HC refuses to close deputy speaker’s ₹1cr defamation suit

HC refuses to close deputy speaker’s ₹1cr defamation suit

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.11.2020 

The Madras high court has refused to reject a civil suit moved by Tamil Nadu assembly deputy speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman against DMK chief M K Stalin’s son-inlaw V Sabareesan, Kalaignar TV and Nakkheeran, seeking ₹1 crore in damages for linking his name with the Pollachi sexual assault case.

Dismissing applications to reject the plaint as being devoid of merits, Justice P T Asha directed those accused to file their written statements to the suit.

Though the suit was filed against DMK chief M K Stalin and Junior Vikatan as well, only Sabareesan, Kalaignar TV and Nakkheeran moved the application to reject the plaint.

Jayaraman wanted the court to direct Stalin and others to pay him ₹1 crore jointly for having damaged his reputation. He accused Stalin of having made public speeches linking him with the crime, which were telecast on Kalaignar TV. He further added that the two Tamil magazines published false and defamatory news reports intended to tarnish his reputation.

The deputy speaker also sought a permanent injunction restraining Stalin and others from making or publishing false and defamatory statements against him in any manner.

Pointing out news reports published in the magazines, Jayaraman submitted that the reports made false claims of his son being involved in the Pollachi sexual assault case and that he attempted to bail him out from the case.

Adding that he had been holding the post of deputy speaker of the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly since May 16, 2016, Jayaraman said he had come up in life by stint of hard work and was held in high esteem by friends, family, well-wishers and among right thinking sections of society.

TN assembly deputy speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman sought ₹1cr in damages from Stalin, his son-in-law Sabareesan and three news houses for linking him with the Pollachi sexual assault case

Chennai-born Keralite is NZ’s 1st desi minister

Chennai-born Keralite is NZ’s 1st desi minister

03.11.2020 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan, a first-generation immigrant, became New Zealand’s first-ever Indian-origin minister on Monday after PM Jacinda Ardern inducted five new ministers into her executive, two weeks after a landslide victory in the general election.

“Today has been an incredibly special day. I’m feeling a lot of things including an overwhelming sense of privilege to become part of our government,” the 41-year-old Labour Party member said. The new minister for diversity, inclusion and ethnic communities was born in Chennai but her family is from Paravur in Kerala, reports Binu Karunakaran. She went to school in Singapore before moving to New Zealand to further her education. Her Left-leaning greatgrandfather C R Krishna Pillai, a doctor, had played a major role in shaping the literary and cultural sensibilities of the state.

Radhakrishnan with PM Arden

NZ PIO min’s great-granddad was a Left leader in Kerala

Priyanca Radhakrishnan was brought up in Singapore, where her father Raman Radhakrishnan worked as an engineer before returning to India to set up his own engineering company and settle in Chennai. “I come from a politically active family; a family that is dedicated to doing their part to make the world a better place. My great-grandfather, Dr C R Krishna Pillai, was involved in Left-wing politics in India and was instrumental in the formation of Kerala,” she had written in 2014.

Radhakrishnan has spent her work life advocating on behalf of people whose voices are often unheard – women survivors of domestic violence and migrant workers who have been exploited. First elected to New Zealand’s parliament as a Labour Party representative in 2017, the new minister has also been given charge of the ministry for the community and voluntary sector, and been made associate minister for social development and employment.

She had travelled to Kerala twice last year following the death of her mother Usha. G K Nair, a grand uncle of Radhakrishnan who resides near Kalady, said she owes her political genes to her maternal great-grandfather, who had once contested an election against former Union finance minister T T Krishnamachari.

(Inputs from agencies)

Now, book Covid test while booking an IndiGo ticket

Now, book Covid test while booking an IndiGo ticket

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:03.11.2020

IndiGo has tied up with a healthcare firm that will enable passengers to book a Covid test, for a fee, while booking flight tickets. This service will be for both international and domestic passengers and be available in other countries, including UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

“…IndiGo has partnered with Stemz Healthcare to enable Covid-19 RT-PCR test at affordable rates for passengers travelling on domestic and international flights. To book a test, customers can take appointment online on IndiGo website through a co-branded URL page based on their travel date. Customers can opt for a home visit or choose a lab visit with over 200+ collection centres in India. The service is also available in other countries, including UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia,” the airline said in a statement.

IndiGo chief strategy and revenue officer Sanjay Kumar said: “As per travel guidelines, several states and countries require a Covid-19 RT-PCR test to be undertaken within a stipulated time frame before a customer boards a flight. We are pleased to introduce the option to book a test along with the flight, enabling an easy access to get the tests done before travelling.”

Odisha guv, wife test Covid +ve

Bhubaneswar: Odisha governor Ganeshi Lal, his wife Sushila Devi and four other family members tested positive for Covid-19 here on Monday.

The governor tweeted about his Covid test result and advised those who had come in contact with him to get themselves tested. Government sources said Lal and his family members had been admitted to SUM Covid Hospital here. Lal, who is 78, underwent the test following mild fever. His condition is stable. Others in the family are asymptomatic. TNN

K’taka HC: Can’t try kin named casually in marital disputes

K’taka HC: Can’t try kin named casually in marital disputes

Vasantha.Kumar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:03.11.2020

In cases of matrimonial dispute, family members named without allegation of active involvement cannot be proceeded against on casual reference, the Karnataka high court has said, quashing proceedings against the mother-in-law, sister-inlaw and brother-in-law of a woman who had lodged a dowry harassment complaint. Proceedings against the husband will continue, it said.

The court noted that there was a tendency to involve all family members of a household in matrimonial disputes. Mere casual reference of names of the family members in a matrimonial dispute, without allegation of active involvement in the matter, would not justify taking cognisance against them, the court said in a judgment delivered last week.

The complainant, who married on on April 13, 2008, alleged that her in-laws were constantly instigating her husband to demand more dowry from her. She alleged that her husband had “extracted” more than 450gm of gold from her, which was in the custody of her sister-inlaw. On December 15, 2013, she said, when she and her parents demanded return of the ornaments, her husband along with the petitioners abused them in filthy language.

The complainant’s mother-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law approached the court, challenging the proceedings initiated against them before a JMFC court at Udupi under section 498A and other IPC sections as well as Dowry Prohibition Act. The petitioners said there was no specific allegation against them and there was a delay in lodging the complaint as well.

Court notice on plea against NEET aspirants removing thaali

Court notice on plea against NEET aspirants removing thaali

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.11.2020

The Madras high court has ordered notice to the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET, on a public interest writ petition to restrain it from demanding women candidates to remove jewellery including thaali and metti (toe ring).

Admitting the plea on Monday, a division bench of Justice M MSundresh and Justice D Krishnakumar directed the NTA to file its response in four weeks.

According to petitioner, advocate S Aravind Raj, who was represented by senior advocate A Thiyagarajan, such a demand was unconstitutional and arbitrary. The rules stipulated by NTA for students writing NEET are very vague, leaving students, particularly in Tamil Nadu, in great agony in the name of frisking to prevent malpractice, he said.

“Just before the stressful examination even calm and composed students are pushed to a very uncomfortable and disturbed state of mind,” the petitioner said. Married women were forced to remove thaali, metti, studs, nose stud that are sacramental ornaments for Hindu women, he said, adding that the rules are liable to be declared as unconstitutional, unreasonable and violative of the fundamental rights.

Monsoon to gain pace from tomorrow, city set for soaking

Monsoon to gain pace from tomorrow, city set for soaking

Early Morning Spells Could Mark Start Of Wet Phase

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.11.2020 

The brief lull in the northeast monsoon may be over in a day.

The season would pick up pace over the state by incoming strong easterlies as weathermen have forecast thunderstorms and moderate spells over the city during late nights or early mornings followed by day spells in interior districts starting from November 4. Weather enthusiasts said the intermittent and widespread rainfall, which would continue over many parts of the state including Chennai till November 8 will be followed by remnants of cyclone Goni and the global climate phenomenon called Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) are likely to keep monsoon season active through the month.

While the city skies are likely to be partly cloudy on Tuesday, monsoon could pick up pace on Wednesday as IMD has forecast, “The sky condition is likely to be partly cloudy. Thunderstorms with light rain are likely in some areas. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 34°C and 25°C for the next 48 hours.”

“This is likely due to a cyclonic circulation which is closer to Tamil Nadu coast and southwest Bay of Bengal,” an IMD official said.

While interior and western districts like Madurai, Dindigul, Coimbatore and Theni are likely to get thunderstorm with light to moderate rain on Tuesday, IMD has forecast similar rainfall pattern to occur at many places over south Tamil Nadu, interior Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Puducherry and Karaikal area on November 4 and  5.

Weather enthusiasts said an easterly wave or an elongated area of low air pressure moving from east to west could bring regular early morning spells to the city when low level winds enter the trough this wave and converge resulting in rainfall. As the easterly wave penetrates interior areas during the day, winds will converge bringing rainfall to interior districts. This may last between November 4 and 8.

Blogger Pradeep John said the next round of spells will be likely around November 10 when remnants of Cyclone Goni, dubbed as the world’s strongest cyclone in 2020, which slammed the Philippines, would enter Indian region bringing rainfall. By that time, MJO- the eastward moving disturbance of clouds, rainfall, winds and pressure that travels across the tropics and returns to its starting point in 30 to 60 days- will enter phase-2 and 3. In this phase, enhanced convective rainfall moves slowly eastwards over Africa, Indian Ocean and parts of the Indian subcontinent. “It will enter this region in the second week of November. Monsoon will stay active through this month and most of December,” he said.

WET DAYS AHEAD: While the city skies are likely to be partly cloudy on Tuesday, monsoon could pick up pac

Masks, vacant seats will be the norm for now at cinema halls

Masks, vacant seats will be the norm for now at cinema halls

03.11.2020

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

When cinema halls open on November 10 after more than seven months, you will have to wear masks throughout the show. There will be empty seats on either side. And big-budget releases are unlikely, at least for a while, as the industry will wait to see how many people turn up.

If you go as a family, you may get to sit next to one another, but not otherwise. So what if you turn up with your significant other? Hope for the best. Theatre owners are clear that they will observe the government’s rules on sanitation and social distancing. Only food and beverages in packets will be sold and toilets will be cleaned frequently. All seats will be wiped after each show. That’s what the more than 200 cinema halls in Chennai and suburbs have planned.

According to Abirami Ramanathan, Chennai city president of Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association, most cinema halls will reopen next week. Ticket prices won’t be hiked though only half the seats can be sold for a show, he added. In Chennai, the seating capacity of theatres ranges from 300 to 1,200.

Unlike previous Diwalis, movies of popular stars may not hit the screens this time, opening the window for small budget movies. Co-Founder of Qube Cinema Senthil Kumar said films produced with a budget under Rs 4 crores are likely to hit the screens. “Had the cinema halls reopened a little earlier, the prospects of big budget movies being released this Diwali would have been brighter,” he said.

However, a producer, who also owns a theatre, said release of big budget movies cannot be delayed much more as producers pay huge interest paid on loans. “If a leading artist’s movie is screened, it will be a boost for their fans and they will flock the cinema halls,” he added.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON: Cinema halls will open across the state on November 10