Celebrating the return of Athi Varadar at Kanchi

The Hindu’svolume honours the iconic idol and temple

14/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

The cover of the book brought out by The Hindu Group. The book traces the history of the Sri Varadaraja Swamy temple.

The celebrations of the once-in-40 years Athi Varadar festival held at the Sri Varadaraja Swamy temple in Kancheepuram have been chronicled in book form by The Hindu Group for devotees to cherish for a lifetime.

The comprehensive book traces the 1,300-year history of the Sri Varadaraja Swamy temple and the devotees’ tryst with the Athi Varadar idol, which is made of fig wood, during the 48-day celebrations held from July 1 to August 17 this year. More than a crore of devotees from various parts of Tamil Nadu and the rest of the country are said to have attended.

Embellished with details

The book, The Awakening: Athi Varadar 2019 is a rich cornucopia of historical details embellished by several colour photos of the Athi Varadar idol, in both lying and standing postures. For devotees, this will be a collector's item. The book not only has details of Athi Varadar but also valuable historical information, including the temple's origin during the Pallava period, its development in the Chola era and its pinnacle during the Vijayanagara period.

Comprising a compilation of articles by several writers, the book takes the reader on a tour of the various shrines, mantapas, sculptures, inscriptions, murals, and carvings in the famous temple.

While the book is priced at ₹250, it is available at a launch offer of 20% discount till September 15. The copies of the book are available at the offices of The Hindu and can be ordered online at the The Hindu publications website: https://publications.thehindugroup.com/bookstore.

Boy tries to sexually assault teacher in Pachamalai

14/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,TIRUCHI

A 16-year-old boy allegedly attempted to sexually assault a teacher, aged around 30 years and working in a residential school run by Tribal Welfare department at Marudhai, when she was walking towards a bus stop on Pachamalai hills a few days ago.

The boy, who was drunk and armed with a knife, snatched some money from her, and tried to assault her sexually, said the police. She screamed and the boy fled from the spot. He was picked up and the District Tribal Welfare Officer conducted an inquiry. On Thursday, the teacher lodged a police complaint.

High Court slams officials for not cracking down on flex boards

‘How much more human blood do bureaucrats expect roads to be painted with’

14/09/2019, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Appalled over the menace of illegal flex boards having claimed many lives and caused injuries to several others over the years, the Madras High Court on Friday asked how many more litres of human blood do the bureaucrats expect the roads to be painted with before they pull up their socks and begin taking stringent action against the ubiquitous illegality.

Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and N. Seshasayee came down heavily on the local body as well as police officials for having failed to implement in letter and spirit multiple orders passed by the court directing them to prevent erection of flex boards put up in public places without authorisation from officials concerned, including the traffic police.

Taking serious note of the death of 22-year-old R. Subasri at Pallikaranai here on Thursday, Justice Seshasayee asked: “Is this the value that the life of a citizen has in this country? Why are bureaucrats so insensitive?”

‘Bureaucratic apathy’

Impressing upon the need to think of the significant contribution that the youngster could have made in the development of the country had she not died due to the freak accident, the judge said: “There is zero respect for lives in this country. It’s sheer bureaucratic apathy. Sorry to say that we, or at least I, have lost faith in the government.”

The judges also questioned as to how anyone could console the victim’s parents who had lost their only child. Pointing out that a youngster was killed in a similar accident in Coimbatore in December 2017, Justice Sathyanarayanan questioned why the officials did not implement orders passed by the then Chief Justice Indira Banerjee against illegal flex boards.

“You allow the crime to be committed and then run after the criminals. Where were the officials doing when huge number of flex boards were erected (on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road in Pallikaranai) without permission? A precious life has been lost merely because of sheer irresponsibility of the bureaucrats,” Justice Seshasayee added.

Blaming the politicians for erecting a majority of the illegal flex boards across the State, the judge said, the party leaders should instruct their cadres not to indulge in such practices. “It must be the State’s resolve to prevent illegal flex boards. Will the Chief Minister issue a statement against flex boards?” the judge asked and passed over the hearing.

Later, in the post lunch session, they were informed that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M.K. Stalin as well as the AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami had issued statements asking their party cadres not to erect flex boards in the future.

After recording the submission made in the court, the judges insisted that parties should also file affidavits to that effect. In the meantime, A.K. Viswanathan, Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police and Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash rushed to the court to give instructions to Advocate General (A-G) Vijay Narayan.

Making his submissions on instructions, the A-G told the court that the Chennai city police as well as the corporation have decided to collaborate to keep a check on illegal flex boards and that traffic policemen in the city would be given the responsibility of preventing and reporting erection of flex boards without any authorisation.

Justice Seshasayee asked the government to also ascertain ways and means to sensitise the general public and make them give up such practices.

Medico found dead

His room-mate spotted him lying unconscious

14/09/2019, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

A postgraduate student pursuing first year in the Department of Anaesthesiology at Government Rajaji Hospital here was found dead in his room late on Thursday night.

Police identified the student as U. Udhayaraj, 29, of Virudhachalam.

He was staying in Mathichiyam. A senior police officer monitoring the case said the student’s room-mate spotted Udhayaraj lying unconscious.

The body was handed over to the relatives after postmortem.

A case under Section 174 of Cr.Pc has been registered.

Those who require assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts may contact State’s health helpline 104 or Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.

Thoothukudi flight diverted to Madurai
14/09/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,TIRUNELVELI

Sharp showers in Thoothukudi airport for about 30 minutes forced officials to divert Chennai–Thoothukudi flight to Madurai on Friday afternoon.

When Chennai–Thoothukudi Spicejet flight that left Chennai at 1.15 p.m. was about to land at Thoothukudi at 2.30 p.m. with 57 passengers, showers lashed the area. Hence, it was diverted to Madurai owing to poor visibility.

As rain stopped shortly after 3.15 p.m., the flight took off from Madurai and landed at Thoothukudi at 4.20 p.m. The flight which used to leave Thoothukudi at 3.10 p.m. on its return journey, left for Chennai at 4.40 p.m. with 66 passengers.

I lost my daughter to the banner culture: father

14/09/2019, R. SIVARAMAN,CHENNAI

Caught on camera: A video grab showing the speeding water tanker that ran over Subasri after the banner fell on her.

“She was my only daughter and we have lost her now. She was like a tree to us. The tree is uprooted now. This should not happen to any family,” said Ravi, father of Subasri, who died in a tragic road accident on Thursday.

“I lost my daughter due to the banner culture. The banner collapsed on her and she fell. The tanker lorry ran over her and she died on the spot,” he added.

Subasri was riding her two-wheeler on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road in Pallikaranai, on her way back home on Thursday afternoon, when the banner erected by C. Jayagopal, an AIADMK functionary, for his son’s wedding, fell on her.

On Friday, the Pallikaranai police booked a case against Mr. Jayagopal, a former AIADMK councillor, under the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act of 1959.

Rash driving

The city traffic police produced the driver of the private tanker before a court, and remanded him in judicial custody.

He was booked for rash and negligent driving causing death.

“Lorry drivers drive very fast. The traffic police should control them. People are saying that if the lorry driver had slowed his vehicle, my daughter would have escaped,” said Mr. Ravi.

Saranya, Subasri’s classmate, said: “I was travelling in a share auto on the same road. The lorry was being driven very fast. When I passed by the road seconds after the accident, I did not realise that Subasri was killed. Only after reaching home, I learnt from the TV about her death. I was shocked.” A pall of gloom descended upon Bhavani Nagar, Nemilicheri, where Subasri’s house is located. Her colleagues, her father’s colleagues, relatives and neighbours were seen visiting the house.

CCTV camera footage that showed the banner falling on the 22-year-old went viral on social media platforms on Friday. After the banner fell on her, the tanker is seen moving forward in full speed.

Another video shows a few youth taking her body in a minivan to a hospital.

Soon after the accident, AIADMK cadre removed hoardings from the median. Based on a complaint from Corporation authorities, the Pallikaranai police registered a case against persons who put up the banners.

Traffic investigation personnel booked a case against Mr. Jayagopal under Sections 304 A, 336 and 279 of the IPC.

Court asks State govt. to pay ₹5 lakh to Subasri’s family

‘Recover it from officials who didn’t act against flex boards’

14/09/2019, MOHAMED IMRANULLAH S.,CHENNAI

A day after 22-year-old R. Subasri was run over by a water tanker at Pallikaranai in Chennai after an illegal flex board fell on her while she was riding her two-wheeler, the Madras High Court on Friday directed the State government to pay interim compensation of ₹5 lakh to her family. Subasri was the only child of her parents.

Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and N. Seshasayee ordered that the money be recovered from the government officials who failed to prevent AIADMK functionary C. Jayagopal from erecting flex boards on the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam radial road for his son’s marriage.

Action against officials

The judges ordered that appropriate action be initiated against Corporation as well as police officials who turned a blind eye to the erection of the flex boards by the ruling party functionary without obtaining permission from the local body and the traffic police.

The judges took cognisance of the woman’s death while hearing a contempt of court plea filed by activist ‘Traffic’ K.R. Ramaswamy earlier this year.