Optimal efforts were made to rescue Sujith: CM 

Stalin seeking to mislead people with a political agenda, says Palaniswami

30/10/2019 , Special Correspondent, TIRUCHI

Edappadi K. Palaniswami

Lamenting that two-year-old Sujith Wilson had died despite the ‘optimal’ utilisation of technology and manpower in the rescue operation, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday sought the people’s fullest cooperation in closing down defunct borewells and preventing such incidents in the future.

Mr. Palaniswami announced ₹10 lakh as compensation from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to the bereaved family. Another ₹10 lakh will be provided on behalf of the AIADMK, he said. “We are saddened that Sujith died despite our best efforts,” he said. Ministers had camped at the village to oversee the rescue operation, and experts drawn from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, the Neyveli Lignite Corporation, the National Institute of Technology and Anna University had explored all possible means to rescue Sujith. At no time in the past has the government handled an incident of this nature with the deployment of technology on such a scale, the Chief Minister said after offering condolences to the bereaved. The operation was carried out with the help of expert opinion of geologists, the CM said, as he sought to rebut DMK leader M.K. Stalin’s allegation that the government had handled the issue in an inept manner. Mr. Stalin had asked why the government did not approach the Army for help. The CM said Mr. Stalin had made this point even when a barrage collapsed in Mukkombu. “The Army had certified that the State Public Works Department had adopted the right approach. Mr. Stalin is trying to mislead the people with a narrow-minded political agenda.”

Puducherry CM V. Narayanasamy said, "It's very sad to see the loss of little champ Sujith Wilson. My heartfelt condolences to his family and his relatives."

Doctors do double duty ahead of total strike
 
30/10/2019 , Staff Reporter, MADURAI 


 
Doctors examining a patient at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on Tuesday. R. AshokR_ASHOK

Doctors at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH), Primary Health Centres and Government Hospitals in the district wore black badges at work and undertook double duty pressing for compression of time-bound promotion, here on Tuesday.

A senior doctor from the GRH, who is part of the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association (TNDGA), which is spearheading the protest, said that all doctors completed major surgeries scheduled for October 30 and 31 in anticipation of the strike.

“Talks have been going on with Health Secretary Beela Rajesh since 11 a.m. but they seem to be inconclusive right now,” a reliable source said. The doctors did not punch in their attendance in an effort to show solidarity.

Doctors from Usilampatti Government Hospital and a staff member in Melur Government Hospital said that similar protests were carried out at their hospitals too.

“A three-member team in both the hospitals has been stationed to ensure that accident cases and critical cases are taken care of,” said O. Chandran, a senior doctor at the Government Hospital in Usilampatti.

Doctors in the State are eligible for time-bound promotions during the 8th, 15th, 17th and 20th year. President of TNGDA K. Senthil said that the members had been seeking its reduction to 4, 9 and 13 years. He added that this strike was the largest by doctors across the State since 2009.

Labour court order upheld

30/10/2019 , Staff Reporter, Madurai

In a relief to a bus driver, the Bench of Madras High Court dismissed the petition filed by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Karaikudi division, against a labour court order that had given the driver a clean chit in an accident case.

The Corporation in its petition challenged the order of the labour court that had concluded that the driver A. Sundar was not responsible for the accident that involved a bus and a car.

It was said that in July 2000, the bus en route from Karaikudi to Dindigul met with an accident. The head-on collision resulted in three deaths and three seriously injured. The driver was held responsible for the accident and a departmental inquiry was initiated against him.

He was terminated from service. The driver moved the labour court which set aside the termination order and directed the Corporation to reinstate him with continuity of service.

Justice S.S. Sundar observed that the Corporation had not examined any one before the labour court and had relied on the inquiry report. Also, the conductor had submitted that the driver was not responsible for the accident. With no material to prove the charge against the driver, the labour court had concluded that the driver was not responsible for the accident.

The Corporation had not produced any independent witness to prove that the accident was due to rash and negligent driving, this court has no reason to interfere with the order of the labour court.

OTP-based refund system for train tickets

 30/10/2019 , Special correspondent, NEW DELHI

To make the refund process for tickets booked through agents transparent, IRCTC on Tuesday announced a new system wherein passengers will receive refund for cancelled tickets via a one-time password that will be sent to their mobile numbers.

The one-time password will be sent to the passenger’s mobile number provided to the agent at the time of ticket booking. The traveller will have to share the OTP with the agent for getting the refund.

Shamed for her looks, woman ends life
 
30/10/2019 , Press Trust of India, Kota

A 21-year-old woman, who was married just six months ago, allegedly committed suicide in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district after being repeatedly taunted by her husband over her “dark complexion”, the police said on Tuesday.

Mangibai jumped into a well outside her house in Banskhoyara village on Monday, station house officer Balveer Singh said.

Mangibai’s husband, Dinesh Lodha, has been booked under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC.

Her father, Devlal, told the police that she got married in April but her husband used to humiliate her over her “dark complexion”, the officer said citing the FIR registered.

(Assistance to overcome suicidal thoughts is available at Sanjivini: Society for Mental Health, Telephone: 011-4076 9002)

‘Court will take victim’s word in rape cases’ 

‘If the woman says she didn’t consent to intercourse, court will presume she did not’

30/10/2019 , Krishnadas Rajagopal, NEW DELHI 

The SC said the Gujarat High Court had committed an error.

Rape is presumed if occurrence of sexual intercourse is proved and the woman claims the act was committed without her consent, the Supreme Court has held.

“Section 114-A of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 deals with the presumption as to absence of consent in certain prosecution for rape. A reading of the Section makes it clear that where sexual intercourse by the accused is proved and the question is whether it was without the consent of the woman alleged to have been raped, and such woman states in her evidence before the court that she did not consent, the court shall presume that she did not consent,” a three-judge Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit, Indu Malhotra and R. Subhash Reddy observed in a recent judgment.

The case involved a woman who accused her employer of repeatedly raping her and taking inappropriate pictures for the purpose of blackmail. He had allegedly even gone to the extent of calling her betrothed and sending him some of the pictures. She finally lodged a complaint and a case of rape was filed against him.

However, the Gujarat High Court quashed the case on the ground that the parties had reached a “settlement” over a large sum of money. The woman subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court saying the “settlement” was a document drawn under threat and coercion. The apex court said the HC seemed to have gotten “carried away” by the settlement, which itself needed to be investigated.

“When it is the allegation of the appellant [woman], that such document itself is obtained under threat and coercion, it is a matter to be investigated,” the court said.

The phone call to the woman’s betrothed should also be probed. It said the High Court had committed an error in quashing the trial court proceedings. The court, without commenting on the merits of the case, ordered the accused to co-operate with the investigation.

Make My Trip, Oyo face antitrust probe 

Regulator finds prima facie violations of competition law, including by Goibibo

30/10/2019 , Special Correspondent, Mumbai

The FHRAI has alleged cheating by OYO and the other firms.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ordered a detailed investigation into online travel booking companies Make My Trip and Goibibo and hospitality provider OYO based on complaints by members of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) alleging deep-discounting, payment issues and cheating by these firms.

In an order dated October 28, the CCI said following a complaint from the FHRAI, it had examined various aspects of the three companies’ businesses and concluded that prima facie there were violations of competition law.

CCI assessed the allegations on the basis of the relevant markets. While in the case of Make My Trip and Goibibo (referred to as MMT-Go), it looked at the ‘market for online intermediation services for booking of hotels in India’, for OYO it reviewed the ‘market for franchising services for budget hotels in India’.

The competition watchdog observed that MMT-Go prima facie appeared to be a dominant player in the relevant market. However, in the case of OYO it noted, “Prima facie OYO is not found to hold a dominant position, despite being a significant player in the ‘market for franchising services for budget hotels in India’”.

‘Abuse of dominance’

In a 26-page order, the CCI said there was a prima-facie case to investigate MMT-Go and OYO for alleged violation of the provisions of Section 3(4) of the Competition Act — pertaining to anti-competitive pacts — as also grounds to probe MMT-Go under Section 4 of the Act (relating to abuse of dominant position).

“Thus, whether the commercial agreement between OYO and MMT entails preferential treatment to OYO and consequent exclusion of Treebo, Fab hotel and any other hotel chain and if so, the effect of the same on competition merits investigation,” the CCI said.

“Further, the charging of service fee by MMT is alleged to be discriminatory as such fee is levied on certain hotels and allegedly not levied on high-end of chain hotels. Since MMT is prima facie found to be dominant, this conduct of MMT merits investigation,” the watchdog said, setting a 150-day time frame for its director general to submit a report.