Man comes in ambulance to office seeking leave

STAFF REPORTER

ERODE, DECEMBER 14, 2018 00:00 IST

Babu (38), bus driver attached to the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Erode Region, came to the office with his family in an ambulance as officials refused him to grant medical leave.

The driver, being a diabetic, sought medical leave to undergo treatment. On Wednesday night, his wife called the branch manager through mobile phone and sought leave for him. It was said that leave was refused for him.

On Thursday, he came to the office in an ambulance. Members of labour union wanted the ambulance to be allowed inside the premises that was refused by the security personnel. Later, Babu submitted his leave form seeking medical leave. He said that he has 70 days leave balance and wanted medical leave to be granted. After an hour, the leave was sanctioned.

Court directs CBI to continue investigation into DSP Vishnupriya’s death

STAFF REPORTER

COIMBATORE, DECEMBER 14, 2018 00:00 IST

‘Complete probe within six months and file chargesheet, if any offence is found’

The investigation into the death of former Tiruchengode Deputy Superintendent of Police R. Vishnupriya took a new turn on Thursday as the special court for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here rejected the agency's closure report in the case and ordered it to continue the investigation with certain specific aspects.

The court has directed the CBI to complete the investigation within six months and file the chargesheet, if any offence is found.

Chief Judicial Magistrate S. Nagarajan, in charge of the CBI special court, ordered the agency to continue the investigation in the case, on a petition filed by the parents of Vishnupriya -- M. Ravi and B. Kalaiselvi -- opposing the closure report filed in May this year.

The CBI team had submitted its final report before the court in May stating that the DSP had ended her life and further action may be closed in the case.

The petition filed by the DSP's parents, opposing the CBI's closure report, said that it had several contradictions and the agency had merely reproduced the report filed by CB-CID that investigated the case earlier.

The petition also said that the DSP's parents and five police officers - two DSPs, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, an Assistant Superintendent of Police and an Inspector - were willing to give statement under Section 164 of Cr.PC and they may be permitted to appear before the court for recording their statements in the case.

“After hearing the arguments of the prosecution and the counsel, the court observed that the investigation conducted by the CBI was not proper. The court has directed the investigating officer of the CBI to check 12 points in specific during the probe,” said P.R. Arulmozhi, counsel for the parents of the deceased officer.

The investigating officer has been asked to find out what was spoken in the last telephone conversation between Vishnupriya and Superintendent of Police S.R. Senthilkumar, to probe the alleged torture and misbehaviour by the SP about which Vishnupriya had complained to her parents and friends, and what was spoken in the telephone conversation between Vishnupriya and Yuvaraj, an accused in the Gokulraj murder case, during the investigation of which Vishnupriya was found hanging in her residence on September 18, 2016, Mr. Arulmozhi said.

Government considering increments for protesting doctors

STAFF REPORTER

CHENNAI, DECEMBER 14, 2018 00:00 IST

Doctors have been asking for implementation of the Dynamic Assured Career Progression.File photo

Over 18,000 medical personnel have launched ‘non-cooperation agitations’

More than two weeks after government doctors launched ‘non-cooperation agitations’, demanding proper implementation of Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP), the Health Department is considering different means to increase their pay such as by way of increments, and is likely to arrive at a solution before a court hearing posted on December 17.

About 18,000 doctors across the State are protesting to put forward their long-pending demand to do away with pay disparities under the DACP — a scheme introduced for Central government doctors — by reviewing government order 354.

S. Perumal Pillai, member of Joint Action Committee-Government Doctors Association (JAC-GDA), said due to the delay in considering the recommendations of Working Group, the JAC-GDA decided to launch ‘non-cooperation agitations’. “We are protesting without affecting patient care services. We are boycotting all meetings and all forms of reporting and trainings,” he said.

Based on a PIL, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had sought a report on the steps initiated towards meeting the demands of the doctors. The Health Department had in a status report said that they were waiting the report of the one-man commission looking into the grievances of the doctors. The hearing was posted for December 17.

Affecting healthcare

An official said doctors had stopped filing reports and this was affecting the healthcare system.

“A meeting of officials with the Finance Department is being held, and it is likely that a solution will be arrived at for recommendation to the court,” he added.

High Court orders shifting of 150 MBBS students

Legal Correspondent

CHENNAI, DECEMBER 14, 2018 00:00 IST

Protecting future:The State government has been asked to accommodate the students in its colleges.

Move on account of poor infrastructure in Kancheepuram-based private college

The Madras High Court on Thursday ordered shifting of about 150 MBBS students of Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Institute of Medical Sciences (PRIMS) at Kancheepuram to any of the 22 government medical colleges in the State because of lack of infrastructure in their institution. Exactly a year ago, the court passed a similar order with respect to 144 students of Annai Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) at Pennalur in Sriperumbudur.

Justice T. Raja passed the latest order with respect to students of PRIMS by following the judgment rendered by Justice N. Kirubakaran in the AMCH case. Although it was contended that there were no vacancies in government colleges, the judge directed the State government to obtain necessary approvals for increasing the number of seats from the authorities concerned and then accommodate the students by spreading them out to various government colleges.

Earlier, during the course of arguments, the court was informed that the State government had issued Essentiality Certificate to PRIMS on August 28, 2014 with an annual intake of 150 from the academic year 2015-16 subject to compliance of certain conditions.

MCI’s stand

However, the Medical Council of India recommended to the Centre to desist from issuing Letter of Permission (LoP) to the institution until certain shortcomings were overcome.

Subsequently, the Centre gave an opportunity to the institution to rectify the defects which included shortage of outpatients, low bed occupancy, non-availability of blood bank and so on. Thereafter, on August 11, 2016, an oversight committee appointed by the Supreme Court recommended admission of students from the academic year 2016-17. Based on the recommendation, the Centre issued a LoP to the college on August 20, 2016 and it admitted 150 students that year.

However, after getting admitted, the students began to complain about lack of infrastructure to the government and filed cases before the High Court.

Withdraw ration cards of those refusing to shift: HC

Legal Correspondent

CHENNAI, DECEMBER 14, 2018 00:00 IST

No-go zone:Shanties at Elango Street in Govindasamy Nagar in R.A.Puram.K. PichumaniK_Pichumani

Court orders punitive action for not taking up TNSCB accommodation

In an order that might raise many eyebrows, the Madras High Court has said, the State government can take coercive steps such as withdrawing ration cards, disconnecting water and power supply and denying government benefits such as Pongal gifts to those who refuse to shift to tenements constructed by Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB).

A Division Bench of Justices M. Venugopal and S. Vaidyanathan made the observation while passing interim orders on a case related to the failure of the State to evict 259 families from pucca houses constructed by them at Elango Street in Govindasamy Nagar in Raja Annamalaipuram here. The houses were reportedly situated close to the Buckingham Canal.

The judges held that the possible threat of a law and order problem arising due to forced eviction of the encroachers could not be cited as a reason for the delay in evicting them.

Accommodation

They also recorded the submission of S. Prabhu, standing counsel for TNSCB, that tenements were available in Perumbakkam and other places to accommodate the encroachers.

After acceding to a request made by Additional Advocate General Narmadha Sampath to grant her time till January 2, the judges said, “It is needless to mention that the respondents can take coercive steps such as disconnection of electricity, water supply and withdrawal of ration card to ensure that the encroachers do not get any benefits from January 2019.

“A fresh ration card can be issued to them only after their migration to the area identified by the Slum Clearance Board... The Chief Secretary to Government is directed to circulate the above order to the respective departments, such as electricity, civil supplies and Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board for necessary action.”

The judges said, the issue of evicting encroachers from Elango Street had been agitated up to the Supreme Court which had upheld the High Court’s order on eviction. Though the encroachers had claimed that they had planned to file a review petition in the apex court, no such case had been filed so far thereby creating the necessity to evict them immediately.

I-T officials question Sasikala in prison

Press Trust of India

BENGALURU, DECEMBER 14, 2018 00:00 IST

Income Tax officials on Thursday questioned former AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala at Parappana Agrahara Jail, in connection with a disproportionate assets case, prison sources said.

The I-T officials arrived at the jail at 11 a.m. and began questioning.

This continued till late in the evening, the sources told PTI, declining to elaborate.

Sasikala, former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s close aide, has been lodged in the jail since February last year.

The Supreme Court had upheld her conviction by a special court in a disproportionate assets case.

She was sentenced to four years imprisonment, by the Court.

Sasikala, who took over the reins of the AIADMK after the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016, was later removed from the party by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami-led camp.

Recently, the Madras High Court set aside a lower court order directing Karnataka jail authorities to produce Sasikala before it in connection with a Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) case.

HC quashes DVAC probe into new Secretariat construction

Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI, DECEMBER 14, 2018 00:00 IST

Says decision taken by government in haste

The Madras High Court on Thursday quashed a Government Order (G.O.) issued on September 24 and a consequential letter written on September 28 for an inquiry by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) into alleged irregularities in the construction of a new Legislative Assembly-cum-Secretariat complex at Anna Salai during the DMK regime between 2006 and 2011.

Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana passed the order while allowing writ petitions filed by DMK president M.K. Stalin and treasurer Duraimurugan. She agreed with senior counsel P. Wilson that the government had ordered the DVAC inquiry in a hasty manner without going through records collected by a Commission of Inquiry, which was brought to an “unceremonious end”.

‘Violation of order’

Such a hasty action amounted to violating an interim order passed by Justice S.M. Subramaniam of the High Court on August 3 on a writ petition filed by DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi before his death on August 7, Justice Sathyanarayana said. The interim order mandated the government to suspend the commission of inquiry led by former High Court judge R. Regupathi and then arrive at a decision on the need for criminal action.

“A reading of the impugned (under challenge) G.O. in its entirety would go to show that the government has not even cared to receive the files from the commission, much less to read and make out a prima facie case for referring the matter to the DVAC,” she added.

After the interim order, Mr. Regupathi tendered his resignation on August 10 and the government decided not to appoint any other retired judge to the commission.

The judge also doubted whether criminal action could be initiated on the basis of material collected by a commission rendered defunct.