More Rajdhani services from tomorrow

12/09/2019,AJEET MAHALE MUMBAI

The Central Railway (CR) will increase the frequency of the Rajdhani Express, which runs from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Hazrat Nizamuddin station in Delhi.

The service, which runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays, will now run on Mondays and Fridays too.

Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal will inaugurate the additional service at CSMT on Friday, along with other amenities.

Scolded over video game, boy ends life

12/09/2019, STAFF REPORTER,VISAKHAPATNAM

A 15-year-old boy allegedly ended his life after his parents scolded him for spending too much time playing PUBG in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.

Inspector Pydapu Naidu said Lohith’s parents reportedly reprimanded him over his addiction to the game. “Lohith was spending too much time on his mobile phone playing PUBG. His parents were worried about his addiction and they confiscated his mobile phone recently. Lohith went into depression and allegedly consumed pesticide on August 21. He was undergoing treatment at King George Hospital and succumbed on Wednesday,” Mr. Naidu said.

A case has been registered under Section 174 CrPC (unnatural death), Mr. Naidu said.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) has gained a reputation for being a wildly addictive game, and has stoked a debate across the country on whether it should be banned. Calls for a ban increased in the wake of a number of teenagers and adolescents ending their lives after being confronted by their families over their addiction to the game.

There have also been incidents of youngsters killing their family members after their phones were confiscated in a bid to stop their addiction to the game. The incident has sent shockwaves in Visakhapatnam as is the first time that it witnessed a case of suicide related to gaming addiction.

Those battling suicidal thoughts are urged to contact police helpline 100 for counselling.

Narrow escape for 40 as boat capsizes in Kollidam river

12/09/2019, C. JAISANKAR ,ARIYALUR

As many as 40 persons had a narrow escape after a boat capsized in the Kollidam river near Melaramanallur in Ariyalur district on Wednesday.

The group, including 14 women of a few villages in Thanjavur district, had gone to Melaramanallur, an islet in the Kollidam river, to attend a temple function.

A motorised boat that ferried them on their way back developed a technical snag and subsequently the boat capsized in the river in full flow after about 20,000 cusecs of surplus water was released from the Mukkombu Upper Anicut.

While the male passengers of the boat managed to swim to safety, women passengers struggled for a while before residents of neighbouring Karuppur village rescued them despite darkness setting in. The Fire and Rescue Service personnel also joined them in the rescue operation. A Senior police officer told The Hindu that all aboard the boat were rescued.

Married in the presence of their Amma

AIADMK functionary arranges son’s wedding at former CM Jayalalithaa’s memorial

12/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Steeped in symbolism: Floral arrangements were made to resemble the party’s Two Leaves symbol.

The burial site of late All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa on the Marina beachfront here was decorated with flowers on Wednesday morning. However, this time, no leader was visiting to announce a major decision of his career. Instead, a young couple arrived to get married.

The bridegroom’s father and AIADMK functionary, S. Bavani Sankar, said, “I have been an ardent fan of our Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (Jayalalithaa). I badly wanted her to come for my son’s wedding but fate took her away from this world rather soon! Still, we didn’t want to give up, so we arranged the wedding there [at the memorial] to get her blessings,”

During the auspicious time of 9 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the bridegroom, S. B. Sambasivaraman alias Sathish, married R. Deepika in the presence of senior AIADMK functionaries, including Tamil Magan Hussain and former Minister S. Gokula Indira, at Jayalalithaa’s memorial. The floral arrangements were made to resemble the party’s Two Leaves symbol, and Jayalalithaa’s portrait was garlanded.

“I will never forget this day. Even if we had arranged the wedding in a hall, it would not have been this special. We felt as if Amma has personally blessed our children. We have also arranged for a reception in the evening,” said Mr. Sankar, who recalled having been a strong supporter of Jayalalithaa since his youth. “I was so upset when Amma announced she was quitting politics, and happy when she returned.”

Other party leaders were unable to attend as they were away. AIADMK co-coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was in Salem to attend a private function, and party coordinator O. Panneerselvam could not make it, though their names figured in the wedding invitation.

“I hope they will attend the reception,” Mr. Sankar said.

Rain creates new falls in Yercaud forests

Forest officials warn people against bathing at such spots

12/09/2019, STAFF REPORTER ,SALEM

One of the newly-formed waterfalls in Yercaud.E. Lakshmi Narayanan

Heavy rain in Yercaud has led to new waterfalls forming at various places in the foothills. Sensing that tourists might make a beeline to such spots, Forest Department officials have warned the public against trespassing into forest areas and bathing at such falls.

The mini falls are located deep inside the forests, and people find these places ideal picnic spots. As these falls are located at least three to four kilometres inside the forests, people have to trek to these spots. Forest officials said people could not get to these areas without obtaining proper permission from the department.

District Forest Officer A. Periasamy discouraged the public from taking out trips to these places as they were located in the reserve forest areas. Entering these places without permission would amount to trespass and would attract action, he said.

Chidambaram moves Delhi High Court for bail
He has been under detention for 21 days in INX Media case

12/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

P. Chidambaram

Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, who has been under detention for 21 days in connection with the INX Media case, approached the Delhi High Court on Wednesday seeking regular bail.

Mr. Chidambaram, in his petitions that also challenged a trial court order remanding him in judicial custody till September 19, has said that he is being prosecuted for his being a political opponent of the party in power.

The 74-year-old said he is a senior spokesperson of the Congress and has been vocal, both in his speeches and writings, in his opposition to the BJP-led coalition government.

“...the instant criminal proceeding is mala fide and is born out of political vendetta, and that the investigating agency is acting at the behest of the Central government, which wants to malign the untainted and unimpeachable reputation of the petitioner,” the plea said. It is scheduled to come up for hearing before Justice Suresh Kumar Kait on Thursday.

Mr. Chidambaram was first arrested on August 21 from his residence in Delhi by the CBI.

The case relates to a first information report (FIR) registered by the CBI on May 15, 2017 against alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance provided to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of ₹305 crore in 2007, when Mr. Chidambaram was Finance Minister. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also investigating the alleged offence of money laundering arising out of the FIR.

“As far as FIPB cases were concerned, the petitioner (Chidambaram) approved only those cases that were recommended by the FIPB and put up to the petitioner by the Secretary, Economic Affairs,” the petition said.

Mr. Chidambaram said that during the period when he was in CBI custody, he was confronted with five officers of the Finance Ministry, who were involved in the processing of the FIPB file pertaining to INX Media.

“All of the aforesaid persons have affirmed the correctness of the approval granted to INX Media. Neither of them has alleged any illegality in the approval,” his petition said.

He said the CBI and ED had not found “even an iota of evidence of any payment by INX Media or INX News to the Petitioner or to his son Karti P. Chidambaram, co-accused in the subject FIR.”

Mr. Chidambaram said there was no likelihood of him absconding and not being available for trial.

SC asks man to prove bona fide after conversion

He had changed religion for marriage

12/09/2019, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked a man, who converted from Islam to Hinduism to marry a Hindu girl, to prove his bona fide.

Noting that he must be “a loyal husband and not only a great lover”, a Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and M.R. Shah explained that the court has asked him to prove his good intentions by filing an affidavit only in order to secure the girl’s future and safety.

“We want to know whether he has converted for marriage or otherwise... We are not averse to this kind of living together. We are all for inter-faith and inter-caste marriages,” the Bench remarked orally.

The case was heard on an appeal filed by the girl’s parents for their daughter. They moved the court after the Chhattisgarh High Court recorded the 24-year-old girl’s willingness to live with her ‘husband.’

The girl’s father, represented by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, submitted that the marriage was a sham. The man had changed his name merely for the purpose of marriage. He had returned to the fold of Islam.

Mr. Rohatgi said “around 70 policemen came and took her (the girl) away.”

“Have you changed your name? Have you taken all legal steps to change the name?” the Bench asked the boy’s counsel and senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi.

Mr. Dwivedi said the court cannot intervene in the choice of a woman to decide whom to live her life with. The lawyer quoted the Hadiya case decision of the Supreme Court, which said the right to choice of partner is part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21.

“I will file affidavit on bona fide within three days,” Mr. Dwivedi responded.