In a first, SC orders prosecution of Bhopal medical college dean for perjury

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:31.01.2019

In a first of its kind case, the Supreme Court has ordered prosecution of the dean of Bhopal-based RKDF Medical College for presenting false evidence, which carries a maximum punishment of seven years imprisonment, on the institution’s infrastructure, faculty and other facilities to trick the apex court into directing the Centre to permit it to admit 150 students in the MBBS course.

A bench of Justices S A Bobde, L Nageswara Rao and R Subhash Reddy also imposed a penalty of Rs 5 crore on the medical college, which had moved Madhya Pradesh HC, Delhi HC and the SC at various stages and different years to challenge Medical Council of India’s inspection report which found gross deficiencies and recommended rejection of permission for admission to the MBBS course for 2015-16, a year after the college was set up in 2014.

Repeated inspections were ordered by the SC, Delhi HC and Madhya Pradesh HC as the college, after presenting fabricated documents, managed to get provisional nod for admitting 150 students to the second MBBS batch. However, the tricks up its sleeve were exhausted when the time came for admissions to the third batch of MBBS students for the academic year 2017-18.

The SC was informed by senior advocate Vikas Singh and counsel Gaurav Sharma, who appeared for MCI, that the college had repeatedly fudged records and an inquiry had shown that many faculty members purportedly on the payroll actually had their private practice or were working in private hospitals.

The college attempted to wriggle out by tendering an unconditional apology, which was rejected by the bench. Writing the judgment for the bench, Justice Rao said, “S S Kushwaha, dean of RKDF Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, is liable for prosecution under Section 193 IPC. The secretary general of this court is directed to depute an officer to initiate the prosecution in a competent court having jurisdiction in Delhi.” The bench barred the college from admitting any student for two years. It was also directed to pay Rs 1 lakh to each student.

The SC was informed by senior advocate Vikas Singh and counsel Gaurav Sharma, who appeared for MCI, that the college had repeatedly fudged records and an inquiry had shown that many faculty members purportedly on the payroll actually had their private practice or were working in private hospitals

AICTE to cut 40K seats in govt engineering colleges

Aditi.Gyanesh@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:31.01.2019

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has decided to cut 40,000 seats in government colleges across the country. The move comes after state-run engineering colleges have failed to ramp up infrastructure and fix their staff shortage problem.

“The decision to reduce seats has been taken after seeing the lackadaisical attitude and negligence of state governments in changing the condition of state-run engineering colleges. They have failed to recruit faculty and provide proper infrastructure,” Anil Sahasrabuddhe, AICTE chairman, told TOI.

He warned that the seat cut will continue if states are not able to act fast and work on the staff crunch and infrastructure problem at the earliest. “About eight states have already taken some action; we’re waiting for the others,” he added.

However, the seat-cut is not just because of inadequate action by colleges. The demand for engineering course has also been sliding. Across India, 50% engineering seats were vacant in 2018. AICTE has also decided not to approve any new engineering colleges for next two years.

However, approval for additional seats and new programmes in existing institutions will be granted based on capacity utilization.

The AICTE is also forming a review committee to look into pharmacy colleges. The accreditation body has seen a boom in applications from states to open new ones every year. Sahasrabuddhe hinted at the similar measure for management schools too.

Every year, about 10 lakhs engineering seats are available across India.

The move comes after state-run engineering colleges have failed to ramp up infrastructure and fix their staff shortage problem

UGC directs colleges to pay ₹50,000 to guest faculty

Sambath.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Trichy:31.01.2019

While the state government is yet to adopt a decade-old guideline of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to enhance the monthly honorarium of guest faculty members in arts and science colleges up to ₹25,000, the commission has now doubled the honorarium in its new guidelines issued on Monday.

Guest faculty across university-run constituent arts and science colleges and government arts colleges in TN get a monthly salary of ₹15,000. There are about 2,400 guest faculty in 41 constituent colleges and more than 1,600 in government arts colleges. Their salary has remained the same for years.

“UGC must make adoption of guidelines mandatory for getting funds,” said A Senthil Kumar, general secretary, TN government constituent college guest lecturers’ association. He raised concern over a UGC move allowing superannuated teachers to be hired as guest faculty up to 70 years. This would affect the prospects of existing guest faculty, he said.

“We have been pleading for salary hike for several years,” said another guest faculty member of a constituent college under Bharathidasan University. “Manonmaniam Sundaranar University pays ₹20,000 a month to guest faculty in its constituent colleges. Other state universities, including Bharathidasan, refuse to do so,” he said.

TN Government College Teachers Association vice-president G Ramesh said, “We were informed that the state is to increase the honorarium to ₹25,000 in a few weeks. We will ask the state to increase the honorarium further as teachers cannot be exploited.”

Woman’s leg stuck in toilet on train, freed

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.01.2019

There was a flutter at Chennai Central Railway Station on Tuesday evening when a woman’s leg got stuck in the steel commode of a western toilet on a train. Soon, police, railway workers and paramedics rushed into the toilet of the Hyderabad-bound Charminar Express, cut open the commode and freed Bejjenki Bharathamma.

After her ‘rescue’, the 40-year-old, a native of Andhra Pradesh who lived in the city and was on a visit home, decided to cancel her trip. The train, which was scheduled to depart at 6.10pm, finally left after a delay of around 35 minutes, police said.

Preliminary inquiries by police revealed that Bharathamma had boarded the train well ahead of its scheduled departure and decided to use the toilet when the accident occurred. She got on to the commode when she slipped and her leg got stuck. The woman, despite being caught in an uncomfortable position, managed to open the door and began screaming for help. A few of her co-passengers called the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel.

Immediately, an RPF team and some Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel along with some Southern Railway technicians rushed to the spot after alerting the paramedical staff at the Apollo Emergency Care Centre at the station.

“It was a task for the paramedical staff as the steel commode had to be removed without damaging the woman’s leg that was trapped inside,” said a police officer.

Using power equipment, the paramedics removed the commode after cutting the sheet covering it in a 10-minute operation. The woman was later taken to the Apollo Emergency Care Centre and administered first aid.

The incident happened on Hyderabad-bound Charminar Express

It was a task for the paramedical staff as the steel commode had to be removed without damaging the woman’s leg that was trapped inside

POLICE OFFICER

17-yr-old sans licence rides bike, run over

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.01.2019

A Class XII student, who was riding his motorbike without a licence and a helmet, was run over by an MTC bus near MMDA Colony on Wednesday morning after being hit by another two-wheeler.

Police who identified the deceased youth as A Alagu Sundaram said he was going to an ATM kiosk when the accident occurred.

Sundaram usually took a bus to school. On Wednesday morning he asked his friends to wait at the bus stop while he went to the ATM booth near his house. He was 200 metres from hishouse, at MMDA Colony Main Road junction, when a biker rammed his two wheeler.

He lost control of the bike, fell down and came under the rear wheels of a MTC bus (15G). He died on the spot. The MTC driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. A few passersby informed the Anna Nagar traffic police who sent his body to the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital for postmortem.

The Anna Nagar police registered a case of causing death due to negligence against the unknown biker and the MTC bus driver and launched a hunt for both. “We checked the CCTV camera footage and found the involvement of both biker and MTC bus,” said an investigating officer.

“Sundaram was a state-level chess champion and often travelled to Delhi and Kolkata for competitions,” said Manimekalai, one of his teachers. Sundaram’s father Amuthan, a native of Karaikudi, runs a hotel in the MMDA colony

Three offer auto ride to senior citizen, rob her
Suspects Warn Her Against Going To Police
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.01.2019

Three women attacked and robbed an elderly woman after offering her a ride in an autorickshaw at Mylapore on Tuesday. The victim Kasturi, a resident of Pallavan Street in Abiramapuram, was headed to the Mundaga Kanni Amman temple in Mylapore when the trio who came in an auto made small talk with the woman to trap her.

They began by asking the route to a place in the locality. They also asked Kasturi where was she going and offered her a ride till the temple. Even though a little reluctant at the beginning, Kasturi eventually accepted the offer.

The women made her sit inbetween them in the auto. As the autorickshaw crossed Gramani Street, the women threatened the elderly woman and snatched her four and a half sovereigns gold chain.

They then dropped her near the temple and threatened her with dire consequences if she lodged complained to the police.

Later, the woman lodged a complaint at the Abiramapuram police station. Based on her complaint, police have registered a case and launched a hunt for the suspects and the autorickshaw driver, who is believed to have colluded with the women.

Similar cases have been reported in recent months where the modus operandi has been to offer ride to unsuspecting pedestrians and then make away with their valuables.

The victims in most cases are elderly people.

Earlier on January 24, another elderly woman Padmavathi was robbed off in a similar fashio in Kellys. Police are verifying if the same gang operated in Abiramapuram too.

1. The three-women gang comes in an autorickshaw and approaches Kasturi waiting for transport to a temple in Mylapore.

2. Though hesitant, she gets into the auto and sits, flanked by the women. They then threaten and snatch her gold chain.

3. The gang then leaves Kasturi near the temple in Mylapore and flees

Court frames charges against Maran brothers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:31.01.2019

Wednesday was a long day for former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran and his elder brother Kalanithi Maran, who spent most of it at the special court for CBI cases in the Madras high court premises in connection with the decade-old illegal telephone exchange case. At the end of the day, the court framed charges against the brothers and five other accused, which included criminal conspiracy and offences under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.

At around 4 pm, the XIV additional judge for CBI cases R Vasanthi said offences under section 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) read with 409 (criminal breach of trust), 467, 471and 477 of IPC and sections13(2) read with13 (1)(c) and 13(1)(d) of the PC Act are framed against A1– Dayanidhi Maran.

The case was list for hearing on Wednesday at10.30 am as the first item in the day’s list. When the court commenced proceeding, counsel for the accused produced a copy of the high court order and submitted that the trial court should hear the submissions of all seven accused individually and that charges should not be framed without hearing them.

When the judge asked whether all the accused are present, counsel said that Maran brothers were a bit late and would reach the court anytime.

When the brothers entered the court hall, the judge said she was adjourning the hearing to noon so that she could ‘apply her mind’ and go through the high court order.

When the case was taken up at noon, Dayanidhi appeared in person and submittedthattheentire casewas politically motivated, and that the CBI had no material evidence to prove he had abused his powers as minister.

Kalanithi, who also presented his submissions in person, said that in the 6000-page chargesheet there was not a single mention of his name and that he was dragged into the case only because he was Dayanidhi’s brother. “I am being made a scapegoat in the case. The intention is to destroy my TV channel,” he said.

After hearing all the seven accused, the judge once again adjourned the hearing to 3 pm to ‘apply her mind’ on the submissions made.

At 3 pm, she read out the charges framed against all the accused and asked for their reply. As the accused unanimously pleaded not guilty and‘opted for trial’, the court posted the case to February 19 for commencement of trial. According to the CBI, Dayanidhi as union minister misused his office and installed a private telephone exchange at his residence in Chennai and utilised the facility for business transactions of Sun TV causing a loss of 1.78 crore to the exchequer.

Kalanithi Maran (L) and Dayanidhi Maran leaving the CBI court on Wednesday