The mystery of flight CS772 at Meenambakkam

The chartered Boeing 777LR spent a quiet 10 days at the airport

25/09/2019, MURALI N. KRISHNASWAMY,CHENNAI

The Boeing 777LR had flown in from Copenhagen to Mumbai on September 12 before continuing to Chennai. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT/CRYSTAL AIRCRUISES

When Flight CS772 flew into Meenambakkam on Friday, September 13, 2019, shortly before 1 p.m., it scarcely created a ripple.

But once the aircraft, ‘Crystal Skye’, was parked near a bay near the secondary runway to a distinct buzz and bustle in the ground handling agency concerned, there was realisation that this was a special flight.

The Boeing 777LR had flown in from Copenhagen to Mumbai on September 12 before continuing to Chennai.

Cruise on air

As aircraft go, the 777LR has been called the “most luxuriously appointed aircraft in the private aircraft industry”.

The cabin, with 88 ultra-plush and customised seats, is the byword in luxury travel, replicating the cruise ship experience in the air.

The few who can afford to charter it, can expect customised linen, global Wi-Fi, inflight entertainment options of a comprehensive film and audio bank that includes live television programming and live flight deck-to-airport ground control listening.

Inflight services that have been rated six-star include steam irons and lens cleaners.

The dining experience features Michelin-inspired cuisine along with the services of an inflight chef, a sommelier and mixologist.

The galleys with steam and convection ovens, espresso machines, blenders and ice machines promise gastronomic delights.

The plane has four flight captains and 19 cabin crew well-versed in a number of languages.

The aircraft’s owners — global leisure and hospitality company Genting Hong Kong, which operates in the luxury hospitality industry space — turned down requests by The Hindu for information about the charter, citing “customer confidentiality”.

Sources at Chennai airport, too, declined to comment.

Nolan’s niche

However, the “mystery” was solved when an aviation source in Mumbai said the aircraft had been chartered by the team of the film Tenet, an upcoming Hollywood film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, being shot in around seven countries. The action thriller is scheduled for release next year.

While the star-studded cast was completing its filming schedule in Mumbai, the aircraft was moved to Chennai to be parked and for crew rest.

The aircraft left Chennai for Mumbai early on Monday, September 23, and flew to Los Angeles later in the day.

NEET impersonation: ‘I am a victim of media exaggerations,’ medical student tells Madras high court

TNN | Sep 24, 2019, 04.33 PM IST

MADURAI: The Madras high court on Tuesday adjourned the anticipatory bail plea of a medical college student involved in NEET impersonation.

K V Udit Suriya, a resident of Chennai, moved the high court’s Madurai bench seeking anticipatory bail as the Gandamanur Vilakku police in Theni district registered a case against him under IPC sections 419, 420 and 120 (B) following impersonation in NEET exam.

He stated that a reporter had approached him stating that there were dissimilarities in the photo in the admit card and the hall ticket. He stated that in spite of the explanation, it was reported that there was an impersonation during the exam as someone else had written the exam instead of him.

The student stated that he was not involved in the alleged acts portrayed in the media. If he was arrested, he would be a victim of media exaggerations, the students stated.

He further submitted that as per the averments, all the documents were available with the college authorities and the same was accessible for the investigating agencies and therefore there might not be a necessity for custodial interrogation.

Hence, the petitioner moved the HC seeking anticipatory bail undertaking that he would abide by any conditions put forth by the court and cooperate with the investigation.

When the petition was heard on Tuesday, the state government submitted that the case would be transferred to the CB-CID soon and sought the boy to surrender for inquiry.

Taking note of the submissions, Justice G R Swaminathan orally observed that the allegation was serious in nature. The judge, who gave an option to the petitioner's counsel asking the petitioner to surrender before CB-CID on Friday and if he surrenders, then the anticipatory bail petition would be heard by the court as a bail petition.

Since, the counsel of the petitioner did not respond to the option of surrender, the judge adjourned the case to October 1 for further hearing.

MBBS, BDS admissions: Madras HC dismisses pleas challenging nativity of students ranked under state quota in TN

TNN | Sep 24, 2019, 02.16 PM IST

MADURAI: The Madras high court on Tuesday dismissed four petitions challenging the nativity of 126 candidates who were ranked under 85% state government quota for MBBS/BDS admission.

Four medical aspirants — G Somnath, K Neya, V C Ajithvass and A M Srilaya -- moved the high court seeking to conduct fresh counselling after deleting the names of candidates from other states who were ranked under 85% government quota for MBBS/BDS admission.

During hearing, the court suo motu impleaded all the 126 candidates mentioned by the petitioners and directed them to submit the documents regarding their nativity.

Justice M Sundar observed that 78 of the 126 candidates had proved their nativity and had been relived as parties to the petitions. The others also submitted their documents.

The judge cited that the question of deleting the alleged other state candidates under had clearly become a non- starter as far as the materials before this court was concerned.

"The petitioners have not made out any case for assailing the rank list published and the counselling conducted. There is no ground to direct the selection committee to conduct a fresh counselling," the judge observed.

The judge said a careful perusal of the cut-off marks revealed that even if all the remaining 48 candidates were dislodged, these four writ petitioners would not get admission.

Hence the judge dismissed the petitions citing that they were bereft of merits.

Tamil Nadu govt invites applications for naturopathy consultants

TNN | Sep 24, 2019, 08.54 PM IST

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has invited applications for filling 34 consultant posts sanctioned under the National AYUSH Mission at yoga and naturopathy wellness centres in the state.

Applicants must have a degree or diploma in naturopathy from a recognised university and they should have registered with the Tamil Nadu Board of Indian Medicine, Chennai.

Also, they should be aged between 18 and 57 as on July 1, 2019.

Shortlisted candidates will be engaged on hiring basis at the rate of Rs 1,000 per day (six hours) for six days in a week.

Candidates will be shortlisted based on marks obtained by them as per the modalities framed by the Government Order No 2154, Health and Family Welfare Department dated November 17, 2017.

Interested and eligible candidates can submit filled in forms on or before October 15 at the office of the Director of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, Arignar Anna Government Hospital of Indian Medicine campus, Arumbakkam, Chennai-600 106, through registered or Speed Post along with stamps for Rs 40.

TN submits proposals to start 6 new govt med colleges

Times News Network | Sep 25, 2019, 04.00 AM IST

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has submitted proposals for starting six new government medical colleges in the districts of Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Nilgiris, Dindigul, Tirupur and Namakkal. The proposals were submitted to Union health minister Harsh Vardhan by his state counterpart C Vijaya Baskar in New Delhi on Tuesday.

In August, the cabinet committee on economic affairs had approved setting up of 75 government medical colleges by 2021-22. “These medical colleges are proposed in unserved areas. We have given a list of six districts in Tamil Nadu where there are no government medical colleges,” Vijaya Baskar said.

Now, the state has 23 government medical colleges, including four in Chennai. The state had made a policy decision to increase the number of medical colleges or add seats to existing colleges every year. Proposals for new medical colleges are pending in Perambalur and pressure has been building for new colleges in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram. “All new colleges now have 150 seats. We are also trying to increase the number of MBBS seats to 250 in all existing medical colleges,” he said

High court strength comes down to 57 as another judge retires

Times News Network | Sep 25, 2019, 04.20 AM IST

Chennai: One among the 10 woman judges of the Madras high court, Justice S Ramathilagam, retired on Tuesday after 29-years of service in the state judiciary.

With her retirement, the total strength of the high court has come down to 57 as against the sanctioned strength of 75.

Justice Ramathilagam made the headlines through her order denying anticipatory bail to actor-turned-politician S Ve Shekher, who apprehended arrest in connection with a derogatory post about a journalist forwarded by him on his social media account.

Rejecting Shekher’s application, Justice Ramathilagam had observed that sharing social media posts or forwards is akin to endorsing them.

Noting that no one has any right to abuse women and, if done, it is a violation of rights, she had said that there cannot be any harsher words than this which portrays [that] all working women coming up in life are sacrificing their chastity.

She had added that regularly we see young emotional boys getting arrested for doing these types of activities on social media. Law is the same for everyone and people should not lose faith in the judiciary. Mistakes and crimes are not same. Only children can make mistakes which can be pardoned. If the same is done by elderly people, it becomes an offence, she had said.

Justice Ramathilagam, a native of Coimbatore, entered judicial service in 1991 as a judicial magistrate. In 2013, she was promoted as principal district judge and posted in the Namakkal district court. In 2016, she was made the chief judge, Puducherry.

In September 2017, she was elevated as an additional judge of the Madras high court. In August 2019, she was made as a permanent judge of the high court.

Tiruvarur to Karaikudi: such a long journey for five passengers 

Kathelene Antony 
 
September 24, 2019 04:49 IST

The DEMU train journey between Tiruvarur and Karaikudi junction takes eight hours. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath

Three-coach train encounters 72 level crossings in 148-km stretch

The journey from Tiruvarur to Karaikudi, a 148-km journey aboard the only train — Tiruvarur-Karaikudi DEMU Passenger — is rather a tedious one.

Since none of the 72 level crossings on the stretch have gatekeepers to operate them, the train runs in fits and starts. It stops every now and then for the ‘mobile gatekeepers’ on board to sprint down to close and open the gates to allow the train to pass through.

On the three-coach train are just five passengers, the few who knew the recently revised timings on that day.

“The train timings change often. I keep track of it by reading the schedule on the newspaper regularly,” says K. Rajalakshmi, a passenger travelling to Peravurani from Tiruvarur.

All of the five passengers sit in the first compartment: two of them read a Tamil magazine, while the other three take a nap. “Come sit, it will take a long time to reach, I hope you have food and water in your bag,” says Ms. Rajalakshmi.

The train comes to a screeching halt minutes after it rolls away from the station.

A man gets off from the engine, runs to the gate and turns a lever to close the gates on the level crossing. These “mobile gatemen” appointed by Southern Railway are stationed at the front and back compartments of the three-coach DEMU train to open and close gates 72 times. The ladder on the train, which is a six feet drop, is a steep and unstable one. “It was difficult in my initial days, especially to do it in the blazing sun but now I have gotten used to it,” says M. Madhavan, one of the four mobile gatemen.

The train leaves Tiruvarur at 6 a.m. and reaches Karaikudi at 12.30 p.m. In the return direction, it departs from Karaikudi at 2.30 p.m. and arrives at Tiruvarur at 9.15 p.m.

The passengers, an average of 30 a day, prefer taking the train for its convenience.

Ms. Rajalakshmi took the train as she had heavy luggage to carry. “I cannot get in and out of a bus with four bags, especially because they are usually very crowded and I will have no place to keep them. Besides, on the train, I can sit and stretch my legs comfortably,” she says.

The other four passengers, all men got on the train at Pattukottai to go to Aranthangi for work. “A bus ticket costs ₹70. We cannot afford to pay ₹140 a day, the train is more affordable as it costs only ₹30 a day,” Ahmed Farooq, one of the men, says.

The train service was suspended in 2012 for gauge conversion and the project took eight years to be completed. Despite the hassle, rail users have been pressuring Southern Railway to keep the train running because of its affordability. After several attempts to discontinue it, reduce the number of days of service, the train is now a daily service. Southern Railway recently announced that the service has been extended until February 2020.

“In this age of mass rapid transportation, this kind of arrangement and tedious journey due to lack of manpower is a put off for the public,” says N. Jayaraman, president, Pattukkottai Taluk Railway Passengers' Welfare Association.

“The number of passengers on this train continues to drop because the train has no toilet or pantry facilities. People would not mind the long journey at least if these facilities are made available especially because of the huge difference between the train and bus fares,” says Mr. Jayaraman.

If a passenger needs to travel to Thanjavur, a cab would cost at least ₹1,200 but the train ticket to Tiruvarur from where a connecting train can be taken only costs ₹20.

Officials of Southern Railway sayt they are aware of the issue. “The lack of manpower is not just on this stretch. The railway recruitment is underway and so far we have got nearly 300 employees for our division. But they cannot all be stationed at gates in this stretch. We are looking to put men on each level crossing, but will only be able to do so when the number of trains on this line, including express and passenger trains, increase,” says an official of Tiruchi Division.