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Rajini stable, decision on his discharge today

Rajini stable, decision on his discharge today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.12.2020

Actor Rajinikanth, who was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad on Friday, is stable. However, doctors are awaiting a few more reports to take a call on his discharge from the hospital, according to a hospital bulletin issued on Saturday evening.

“Rajinikanth is stable. Reports of some of the investigations done today (Saturday) have come and there is nothing alarming. A few more reports are awaited. Based on the reports of remaining investigations and his blood pressure status overnight, a call will be taken tomorrow (Sunday) morning on his discharge from the hospital,” said the statement from Apollo.

Earlier in the day, the hospital released a bulletin in which it said Rajinikanth’s health was “progressing well” but his blood pressure was still high, though under better control. “He has been advised complete rest in view of his labile blood pressure and visitors are not being allowed to meet him,” said the statement.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday spoke to Rajinikanth over phone and enquired about his health condition.

The CM took to social media and posted a tweet about his telephonic conversation with the actor and said, “I have also informed him (Rajinikanth) that I will pray to God for his quick recovery.” Deputy CM O Panneerselvam also took to social media and wished the actor, whom he referred to as “beloved brother,” a speedy recovery. He also tagged the actor.

Woman doc who lost job to Covid abandons child, tries to kill self

Woman doc who lost job to Covid abandons child, tries to kill self

Both Under Treatment At Hospital

Subburaj.A@timesgroup.com

Tirupur:27.12.2020

The Cheyur police have booked a case against a Bengaluru-based doctor, who had abandoned her five-yearold daughter at a bus stop here on Friday.

The 35-year-old woman, an ENT specialist, used to run a clinic in Bengaluru, sub-inspector Anbarasan said. “She had to close the clinic due to the pandemic and was facing financial strain. She tried to find work abroad but in vain. She was separated from her husband and stayed with her father, a retired central government employee, for some time. As the financial stress took a toll on her mind, she decided to leave for Madurai with her daughter,” the officer told TOI.

She reached Thandukkaranpalayam near Cheyur in a bus on Friday morning to catch a bus to Madurai. “Meanwhile, her daughter developed a fever and she gave the girl some medicine. But the girl suffered a seizure and became unconscious. The woman then decided to abandon her daughter and kill herself,” said Anbarasan.

Villagers who found the unconscious girl at the bus stop informed police. The girl was rushed to the Avinashi Government Hospital and later to the Tirupur Government Hospital. While police were trying to find the whereabouts of the girl, the woman returned to the bus stop looking for her daughter at night.

“She told cops that she had abandoned her daughter there and had consumed rat poison. We took her to the Tirupur Government Hospital and later to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH),” the officer said. “The girl is also kept under observation at CMCH. Doctors told us that she became unconscious due to drug overdose. She is still in the ICU.”

The woman had bought rat poison from a shopping mall at Chikkamagaluru, Tirupur superintendent of police Disha Mittal said. “We have alerted the Chikkamagaluru police. We will conduct inquiry after the woman is out of danger,” he said.

Police have registered a case against the woman under Section 75 (Punishment for cruelty to child) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.

The girl is kept under observation at CMCH. Doctors said she became unconscious due to drug overdose. She is still in the ICU

It’s life and death for 48-yr-old tree as neighbours quarrel

It’s life and death for 48-yr-old tree as neighbours quarrel

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:27.12.2020

Whether a 48-yearold rain tree in Poes Garden will live or die depends on its neighbours.Locatedon theboundary of Sathyanarayana Apartments and a private property, one of the two parties wants it to be chopped, while the other wants to save it.

R J Mehta who stays on the fifth floor of the apartment complex has seen the sapling being planted and then walked under its shade for years. “The tree grew on its own between the two compounds. It provides us with a lot of shade and is home to many birds,” he said. A week ago, his neighbour who owns the bungalow where the major part of the trees roots are, decided to chop the tree and Mehta stopped him. He took up the matter with the city corporation, local NGOs and also got a letter signed from all neighbours to save the tree. However, his opponent is adamant on having the tree chopped, with some tree cutters weiding an axe on Saturday too before Mehta reached in time to stop them. Whether the future of the tree now depends on how the two neighbours resolve their dispute.

“The tree provides a lot of shade and because of it in summer we don’t feel the heat as much. Why can’t the other party understand the importance of the tree.It is at the corner of the property and may be options like chopping a few branches should be considered,” he said.

TOI tried contacting the private property’s manager several times but he was unavailable for comment. On Saturday, he reached the spot with tree cutters at 6am but residents protested, they returned. The Greater Chennai Corporation officials said since the tree is on a private property, they don’t have a say.

Shobha Menon, founder Nizhal, an NGO said there is no law or act to protect these trees. “On saturday, we got a similar call to save a tree on a private property. When we reached the spot, we found it is a rare baobabtree ad after much convincing the owner decided not to chop it.In the absenceof a law, several such trees are at mercy of people in charge and they will continue to get chopped. We are endlessly planting trees but aren't protecting the existing mature trees to which we are deeply indebted to for shade, biodiversity and oxygen.ATreeActistherein New Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka and there is a need for it here too. We are not saying trees shouldn’t be cut, but where they can be protected, they should be,” she said.

CAUGHT IN BETWEEN: The rain tree grows on the boundary of a private property and an apartment complex at Poes Garden

Panchayat ex-prez held for fraud

Panchayat ex-prez held for fraud

Chennai:  27.12.2020

A former panchayat president who misused DVAC’s name and tried to dupe a man from Salem of ₹2.4 lakh was arrested on Saturday. The accused himself has a case pending with the agency for discrepancies during his tenure as Kongupatti panchayat president.

Police said the accused Ammasi was formerly the president of Kongupatti panchayat at Omalur taluk in Salem district. He approached a man in Salem claiming the DVAC had registestered a case against him and proposed to get the case closed using his connections. He demanded ₹2.4 lakh to get the job done.

The man sensed trouble and approached DVAC directly. After registering a case, the DVAC sleuths asked the man to invite Ammasi and the accused was caught red-handed while receiving the cash. TNN

279 UK returnees in T’gana ‘untraceable’

279 UK returnees in T’gana ‘untraceable’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

27.12.2020

At least 279 passengers who recently returned from the UK to Telangana are untraceable, state health officials said on Saturday. With 52 new cases recorded on Saturday, the number of infected across the country among passengers who had returned from Britain rose to 120 over the past seven days.

Samples taken from all the virus-positive passengers have been sent to labs for sequencing and by Monday it is likely to be known whether they are carrying the more transmissible variant ravaging the UK at present.

There were three new cases in Telangana, taking the state’s UK infected number to 21. Goa reported 16 Covid-positive cases among travellers from the UK, while there were 14 new cases from Maharashtra (total 17).

Genome sequencing to check ‘UK strain’

At least 5% of positive cases from all states and UTs should be tested for whole genome sequencing to check for the presence of the “UK strain” as part of “prospective surveillance”, the National Task Force for Covid-19 has suggested.

‘184 UK returnees furnished wrong ph no. & addresses’

One more passenger tested positive in Nashik but it was unclear if he had contracted the novel coronavirus in the UK because he had tested negative at Mumbai airport on returning on December

13. A male passenger tested positive in Odisha, taking the state count to two.

Kerala reported three new infected passengers, taking the total to eight, and Uttar Pradesh saw eight UK returnees test positive. One passenger from Mysuru (Karnataka) was found to have the virus, while Andhra Pradesh reported six virus-positive cases.

Telangana officials said 92 of the untraceable returnees are from the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka, and 184 had furnished wrong phone numbers and addresses. “We have forwarded their details to their respective state governments so that they can help trace these returnees. A search is on to find the rest,” said Dr G Srinivasa Rao, Telangana’s director for public health. “People with the new type of virus need not worry. They only need be vigilant, use the mask properly, follow physical distancing and wash their hands regularly,” Dr Rao said.

Of the 14 new cases in Maharashtra, three are from Mumbai, four from Thane, one from Nagpur, two from Pune and one each from Nanded, Ahmednagar, Raigad, Aurangabad.

UP additional chief secretary (health and family welfare) Amit Mohan Prasad said the Central government had provided a list of 1,655 persons who had returned from or via the UK to the state. “Of these, 1,087 have been tracked, while 609 have been tested and eight were found to be positive,” Prasad said on Saturday.

GOVT BEGINS TRACING

Pongal gift: Token distribution begins, many visit shops

Pongal gift: Token distribution begins, many visit shops

Madurai: 27.12.2020

Distribution of tokens for receiving the Pongal gift announced by the government began on Saturday across the state. Though it was announced that the token would be supplied at the doorsteps, many came to the shops to receive it. The pongal hamper includes a cash gift of ₹2,500, a kilogram each of raw rice and jaggery, 20 grams each of cashew nut and raisins, five grams of cardamom and a whole sugarcane. V Ganeswari of Anna Nagar in Madurai said she rushed to her ration shop at Vandiyur where youngsters handed over a token. “I did not buy this month’s rations, but the shopkeeper told me that it would be just tokens from today and ration would not be given this month,’’ she said. TNN