Fake US varsity paid Telugu hirers Rs 2.1 crore

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | COREENA SUARES
PublishedFeb 3, 2019, 12:26 am IST

The eight student recruiters had conspired to help at least 600 foreign citizens stay on in the United States illegally.

The eight reportedly earned $3,00,000 (around Rs 2.1 crore) through enrolment, a source based in the US told this newspaper.

Hyderabad: The eight recruiters from the two Telugu states, whom the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has charged with conspiracy in aiding at least 600 foreign citizens to illegally stay in the US, will be produced before a US criminal court on February 4.

The eight reportedly earned $3,00,000 (around Rs 2.1 crore) through enrolment, a source based in the US told this newspaper.

They face imprisonment. The US Homeland Security, in an undercover operation, created a fake university in Farmington Hills to lure foreign students who were trying to stay in the US illegally.

The eight, Barath Kakireddy of Florida, Suresh Kandala of Virginia, Phanideep Karnati of Kentucky, Prem Rampeesa of North Carolina, Santosh Sama of Califor-nia, Avinash Thakkalla-pally of Pennsylvania, Aswanth Nune of Georgia and Naveen Prathipati of Texas, worked like recruiters and helped portray the foreign citizens as students and got them enrolled into the fake university.

“Along with the attorneys and consulate diplomats, representatives of TANA visited the students who are currently lodged in 121 detention centres across the US,” said Mr Ashok Kolla, joint treasurer of Telugu Association of North America.

“Those detained are placed for deportation. The respective attorneys will be approaching the immigration judge for their voluntary departure notice on Monday. While they are lodged in different prisons, the attorneys have rendered legal advice. The messages from these students were conveyed to the Indian Ambassador to the US and an emergency message has been sent out, asking attorneys to come forward and help the detained,” Mr Kolla said.

He added: “Out of the eight students charged by ICE and facing criminal charges, one is lodged in the Tailor Municipality – Detroit, while the others are in different prisons. Out of the eight, five are from Telangana and three from Andhra Pradesh. They will be produced before the criminal court at 1 clock eastern time on Monday. Initially, the eight will be provided a public prosecutor. Also, the Indian Consulate general of Chicago will be meeting them on February 4.”

The Indian Consulate in Houston staff, along with an attorney and representatives of the North American Telugu Association, visited the detention centre at Dallas. Eight Indian students are currently lodged in Dallas prison. Seven of them are male and all from Hyderabad and Khammam in Telangana state and a few from Andhra Pradesh. The girl student is from North India. Attorney Geetha Tamana has rendered legal advice to those in Dallas

“For now, the attorneys have sought details of students and will be seeking voluntary departure from the Immigration Judge. Several students have already been served notices to appear before the immigration judge. Of the total detained, 80 per cent are Telugu,” said a source.

Monkey that injured over a dozen people in Nagapattinam tranquillised

On the third day of the operation, the officials tranquillised the monkey after it entered an under-construction house on Kanni Kovil Street.

Published: 03rd February 2019 02:20 AM


The captured monkey in Thennalakudi, near Sirkazhi, on Saturday. | Express Photo Services
By Express News Service

NAGAPATTINAM: The monkey that had terrorised Thennalakudi, near Sirkazhi, for almost a month was tranquillised in a joint-operation on Saturday.

“At least 30 people, including forest officials from Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur; officials from Veterinary College and Research Institute (VCRI) in Orathanadu, Thanjavur; and villagers, took part in the three-day hunt for the monkey, which is no longer a threat to public,” said District Forest Officer Naga Sathish Gidijala.

On the third day of the operation, the officials tranquillised the monkey after it entered an under-construction house on Kanni Kovil Street.

The villagers who had fled their houses and taken refuge in temples heaved a sigh of relief.
At least 20 people were attacked by the monkey.

TV Kaliyamurthy, the village head, requested officials to catch the dogs bitten by the monkey as there are chances of their spreading rabies and requested treatment for the injured.

Man loses two cars in one year from same spot

Hemani Bhandari

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 03, 2019 00:00 IST

The second car which was stolen on Thursday.Special Arrangement

Thefts took place amid high-security arrangements: victim

In a crime involving too many coincidences, a businessman’s new SUV got stolen on Thursday from the same parking lot where his old SUV was lifted from around a year ago.

Pawan Gupta (40), who runs an event management business and lives with his family in Mandawali, said his old SUV was stolen amid high-security around Republic Day last year.

In April 2018, he bought the same model of the car again, which he had parked at the same spot on Wednesday morning and saw it for the last time at night.

“I had to go to my mother’s house nearby. I was about to leave around 7 a.m., when I realised my car was gone,” he said.

FIR difficulties

The victim called the police and informed them about the incident on Thursday.

They asked him to visit Mandawali police station. The officer at the station, however, told him to report it online. “Their server was down the whole day and I could not register. On Friday, I went to the police station again and got the FIR registered online,” he said.

Mr. Gupta said he was told that he would get a message regarding the investigating officer of the case, but has not received one yet.

Mr. Gupta also claimed that the matter was hardly investigated into last year, but that he had received an order from the court after which his claim was passed. “The attitude of the police towards the case was extremely callous last year,” he alleged.

The victim alleged that the theft was committed despite regular police patrol in the area. “Every night, the police patrol our area and still thieves are managing to flee with cars. Recently, another car was stolen in the area,” he claimed.

The victim said that his colony has a security guard, but he does not show up regularly.

“I don’t know whether I should buy another car or not. I have also started to wonder if I should change my house,” Mr. Gupta said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Jasmeet Singh said, “We are scanning CCTV footage of the area to ascertain the identity of the accused. We will also see what went into the investigation last year.”

I don’t know whether I should buy another car or not. I have also started to wonder if I should change my house

Pawan Gupta

Car owner

A strip of wood removed from man’s abdomen

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TIRUCHI, FEBRUARY 03, 2019 00:00 IST

It penetrated him during accident

A team of doctors at Kauvery Hospitals, Cantonment, Tiruchi, successfully removed a strip of wood that had penetrated through the abdomen of a lorry driver during a road accident recently.

After a successful surgery and post-operative treatment, the 30-year-old driver, Thamarai Kannan of Vedasundur in Dindigul district, is back to his profession now.

Addressing a press conference, doctors of the hospital said that a wooden strip, nearly one feet in length, had penetrated the abdomen of Thamarai Kannan from the back. The injury was accentuated by the presence of multiple nails on the wood, resulting in severe damage to his vertebrae, intestines and other organs.

A team of doctors headed by S.Velmurugan, Head, Gastroenterology Department, and Jos Jasper, Head, Brain and Spine Centre, performed a complex surgery by first removing the wooden strip from the vertebra and then repairing the damages to the abdomen.

“Treating a polytrauma case is always a challenge and we are happy to have treated the patient successfully and help him to resume his profession within four months,”said Dr.Velmurugan.

“Dislodging the wooden strip without affecting the nerve connections was a big challenge,”observed Dr.Jos Jasper. D.Senguttuvan, Executive Director of the hospital, said that multi-disciplinary approach had helped the accident victim get back to his profession in quick time.

The hospital has also successfully treated a morbidly obese patient weighing 191 kg recently. The patient had lost 88 kg in 12 months and is now leading a normal life with substantial improvement in the quality of life, the doctors said.

Hospital gets better amenities

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

THANJAVUR, FEBRUARY 03, 2019 00:00 IST

The inauguration of the 290-bed super speciality blocks at the Government Medical College Hospital here recently has augmented its treatment facilities for patients.

It attracts thousands of outpatients every day and treats about 2000 inpatients on any given day.

Now with the new super speciality blocks, housing 90 intensive care unit beds, where additional beds for departments such as Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Urology, Nephrology, Gastroenterology, Vascular Surgery and operation theatres, have been provided, the hospital is all set to provide a holistic treatment to the people of this region comprising the core delta districts, besides those from neighbouring Pudukottai, Tiruchi, Perambalur and Ariyalur districts.

Among these blocks, constructed at a total cost of Rs. 150 crore of which Rs. 120 crore was contributed by the Union Government, registration of patients, radiology department, ICU, ICCU and operation theatres are housed in the first block. While Rs. 80 crore was spent for infrastructure facilities and electrical provisions, Rs. 55 crore was spent for setting up of the departments, laboratories, blood bank, Rs. 80 lakh for fire fighting equipment, Rs. 50 lakh for solar power provisioning, and Rs. 30 lakh each for installation of closed circuit cameras and communication facilities.

BSNL to launch 4G services in Salem, Coimbatore

STAFF REPORTER

SALEM/COIMBATORE, FEBRUARY 03, 2019 00:00 IST

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will soon launch 4G services in Salem and Coimbatore cities and asked its customers to replace the SIM cards before February 10.

According to a press release from the BSNL, its mobile customers need to have mobile handsets capable of supporting 4G services and also have BSNL 4G SIM for their handsets. All the 3G customers in the two cities should replace the existing 2G/3G SIMs with a new 4G SIM before the launch of 4G services.

The release asked all its customers in Salem Urban and Coimbatore to approach their nearest BSNL Customer Service Centres and get their SIM replaced by a 4G SIM free of cost before February 10. They need to bring their ID card in original and a photo copy of the same, the release added. For further information, contact 0427- 2412795 (Salem) and 0422-2431800 (Coimbatore).

Hardship unavoidable: Minister

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, FEBRUARY 03, 2019 00:00 IST



The new park that was inaugurated by Minister for Cooperation 'Sellur' K. Raju in Madurai on Saturday.G. MoorthyG_Moorthy

Minister for Cooperation ‘Sellur’ K. Raju on Saturday said that some hardship to the public was unavoidable during the reconstruction of Periyar Bus Stand in the city under the Smart Cities Mission.

Addressing the media after inaugurating a park at Ramanasri Garden at Kovalan Nagar, he said that the public would gladly accept these hardship keeping in mind development of the city in the long run.

Periyar Bus Stand, the crucial hub for town buses in the city, was closed last week to commence construction of a new bus terminal at a cost of around Rs. 150 crore.

Concerns had been raised over alternative arrangements made for the construction that is expected to take at least 18 months.

Mr. Raju, however, added that Madurai Corporation and the district administration were making all possible alternative arrangements to ensure that the difficulties to the public were reduced to the maximum extent possible. “Even for the shops located inside the bus stand, we have provided alternative places to set up shops temporarily till the construction is over,” he added.

Earlier, he inaugurated a newly constructed park at Ramanasri Garden at a cost of Rs. 65.91 lakh and measuring 23,760 square feet.

Another new park at a cost of Rs. 63.81 lakh, measuring 20,138 square feet, was inaugurated at Singarayar Colony.

Collector S. Natarajan and Madurai Corporation S. Aneesh Sekhar were present during the inauguration.