Hathras SP, 4 others suspended; village sealed off for second day SIT Wants Narco Test, Polygraph Of Cops, Accused & Complainants

Hathras SP, 4 others suspended; village sealed off for second day

SIT Wants Narco Test, Polygraph Of Cops, Accused & Complainants

Anuja.Jaiswal @timesgroup.com

Hathras:03.10.2020

The village in UP’s Hathras where the 19-year old Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped before she died was off limits to the media and politicians for the second day in a row. Many who tried to enter and reach out to the bereaved family were manhandled, pushed to the ground and forced off on Friday.

Later in the evening, based on what the SIT suggested in its preliminary report, chief minister Yogi Adityanath suspended Hathras SP Vikrant Veer, three cops posted at Chanda police station at the time of the incident — Sadabad circle officer Ram Shabd, station house officer Dinesh Kumar Verma and sub-inspector Jagveer Singh — along with head moharrir (clerk) Mahesh Pal. Shamli SP Vineet Jaiswal will take over as Hathras police chief.

The SIT also recommended that polygraph and narco tests be conducted on everyone involved in the case — police, the accused and members of the victim’s family.

There is one main access point to the village and a tertiary route from behind farmlands leading up to a cluster of Dalit houses. Both had been barricaded, with six cops at one and 15 at another.

Police stopped a TOI team from entering the village around 11am, warning against “moving any further” and saying they had “strict instructions from higher authorities” to not let anyone pass.

Jipmer gets 49 more MBBS seats this yr

Jipmer gets 49 more MBBS seats this yr

Puducherry:03.10.2020

Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) has increased the number of MBBS seats from 200 to 249 from the academic year 2020-2021 following approval from the competent authorities. The number of seats in the institute’s Puducherry campus was increased from 150 to 187 and Karaikal campus from 50 to 62.

Forty-eight of 187 seats in Puducherry campus and 16 of the 62 seats in Karaikal campus have been reserved for students from the UT. Admission into the MBBS programme will be based on Neet 2020 score. Jipmer conducted entrance examinations separately until last academic year. For more information, visit https://www.mcc.nic.in . TNN

Online classes valid, med body clears air

Online classes valid, med body clears air

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.10.2020

The National Medical Commission which has replaced Medical Council of India (MCI) has clarified that online classes conducted for medical courses in view of the pandemic are valid and approved by the commission.

The commission made the clarification in response to media reports that MCI has informed a group of medical students that such classes are not valid. “It is clarified that in view of the pandemic medical colleges are conducting online theory classes for MBBS students. Online classes are valid and are approved for teaching during the pandemic only," a statement released by the commission said.

Such online theory classes are required to be supplemented by practical and clinical training as per the current curriculum in all MBBS subjects when the colleges are reopened, it added.

It further clarified that the media reports appeared to have relied upon reply given by the erstwhile MCI in response to a RTI query regarding medical courses conducted by foreign universities through online medium only.

On September 28, a group of medical students who approached the Madras high court seeking wavier in fee due to lockdown informed the court that the MCI has informed them that such classes are not recognised.

Informing the Madras high court about the stand of the MCI, senior advocate R Vaigai representing the students said, “The MCI has informed the students that it does not recognise online teaching for medical courses. Students are worried about their future now.”

Vaigai made the submission on the batch of pleas moved by parents of medical students of SRM challenging the college’s demand to pay full fee even for the lockdown period.

Recording the submission, Justice N Anand Venkatesh said, if the MCI is not going to recognise online classes, then the whole point in conducting such classes goes.The court then directed the MCI to clarify its stand by October 5.

Not having valid driver’s licence costs 10% of compensation

Not having valid driver’s licence costs 10% of compensation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.10.2020

Not possessing a valid driving licence has cost an accident victim’s family 10% of the compensation money awarded to him. An accident claims tribunal held that a percentage of compensation money ought to be deducted for contributory negligence. The victim, a retiree, was killed after a truck mowed down the motorcycle he was driving.

According to a petition moved by B Jayalakshmi of Ambattur, her husband Boopalan was killed in the accident on August 24, 2017, when he was riding along Redhills-Ambattur Road. The petition stated that the truck driver had driven in a rash and negligent manner and rammed into the motorcycle, leading to the Boopalan’s death.

The truck’s insurer disputed the claims and also contended that the victim was not in possession of a valid driving licence and that the two-wheeler was not insured at the time.

Tribunal judge P Revathy, after perusing documents and evidence submitted, noted that while the deceased did not have a valid driving licence, it was clear that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the truck driver and held that the insurer was liable to pay compensation.

According to the petition, the victim had sought voluntary retirement from a biscuit manufacturing company and was running a grocery store. Based on various factors including loss of dependency, the tribunal arrived at an amount of ₹5.3 lakh as compensation. After deducting 10% for contributory negligence, the tribunal directed the insurance firm to pay ₹4.8 lakh to the victim’s family within two months. Of ₹4.8 lakh, the wife is to get ₹1.75 lakh and three daughters ₹1lakh each.

Cars left idle during quarantine keep mechanics busy

Cars left idle during quarantine keep mechanics busy

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:03.10.2020

Long queues were spotted at most car service centres across the city as vehicles which were parked idle at one place for several weeks due to the lockdown are now being taken out for services.

"During the lockdown, we were getting three or maximum four service calls. But now we are getting around 15 orders every day," said Dhanapathy from Maruti Suzuki Service Centre in Adyar.

Most of them had complaints pertaining to their car batteries, brakes, lights and in some cases wires were bitten by rats, he added. Calls made to Hyundai and Honda service centres in Chennai too suggested similar trends.

In order to avoid crowding at service centres, operators have offered more pickup and drop services by deploying more parttime drivers.

Manikandan, a call-taxi driver who lost his job during lockdown, is now earning ₹500 for working four hours a day at Solai Cars in Madipakkam. "Companies provide us with jump starters because in most cases batteries are dead. Some car owners search for hacks on YouTube and damage the battery further".

This can be corroborated by a simple YouTube search. Most of the videos about dead batteries have obtained considerable view counts and user interactions. Some of them in Tamil have attracted more traffic.

"Only in the worst cases we have sought help from recovery vehicles," Manikandan said. Seconding him, Ranjith Kumar from OMR Towing Service in Perungudi said that they get at least two calls from such breakdowns every day in addition to usual accident calls. But they charge only ₹350 from these car owners as it involves lesser work compared to car crashes, he added.

In case of vehicles parked at public parking lots, tyres had gone flat. This meant bigger trouble for users as towing the vehicle (with hooks) too becomes impossible and they have to go for larger vehicles.

Experts say that the better option to keep battery safe is to engage a local mechanic to remove the battery and store them in cool and dry places or smear grease on wire ends to prevent rusting. Disengaging handbrakes is important to prevent brake pad damage. Bricks or wooden blocks is a better option, said Rajmurugan, an automobile engineering professor.

OUT AGAIN: Vehicles parked outside a car service centre on 200 Feet Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road on Friday

Essential services staff can go by spl workmen trains

Essential services staff can go by spl workmen trains

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:3.10.2020

In response to the request from the Tamil Nadu government, Southern Railway has decided to permit essential services staff authorised by the state government to travel in limited number of suburban trains -- run as workmen specials by the Chennai division of Southern Railway -- from October 5. Details of these train services would be displayed at the stations, an official release said. The government has nominated an official as the nodal officer for this purpose, who will authorise and issue specific travel permission to essential services staff to travel in the workmen special trains.

The specific travel permission shall have details such as name, designation, department /office and others. This travel permission in original would be accepted by the railways only when presented along with the photo ID card of the person issued by his/her office, the release stated.

There will be two levels of checks of passengers at stations. First check will be done by the personnel of GRP/RPF at the entry of a railway station and the second check at the entry to the platforms by the railway ticket checking staff.

Sanitization of rakes at appropriate frequency will be done by railways. Passengers are requested to pay attention to the regular announcements made at stations regarding the train services and follow Covid-19 precautions such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing travelling on trains and also at stations. Tickets will be issued only to essential services staff authorised by the nodal officer.

Both single journey and season tickets will be issued at the booking counters at all suburban stations through UTS (unreserved ticketing system). The essential services staff should carry the specific travel permission issued by the nodal officer in original as well as their photo ID card while entering the station and also while travelling.

At stations with more than one booking counter, one counter will be earmarked for season tickets. And at stations with only one counter, only single journey tickets will be issued during peak hours. Season tickets will be issued after peak hours.

Containment zones are back; corpn barricades 10 streets

Containment zones are back; corpn barricades 10 streets

Officials Carry Out Preventive Measures

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:3.10.2020

Containment zones are back in the city, just 10 days after they were removed.

On September 29, 7th Cross Street at Nolambur in Valasaravakkam zone recorded 10 fresh cases making it a containment street. On September 16, four streets in Madhavaram reported fresh cases. It was the last time containment zones were reported.

As per a press release by Greater Chennai Corporation on Friday, about 10 streets in the Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alandur and Sholinganallur zones have been made containment zones after they reported between four and 14 fresh Covid-19 cases. Three streets in Kodambakkam reported 6, 8 and 14 cases, four streets in Alandur recorded 7, 9, 4 and 5 cases and two streets in Sholinganallur reported six cases each apart from Nolambur 7th Cross Treet in Valasaravakkam zone. Corporation officials are now carrying out regular Covid-19 containment work.

An area is barricaded and declared a containment zone when more than five cases are reported. All people there are tested and are advised to be under home quarantine. Focus volunteers and door-to-door surveillance workers help them for all their essential needs. They are regularly monitored until the cases come down to below three.

Last month, corporation removed containment zones and stopped barricading houses having Covid-19 positive cases. However, the number of cases has been started steadily increasing in many areas where economic activity began. Alandur is the only zone to have reported less growth in the number of cases but it has reported the highest number of containment streets in the last two days. “People are extremely cooperative and we are doing focused testing and especially ensuring that the elderly are safe. New cases are being reported in the wards located in the peripheral locations of the zone. However there are no new clusters,” said zonal officer P V Srinivasan.

Civic body officials said they were focusing on workplaces now as they were fears of them becoming new clusters. They also conduct tests at markets and ensure that people wear masks and following social distancing norms in public places.