At 657, Chennai has most CCTV cams/sqkm in world

At 657, Chennai has most CCTV cams/sqkm in world

04.01.2021

With 657 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras for every sq.km, Chennai stands first among 130 populous cities in the world in CCTV camera density. Hyderabad stands second in the country with 480 CCTVs per sq.km, says a recent study by Virtual Private Network (VPN) service provider Surfshack, report Sindhu Kannan & Srikkanth D.

But the actual numbers for the city, 2.8 lakh, is fewer than Hyderabad’s three lakh, London’s 6.6 lakh and Beijing’s 10.1 lakh cameras. The number of CCTV’s per 1,000 people is also fewer in Chennai (25 per 1,000) compared to other cities in the top 10 ranking, except Delhi (14 per 1,000 people).

According to sources, the government’s ‘third eye’ campaign which aimed to bring the entire city under CCTV coverage has paid rich dividends. Traders, residents welfare associations and companies have contributed to its success. In the August-September period of 2020, more than 60 snatchers have been nabbed with the help of CCTV cameras in the city. P 2

THE THIRD EYE

In ‘self-defence’, TN teen stabs rapist to death with his own knife

In ‘self-defence’, TN teen stabs rapist to death with his own knife

Cops Seek Legal Opinion; She May Not Be Arrested

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 04.01.2021

In what police believe to be an act of self-defence to escape from a rapist, a 19-yearold woman stabbed a 24-yearold man to death with a knife used by him to threaten her in his rape bid at Sholavaram in Tiruvallur district late on Saturday.

According to Ponneri DSP Kalpana Dutt, a legal opinion has been sought and the victim may not be arrested in the case.

The incident happened around 8pm when she went to relieve herself in a poorly-lit area surrounded by bushes. She failed to notice S Ajithkumar, 24, her relative from the same village, following her to the spot. The teenager panicked on seeing him standing with a beer bottle. Before she could move, the man placed a knife on her neck and threatened to rape her, police sources said quoting the victim.

As he began to undress, she pleaded with him to spare her. Realizing he was drunk, she pushed her away and he banged his head against a tree and dropped his knife. The victim picked up the weapon and stabbed him on his neck multiple times until he swooned. Leaving him dead at the spot, she reached Sholavaram police station on her own around 9pm and narrated the incident to the cops there.

‘Deceased man was an alcoholic’

Police personnel rushed to the spot, retrieved Ajithkumar’s body, and sent it to Stanley Hospital for postmortem. Police registered a murder case but no arrests have been made.

The DSP said the teenager was a Class X dropout. Ajithkumar, who had two children, was her aunt’s son. He got separated from his wife a few months back after a domestic dispute. According to police, the man was a jobless alcoholic and had theft cases pending against him. He always moved with a knife looking for easy targets.

“So far it appears to be an act of self-defence and there seems to be no other motive,” the police officer said.

“We will submit a final report in the court where it will be decided whether an action is warranted in the case,” the DSP added.

According to police, the man was a jobless alcoholic and had theft cases against him

Stalin will never become CM, I will ensure that: Alagiri

Stalin will never become CM, I will ensure that: Alagiri

Padmini.Sivarajah@timesgroup.com

Madurai:  04.01.2021

Amidst slogans hailing him ‘anjaa nenjam (brave heart)’, M K Alagiri on Sunday declared war against his estranged brother and DMK chief M K Stalin, saying: “Stalin can never become the chief minister. My supporters and I will ensure it.”

The former Union minister and elder son of M Karunanidhi, who convened a meeting to discuss his future course of action ahead of the assembly election, said he would announce his next move soon and that his supporters should accept his decision. “To this day, I do not know what I did wrong to be dismissed from the DMK. Stalin betrayed me,” said Alagiri.

In what clearly appeared to be a show of strength, Alagiri arrived in a campaign vehicle to a marriage hall in Madurai as supporters from the city and southern districts gathered in large numbers. The gathering of Alagiri supporters that included DMK workers brought traffic to a standstill on the inner ring road in Madurai. People came in hundreds of vehicles, and the marriage hall near Pandikoil, one of the biggest in Madurai, burst at the seams with cadres standing outside to watch the proceedings on a giant screen.

Accusing Stalin of being jealous of his growth, Alagiri said, “I don’t know why I was betrayed.”

M K Alagiri addresses supporters in Madurai on Sunday

We will waive all edu loans: Stalin

The DMK would waive education loans taken by students for higher studies if the party comes to power after the asembly elections, chief M K Stalin said on Sunday.

I have been DMK’s saviour, despite not having a post: Alagiri

Alagiri said, “I only wanted to be a cadre working for the party and had never hankered after party posts. We turned Madurai, which was MGR’s fortress, into a DMK’s fortress.”

“There are always posters calling you (Stalin) future CM but that’s not going to happen. My followers will never let you become future CM,” Alagiri said.

Stalin was being compared with Karunanidhi, said Alagiri. “A DMK district secretary said Stalin had done even better than Kalaignar (Karunanidhi). I feel ashamed to hear this. How can they compare Stalin with Kalaignar?” he asked.

Alagiri said he had never wanted to work for the Thirumangalam byelection as he had been upset with his family. “But Stalin, Dayanidhi Maran and other DMK leaders met me and urged him to take up the responsibility. Kalaiganar kept calling me every hour and I took up the responsibility and helped the party win the byelection by a margin of 40,000 votes as I had predicted,” he said.

Alagiri said he had been DMK’s “saviour” on several occasions even while Stalin used him to get party posts. He said senior DMK leaders had come to his house to recommend Stalin for the party treasurer’s post.

“Another day, when Stalin and his wife visited my house during the Thirumangalam election, my wife and I assured him he would be the leader of the DMK after Kalaignar,” said Alagiri. Whenever he was given a posting, Stalin sought higher postings, he said.

“I was silent for seven years. My supporters want me to float a party. I will take a decision. But whatever decision I take, I want you to accept it,” he said. His supporters, including P M Mannan, M L Raj and P Chinnan, while addressing the gathering, said Alagiri should be re-inducted into the party.

M K Alagiri said he was silent for seven years, but now his supporters want him to float a party. He will take a decision soon

NEWS DIGEST

NEWS DIGEST

Teachers to protest on Feb 12

Tamizhaga Arampapalli Asiriyar Koottani, an association for elementary teachers, on Sunday announced that it would protest at district headquarters on February 12 demanding the cancellation of disciplinary action initiated against 5068 teachers for participating in the strike called by Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teacher Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (JACTTO-GEO) in 2019. They will give representations to chief educational officers on January 11.

The organsiation is also demanding the cancellation of new pension scheme and increase in the 7.5% special reservation for government school students in medical courses to 20%.

Farmers assn wants relief for damaged crops to be hiked: Tamil Nadu Farmers Association on Sunday urged the state government to increase the relief for crops damaged by Nivar cyclone. In a statement, P Shanmugam, president of the association said the relief amount of ₹8000 per acre is not even meeting half of the money spent by the farmers. He further asked the state government to announce relief for damaged huts and livestock.

Power shutdown in some areas tomorrow: Tangedco has announced power shutdown in some of the areas of Chennai suburbs on Tuesday from 9am to 2pm for maintenance work. Power will be cut in areas including Gummidipoondi, Thirumudivakkam, parts of Kundrathur and Puthuthandalam. In Pudhuthangal area, power will be suspended in Mudichur Road, Old Tambaram, Irumbuliyur, Kushkintha Road, Amudham Nagar and Kurinji Nagar. In Thirumudivakkam area, power will be suspended in Somsangalam, Varadharajapuram, Kundrathur Bazzar and Natham.

Rain in city likely for next few days

Rain in city likely for next few days

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 04.01.2021

The city is likely to experience fairly moderate rain or thunder showers for the next few days because of the impact of heavy rain that is likely to hit Puducherry, Cuddalore and further south.

A seven-day forecast shows that the city will experience rain at night or during the day till January 7. There will be light rain till Tuesday and moderate rain on Wednesday and Thursday. An IMD forecast for the next 48hours said: “The sky condition is likely to be generally cloudy. Light to moderate rain is likely to occur in some areas.”

However, there is a heavy rainfall warning for Tuesday which says that “heavy rain is likely at isolated places over Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore areas.” This is expected to have an impact on the weather in Chennai, said a met department official.

The city and its suburbs received good rain on Saturday night. Kelambakkam, on OMR, recorded 3cm; Mamallapuram 2cm; Tambaram, Chengalpet, Sholingnallur, Madurantakam, Sriperumbudur, Chennai airport and Alandur received 1cm.

A seven-day forecast shows that the city will experience rain at night or during the day till January 7. There will be light rain till Tuesday and moderate rain on Wednesday and Thursday

SRMC Convocation 2021

 

Online registration for SRM’s BTech entrance exam begins

Online registration for SRM’s BTech entrance exam begins

Chennai:04.01.2021

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) has launched online registration for its BTech entrance exam SRMJEEE (SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Examination) 2021.

The entrance exam is likely to be held in the second week of April in 127 cities across the country and five countries in the middle-east including Dubai, Doha and Kuwait.

Candidates who qualify in the exam can get admissions in all campuses of SRMIST. The deemed university said it will announce the entrance exam and joint counselling dates as per the instructions and notifications AICTE and state governments.

“Candidates applying for the entrance exam should have secured a minimum aggregate of 50% marks in maths, physics, chemistry/ biology for all campuses except Andhra Pradesh,” SRMIST said. TNN