PSC initiates action against officials

PSC initiates action against officials

12/05/2020,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The Public Service Commission has decided to initiate action against three officials who were responsible for including unfounded information on COVID-19 in its April bulletin.

A commission meeting held here on Monday concluded that certain details on COVID-19 included in the bulletin were not factual and undesirable too. It had triggered a row. The officials would be divested of their current responsibility and disciplinary action initiated against them, a release said.

Can’t pay for return of those stranded abroad: Centre

Can’t pay for return of those stranded abroad: Centre

12/05/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Centre on Monday informed the Madras High Court that it cannot foot the bill for the air travel of those who had gone to foreign countries on tourist visas and were unable to return due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

The submission was made in response to a PIL plea filed in the court, seeking a direction to the Ministry of External Affairs to bring back 256 Tamil tourists reportedly stranded in Malaysia.

When the case was listed before Justices Vineet Kothari and Pushpa Sathyanarayana, the litigant, M. Gnanasekar, an advocate, stated that some of the 256 tourists had returned to India by paying travel expenses out of their own pockets.

Since the others were unable to return due to paucity of funds, he urged the government to step in to bring them back.

A familiar sight after so many weeks

A familiar sight after so many weeks

But for autorickshaws and buses, it is almost normal everywhere in Madurai

12/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,MADURAI

Old scenes and smells: The heart of Madurai has started pulsating again with the opening of shops on East Masi Street on Monday. R. Ashok

Normal vehicular traffic, except for autorickshaws and buses, was back on city roads after the long lockdown on Monday. The high volume of vehicles warranted operation of automatic signals.

“All of a sudden there is a huge increase in the number of vehicles. Finding space for parking has once again become a task,” said businessman J.S. Kaleel Rahman, 38. All shops, except for big textile shops and malls, are open. Furniture shops, utensil shops, tea stalls, construction material shops and automobile spare parts shops are open.

Though vehicular traffic has increased, footfalls in shops have not increased proportionately, said Mr. Rahman who runs an optical shop on East Veli Street. “May be people just want to move around to have a look of their city. The actual business will pick up slowly,” he said.

But a grocery merchant in Nethaji Road had a different story. “All these days under lockdown our shops were going out of stock and a huge crowds were thronging our shops. But, now, we have adequate stock and are eagerly waiting for customers,” said M. Dayalan.

With the prolonged lockdown, kitchen appliances such as wet grinders and mixers should have broken down in many households, as a shop selling spare parts for these appliances had a good crowd.

Assistant Commissioner of Police B. Joseph Nixon said that only autorickshaws were not allowed now. “Taxis are allowed with only two passengers,” he said.

Stating that only Madurai residents were moving around, he added that the real congestion would begin only when people from neighbouring districts such as Virudhunagar and Sivaganga descend here on business. Motorbikes were allowed, but pillion riders were not allowed. People who were not wearing masks and helmets would be penalised, he said.

Trucks were not allowed during daytime to avoid spreading of the COVID-19 infection. They were allowed into the city between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. he added.

All the crowds, vehicles and cacophony are back

All the crowds, vehicles and cacophony are back

Tea shops and automobile workshops attract a lot of businessIt was like any other Monday at Kalavasal, Goripalayam and Periyar bus standJewellery stores are near empty as cautious customers stay away

12/05/2020, SANJANA GANESH AND , P.A. NARAYANI,MADURAI

With a large number of business establishments resuming operations following further relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, all major roads in Madurai were flooded again with two-wheelers and four-wheelers.

It was like any other Monday at Kalavasal, Goripalayam and Periyar bus stand, some of the busiest places in the city.

The opening of tea shops (for parcel service) after around six weeks was sure to be a boon for labourers, said K. Ibrahim, the proprietor of Subam Coffee Bar. On Monday, when his shop opened after a 45-day break, Mr. Ibrahim said that both the labourers working at his shop and daily wagers at construction sites and small businesses were dependent on a glass of tea to keep them charged. Apart from tea and coffee, he served home-made vadas. “Tea shops formed part of a chain of Indian economy. Our tea master and vada master get jobs. We purchase a lot of milk, sugar and tea leaves, and we boost the economy,” he said.

L. Ravi, a tea shop owner from Palanganatham, said he did not have enough sachets to give ‘parcel tea.’ “Only a few bring flasks or vessels to buy tea,” he said.

However, R. Kanakaraj, the owner of Food Park Bakery, said people preferred sitting down at a shop to drink tea or eat baked goods. “Unless we allow people to sit down, we may not receive many takeaway orders,” he said.

Huge crowds were witnessed in front of two-wheeler and four-wheeler servicing shops. “A large number of customers say they are unable to start their vehicles and due to the hot summer, flat tyres pose a problem,” said S. Nagaraj who services vehicles at Kalavasal.

In stark contrast to these crowded shops were the near empty jewellery stores. Madurai Jewellers and Bullion Merchants Association secretary R. Sivarajan said jewellery shops would not attract much of a business as people will be wary of making investment in jewellery at this juncture.

“Only after taking care of their immediate needs will they think about buying jewels. Transport restriction will also affect jewellery sales,” he said.

Mr. Sivarajan said that it would be better for jewellery shops to open when the spread of COVID-19 is curtailed to the maximum. “If all shops open and the spread of the disease is fast, there will be another long lockdown which could be very damaging,” he said.

10 patients discharged from TVMCH; 147 rescued from Maldives

10 patients discharged from TVMCH; 147 rescued from Maldives

Hospital has 38 positive cases

12/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,TIRUNELVELI

Ten COVID-19 positive patients, all from Puliyangudi in Tenkasi district and undergoing treatment at Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, were discharged on Monday.

The patients, six men and four women, left for their homes in the evening.

The hospital now has 38 positive cases: 13 each from Tirunelveli city and rural Tirunelveli, 11 from Tenkasi and one from Thoothukudi.

Death case

Meanwhile, a 63-year-old male from Mayilaadi, who was admitted to Government Medical College Hospital at Aasaaripallam, died on Saturday.

Hospital sources said the man was a cancer patient and terminally ill. He was undergoing treatment in a hospital in Chennai and was brought to Nagercoil and admitted to Government Medical College Hospital. As he displayed COVID-19 symptoms, he was admitted to isolation ward and samples were collected. Even before the result was available, he died and his body was kept in the mortuary. The tests showed that he was positive and his body was cremated at Puliyadi.

The sources maintained that the patient died of “cancer-related health issues”. His daughter, who brought him in an ambulance from Chennai, was under observation in isolation ward of the hospital.

Also, officials had quarantined 147 persons in Kanniyakumari district. They were rescued from lodges at Kollencode, Kaliyakkavilai and Nagercoil in Maldives by the Indian Navy and brought to Kochi in a naval ship.

“Samples have been collected from them and we are awaiting the results,” the sources added.

HC deplores decision to reopen Tasmac shops

HC deplores decision to reopen Tasmac shops

Asks Registry to place the case before Chief Justice

12/05/2020, , B. TILAK CHANDAR,MADURAI

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday observed that tipplers in serpentine queues threw caution to the wind, flouted physical distancing and mask norms and thronged Tasmac shops.

A Division Bench of Justices P.N. Prakash and B. Pugalendhi made the observation while hearing the public interest litigation petitions filed by A. Bonyface and C. Selvakumar, challenging the government’s decision to open Tasmac shops when nationwide lockdown was in place in view of COVID-19.

The State was aware that due to the lockdown, the spread of COVID-19 was controlled in Chennai. But, reopening of Koyembedu vegetable market led to a huge spike in positive cases. WHO guidelines clearly warned of an increase in violence under the influence of alcohol during the pandemic, the court said.

The right of the State to carry on liquor sales through Tasmac shops was not an absolute one. When that right sought to trample the right to life guaranteed under the Constitution, the former had to give way, the judges said.

The State could not be permitted to hide behind the cloak of policy decisions when its action was likely to kill people in droves.

The State’s main grievance was that it required revenue to combat the pandemic and Tasmac shops would fill its coffers. The State was aware that people had become penniless due to the lockdown. It was obvious that the little money they had to buy food for the family had gone to Tasmac shops, the judges said.

The court said had the government permitted resumption of small business activities and thereafter opened Tasmac shops, none could have had any grudge. When the government had rightly prohibited entry into places of worship, its decision to allow tipplers to congregate at Tasmac shops was indubitably antithetical.

With the Principal seat having passed orders on similar petitions, the court directed the Registry to place the petitions before the Chief Justice to be dealt with appropriately. The State has preferred an appeal in the Supreme Court against the HC’s order.

Advocate, father, brother, two others held for murder of Siddha doctor

Advocate, father, brother, two others held for murder of Siddha doctor

They allegedly hacked him over using a pathway

12/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,TIRUNELVELI

Thisaiyanvilai police have arrested five persons, including an advocate, his father and younger brother, in connection with the murder of Siddha medical practitioner S. Thirupathi, 34, of Mela Pandarapuram on Saturday night.

The arrested are advocate G. Muthukrishnan, 30, of Mela Pandarapuram, his father Ganesan, 57, his brother Kavin Rajkumar, 25, L. Sivanantham, 28 of Muthammalpuram and Vimal alias Vimalanathan, 33, of Sri Lankan Refugees’ Colony at Samoogarengapuram near Valliyoor. Investigators believe that Muthukrishnan hired Vimalanathan to orchestrate the crime.

The police said an armed gang waylaid Thirupathi at Vijaya Achampadu near Ithamozhi when he was returning home from his clinic and hacked him to death. The assailants dumped the body in a nearby well and also pushed the Siddha doctor’s two-wheeler into the well.

As Thirupathi did not return home even after 10 p.m., his family members started searching for him and found the body floating in the well after midnight. On getting information, Thisaiyanvilai police rushed to the spot and retrieved the body and the two-wheeler from the well.

Previous enmity

During investigation, the police found that Thirupathi had enmity with Muthukrishnan, his neighbour, over using the pathway near their houses. When Muthukrishnan and his family allegedly threatened him to resolve the issue through negotiations, Thirupathi did not budge.

Agitated over it, Muthukrishnan, his father and brother, along with Sivanantham and Vimalanathan, murdered Thirupathi, the police said.

The police also said Vimalanathan, who had engaged Muthukrishnan to argue his cases in the past, became close to him and Sivananatham was a friend of the prime accused.

“We suspect that Vimalanathan, an accused in a case registered under the POCSO Act, and Sivanantham might have been hired by Muthukrishnan for murdering Thirupathi as the duo were in no way connected to the deceased,” a police officer said.

Vimalanathan, along with one of his close relatives, figured in the murder case of a cab driver from Ambasamudram a few years ago though he did not have any personal motive to commit the crime. After figuring in a few more cases, including robbery, he was arrested eight months ago for sexually harassing a 12-year-old girl.

“In all these cases, Muthukrishnan was appearing for Vimalanathan and hence the advocate could have hired him,” the police officer said.