

Joint Director of Health Services