Education Dept. removes BNU Registrar

He and another staff member are alleged to have misappropriated funds

10/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,BENGALURU

The Higher Education Department has removed K. Janardhanam from the post of Registrar (Evaluation) of Bengaluru North University (BNU) after allegations of his involvement in misappropriation of funds

Earlier this week, a police complaint was filed at Halasuru Gate Police station by Bengaluru Central University (BCU) where he was working earlier as the head of Canara Bank School of Management Studies.

He, along with a staff member, are alleged to have deposited student fees to the tune of ₹13,73,500 into their personal accounts. This was money collected for the admission fee to the Master in Business Administration (MBA) Evening college students for the 2018-19 academic year. After an enquiry by the university, Janardhanam and the staff member, Shivashankar Bhairava, admitted that they had misappropriated the funds. The university recovered the money.

Vice-chancellor of BNU, T.D. Kempraju said that they had asked the Finance Officer to take care of his responsibilities until a new Registrar is appointed.

Janardhanam said that several stakeholders were tarnishing his image. “I have got a stay from High Court of Karnataka regarding the proceedings of the enquiry committee. Despite this, a complaint was filed against me by the university. I will file contempt case.”

Power shutdown

10/01/2020,MADURAI

There will be a power shutdown in the following areas from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday: Gokhale Road, Venkatraman Street, Lajapathi Roy Street, Abdul Gafoor Khan Street, Old Agraharam Street, Sappanikoil Street, Sarojini Street, LDC Road, Vishal de Mall, Ramamoorthi Road, Kamala 2nd Street, Kamarajar Nagar 1st to 4th streets, Bharathi Ula Road, Jawahar Road, Vallabai Road, Besant Road, Jawaharpuram, Athikulam, Kurinji Nagar, Kanagavel Nagar, Balamandhiram school, PTR Mahal, H.A.Khan Road, Armed Reserve quarters, Race Course Colony, DRO Colony, Pudur Vandipathai, Rathinasamy Nadar Road, ITI bus stop to Tallakulam Perumal Temple on Alagarkoil Road.

Get the taste of a rustic Pongal

10/01/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

The Tamil Nadu Tourism Department and the district administration are organising an experiential Pongal celebration for domestic and foreign tourists at Sri Janagai Narayana Perumal Temple in Sholavandan on January 15.

Tourists will be taken from the tourism office to Sholavandan where the villagers will give thema traditional welcome, after which they will get to see and experience a traditional Pongal festival, including making of sweet Pongal. It will be served to them following which cultural programmes, including Bharatnatyam and folk dance performance, will be held.

On January 17, the Tourism Department will take foreign tourists to Alanganallur to watch the jallikattu. They will be seated in the permanent gallery meant for foreign tourists.Tourists should register themselves at the District Tourism Office, No:1, West Veli Street, by submitting a copy of their passport. For details, call 0452 2334757 or mail to touristofficemadurai@gmail.com

DGCA suspends licences of two pilots

10/01/2020,MUMBAI

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Thursday announced the suspension of a GoAir expatriate commander for six months and the co-pilot’s licence for three months after they were found to be involved in a case of serious runway excursion in Bengaluru on November 11. The DGCA said the GoAir flight G8-811 from Nagpur to Bengaluru with 180 passengers on board was involved in a serious incident when the crew lost visual reference at about 50 feet above ground but continued to land in violation of norms.

Plea for 5% reservation in MBBS for students of Tamil medium

10/01/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT, CHENNAI

The Madras High Court on Thursday ordered notices to the State government and Directorate of Medical Education (DME) on a public interest litigation petition that sought for reservation of 5% of seats in MBBS in the State for students who had done their schooling in Tamil medium.

Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and R. Hemalatha wanted to know the State’s response by February 20.

N. Murugesan, 50, of Dharmapuri had filed the PIL petition claiming that Tamil medium students do not get seats so easily in medical colleges despite clearing National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Nirbhaya case: 2 convicts file curative pleas
10/01/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Curative petitions were filed in the Supreme Court by two convicts in the Nirbhaya case on Thursday. The petitions come just days after a Delhi sessions court scheduled the execution of the four convicts at Tihar Jail on January 22.

Vinay Sharma and Mukesh, in separate curative petitions, said there had been a sea change in the death penalty jurisprudence. They argued that ignoring the subsequent changes in the law against the death penalty would be a “gross miscarriage of justice”.

A curative petition is a rare remedy devised by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in its judgment in the Rupa Ashok Hurra case in 2002. A party can take only two limited grounds in a curative petition — one, that he was not heard by the court before the adverse judgment was passed, and two, the judge was biased. A curative petition, which follows the dismissal of a review petition, is the last legal avenue open for convicts in the Supreme Court.

Sharma was the first of the four convicts to file a curative petition, arguing that there had been “a change in the law on death sentence in India” since the death penalty was first confirmed for the Nirbhaya convicts in 2017.

Madurai: Actor Vadivelu harassing me for money: Producer

TNN | Jan 9, 2020, 04.19 AM IST

MADURAI: Tamil movie producer G Sathish Kumar, who produced the 2015 film ‘Eli’ starring comedian Vadivelu in the lead, accused the actor of harassing him by sending his men to demand money on Wednesday.

The Madurai-based producer, who is also into real estate business, claimed that Vadivelu sent his men on December 31 to threaten him for money. His manager Govindaraj had lodged a complaint with the K Pudur police. Police booked a man three people, including a woman, on charges of voluntarily causing injuries, threatening with dire consequences, scolding using bad words and criminal trespass. Vadivelu, however, has not been booked by the police.

Manikandan, who is believed that have visited the producer’s residence in Moondrumavadi, on behalf of Vadivelu, is among the persons booked. He allegedly went to Satish Kumar’s house on the pretext of giving a wedding invitation when Sathish Kumar was in Chennai. Manikandan and along with a few people allegedly threatened Govindaraj inquiring his employer’s whereabouts. They also beat him up when he questioned reason behind their visit, Sathish said.

Sathish also said that there had been disputes between him and the actor ever since the movie ‘Eli’ incurred heavy loses. “We had disputes over money for which we took the matter to court and it was to be settled amicably. However, now, these men have come and made death threats,” he said. CCTV footage from outside Sathish Kumar’s residence has also been submitted to the police which provided description of the accused.