HC expresses shock over case of discharged accused getting convicted

Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI, JANUARY 31, 2019 00:00 IST



Says all stakeholders should hang their heads in shame

“Our legal system has made life too easy for the criminals and too difficult for law-abiding citizens. A touch here and a push there, India may become ungovernable in the present constitutional set-up, said eminent jurist N.A. Palkhivala, and the facts of this case validate his sagely prophecy.” This is how the Madras High Court began one of its verdicts on Tuesday.

Justice P.N. Prakash penned the prelude after coming across a shocking case of a trial court having convicted and sentenced a person in a criminal case though he had already been discharged. When an explanation was sought, the judicial officer replied that he had ‘inadvertently’ convicted and punished the first accused instead of the second accused.

What’s more, an appeal was preferred in the name of the discharged accused and the High Court too had suspended the sentence imposed by the trial court. Neither the special public prosecutor concerned nor any other advocate had brought the anomaly to the notice of the court, Justice Prakash lamented.

Long road to trial

He recalled that the case dated back to May 2, 2000, when Shivshankar, a Dalit, lodged a police complaint accusing Nanjappan and Saravanan of having abused him using his caste name and assaulting him. In 2004, a Sessions Court in Krishnagiri district discharged Nanjappan from the case, and that order was not challenged either by the prosecution or the complainant. In the meantime, a non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against Saravanan since he was absconding. It took more than eight years for the police to arrest the absconding accused, and eventually, he was made to face trial in the case in 2008.

Finally, on August 26, 2011, a Sessions Court convicted and sentenced Nanjappan instead of convicting Saravanan.

The trial court had convicted Nanjappan under Section 323 (causing hurt voluntarily) of the IPC and sentenced him to one year of rigorous imprisonment, apart from imposing a fine of Rs. 1,000. Assuming that the punishment had been imposed only against him, Saravanan paid the fine amount and instructed his lawyer to prefer an appeal.

Accordingly, an appeal was preferred in the High Court in the name of Nanjappan in 2011 and the sentence got suspended. The appeal was gathering dust for the last seven years until Justice Prakash took it up for final hearing recently.

“The tragedy is that for the occurrence that took place in the year 2000, the system has not been able to properly acquit or punish the offender till 2019, for which all the stakeholders should hang their head in shame,” the judge said..

Later, the judge remitted the matter to the Dharmapuri Sessions Court for passing judgment afresh within a month.

A smooth ride soon from Tidel Park to ECR

Deepa H. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI, JANUARY 31, 2019 00:00 IST

Work on Thiruvanmiyur grade separator to commence in six months

The decade-long wait for a grade separator in Thiruvanmiyur seems to be coming to an end, with the State government recently notifying the lands required for the proposed 1.3-km-long facility.

Around 8,500 sq. m of land is required for the 4-lane facility that was initially proposed by the Chennai Corporation, but later given up. The Highways Department then decided to take up the work due to increase in traffic on East Coast Road (ECR).

A total of Rs. 54 crore has already been sanctioned for land acquisition by the State government.

Smooth ride

“The grade separator will take off 100 m from the Buckingham Canal at Tidel Park junction on West Avenue and end at the RTO junction on the ECR. It will allow motorists from the Tidel Park side to cross at least four junctions without stopping,” explained an official in the Highways Department. On completion, motorists, who now take over 20 minutes during peak hours to travel the distance, will be able to sail through.

“Since the Thiruvanmiyur bus terminus is on the ECR, on the right, the entry and exit of buses delays traffic. Added to this is the traffic coming in from small roads that join the ECR and buses to Puducherry and beyond that wait near the Marundeeswarar temple,” said M. Ramesh, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur.

Many vehicles avoid this stretch and take internal roads instead, to reach their destinations.

The grade separator will run along the median most of the way. “At the curve, we will take a deviation to the right and then again get onto the median,” explained an engineer associated with the project.

Awaiting valuation

The valuation of lands has to be done and that is likely to take 3-4 months, after which, compensation has to be paid to the 83 landowners.

There are also parcels of government lands that will be alienated.

“After that, tenders will be called for the construction. Work is likely to commence in about six months’ time,” an official said.

It will allow motorists from the Tidel Park side to cross at least four junctions without stopping

DVAC blows lid off school education scam

S. Vijay Kumar

CHENNAI, JANUARY 31, 2019 00:00 IST

Registers case against top officials on charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery and corruption

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on Wednesday exposed serious irregularities in the implementation of major educational projects aimed at enhancing the competency of teachers and learning capabilities of students in 31,322 government and panchayat union primary and middle schools across Tamil Nadu.

The agency registered a case against G. Arivoli, Director, Tamil Nadu State Council of Educational Research and Training; R. Latha, Director, Non-Formal Education; Sangeetha, Asst. Professor, TNSCERT; and others on charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery and corruption.

Govt. staff suspend strike

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, JANUARY 31, 2019 00:00 IST




Duty calls:A teacher is back at work in a government school in Mogappair West, Chennai.M. VedhanM_VEDHAN 

31.01.2019

Jactto-Geo cites upcoming exams, CM’s appeal as reasons


In a relief to students of State-run schools, the general public as well as the government, the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Organisations and Government Employees’ Organisations (Jactto-Geo) on Wednesday announced its decision to “temporarily postpone” its indefinite strike, which has been on since January 22.

Temporary halt

“In view of the upcoming examinations and practical tests for Class 10, 11 and 12 students and in consideration of the welfare of students and the sentiments of their parents, directions of the High Court as well as the appeal of the Chief Minister and other political leaders, we have decided to temporarily suspend our indefinite protest. Our demands remain,” A. Vincent Paulraj, a Jactto-Geo coordinator and Tamil Nadu Teachers Federation General Secretary, announced.

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had on Tuesday appealed to the striking employees and teachers to prioritise welfare works over their rights and return to work. DMK president and leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin too appealed to striking teachers on Wednesday to return to work in view of the examinations.

Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association (TNGEA) general secretary and Jactto-Geo coordinator M. Anbarasu said that the association was still hopeful that the CM would hold talks with them to resolve issues.

Does Knee Pain Keep You Away from what You Love?

Robotic Knee Replacement Surgery, one of the first of its Kind in Tamil Nadu

toi 31.01.2019

Millions of people suffer from osteoarthritis, which occurs when there is a breakdown in the cushioning cartilage between joints, such as the knee. When this cartilage wears down, bones begin to rub against each other causing pain, swelling, stiffness and damage to other parts of the knee. While there is no cure for osteoarthritis, partial or total knee replacements are the common surgical options available today. Robotic Total Knee Replacement Surgery is the latest advancement in the way orthopaedic surgeons perform partial and total knee replacement. Every Robotic procedure has an individualized plan based on each patient’s unique anatomy. The system works in conjunction with the surgeon’s skilled hands to achieve precise positioning of components during surgery. This level of accuracy can help improve the function, feel and potential longevity of the knee implant.

Robotic knee replacement surgery has many definitive benefits over traditional joint replacement surgery: one being, a bone conserving technology as it helps in preserving natural anatomy. It enables the surgeon to operate with enhanced precision even during the most complex procedures and difficult cases. Enhanced precision and lesser bone removal leads to less blood loss, reduced pain, faster and better post-operative outcomes for the patient. Robotic assisted joint replacement is at a much higher level with regards to Patient satisfaction parameters than traditional joint replacement surgery.

Institute of Orthopaedics at SIMS Hospital recently performed two back-to-back successful Robotic total knee replacement surgeries, for the first time in Tamil Nadu on 65 years old patients, both with severe knee pain for over 5 years. These surgeries were done using the NAVIO PFS Robotic surgical system, the latest advanced generation Robotic intervention in joint replacement (developed in the USA) and to the delight of the families, enabled these patients to walk without significant pain within approximately 4 hours of the surgery itself.

Fo more information contact- Dr. Vijay C. Bose, Joint Director & Senior Consultant, Institute of Orthopedics SIMS Hospital 

www.simshospitals.comMobile: 9600133000; Ph. 49211455, Email: enquiry@simshospitals.com

It’s the office canteen that is making you fat

Times of India 31.01.2019

Eatables People Get At Work Generally High In Empty Calories, Salt, Fat And Sugar: Study

Foods eaten in US workplaces — whether purchased in cafeterias, or available to employees for free — are usually unhealthy, say experts.

A survey of what working adults ate over the course of a week found that one in four people got food at work one or more times, and that it was generally high in empty calories, salt, fat and sugar.

These treats included pizza, soft drinks, cookies, brownies, cakes, pies and candy. They added up, on average, to nearly 1,300 calories per week, the study authors report in the ‘Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’.

“The majority of this is not from cafeterias or vending machines but offered for free at social events and meetings,” said lead study author Stephen Onufrak.

Onufrak’s findings are drawn from a nationally-representative sample of 5,200 employed adults who took a survey from the US Department of Agriculture in 2012-2013, which asked what people ate over a seven-day period.

They found that 23% of workers obtained food at work during the week, including 17% who got food for free and 9% who bought food. Among the top contributors to calorie totals in both cases were soft drinks, sandwiches, tortilla and other types of chips, donuts or pastries and candy.

As measured by a standard known as the 2010 Heathy Eating Index (HEI 2010), the workplace foods got an average score of 48.6, which is about the average score found in analyses of menu items at fast food restaurants.

While food obtained at work doesn’t represent the largest part of most people’s diets, about 11% of workers obtained food at work three times per week, and 5% of workers did so five or more times per week. That means millions of employees eat a large number of calories at work regularly, and it could be a significant part of their diet, the authors point out. “Some workers may grab a snack, but others may be relying on work as a major component of their diet,” Onufrak said.

Researchers are now looking at characteristics of worksite wellness programmes and how they can affect nutrition. For example, future worksite policies could create a “healthy meeting rule” that includes healthy options alongside pizza or cake, Onufrak said.

“It would be interesting to know more about the worksite food environment . . . and if worksites do offer more healthful choices but most workers are choosing the less healthful foods,” said Simone French, a researcher at University of Minnesota. 

REUTERS

UNHEALTHY CALORIES

No IoE tag for new institutions till elections

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:31.01.2019

No new institution will get the institute of eminence (IoE) tag, at least till the next elections. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has sought the Centre’s clarification on whether the expert panel’s proposal, which increases the number of institutes of eminence to 30, the process will get delayed as there is “no time left for consultations” in the run-up to the general elections, sources in the HRD ministry said.

The Commission in its meeting on Tuesday discussed extension of IoE tag to 30 institutions, 10 more than initially decided. The UGC decided to ask for a clarification after the Empowered Expert Committee’s (EEC) recommended 19 more universities for IoE status in December 2018, making the list go up to 30.

The government’s original plan was to accord the IoE status to 10 public and 10 private institutes to develop them as worldclass institutions. The 10 government institutions, in addition to autonomy, will also get ₹1,000 crore each from the HRD ministry to achieve world-class status.