Murder case filed in college girl’s death

Murder case filed in college girl’s death

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:21,01,2021

Trichy district police have registered a murder case in connection with the unexplained death of a 19-year-old BPharm student at the women’s hostel of a private college at Samayapuram on Tuesday. A resident of Poiyur in Ariyalur district, the deceased R Rajeswari was a second year BPharm student at Srinivasan college of pharmaceutical sciences and was staying in the college hostel.

According to the first information report quoting the complaint of the girl’s father Ramaiyan, the principal informed him over phone that she was found lying on the ground behind the women’s hostel around 7.30 am on Tuesday. The principal told him that Rajeswari fainted and died later at the SRM hospital in Iringalur. However, the college administration told him that the girl must have fallen off the fourth floor of the hostel.

The FIR of Samayapuram police said Ramaiyan raised suspicions over the death and that she might have been murdered. He mentioned having found injuries on her jaw and right leg, bruises on her back and hand when he saw her body at the hospital in Irungalur on Tuesday. Inspector Anbazhagan of Samayapuram police told TOI on Wednesday that a case of murder has been booked based on the complaint. The girl had returned from home after Pongal holidays only on Monday night.

“She was one of the seven students staying in the hostel. Though the injury marks do not lead to any suspicion of murder, the viscera has been collected for examination to determine the cause of death. Since the father raised the suspicion of murder, we have registered a case of murder,” Inspector Anbalagan said. The postmortem was performed at the government hospital in Srirangam on Wednesday.

AIADMK won’t break up even if a thousand Stalins emerge: EPS

AIADMK won’t break up even if a thousand Stalins emerge: EPS

‘Will Continue As CM Even After Jan 27’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21,01,2021

Asserting that there would be no split in the AIADMK as anticipated by rivals, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday said he would continue to hold his official post even after January 27. The AIADMK would return to power for yet another term, the CM said, adding that it was the DMK which is on the verge of a split with former CM M Karunanidhi’s elder son M K Alagiri planning to float a party.

During his whistle-stop campaign in Kancheepuram, Palaniswami was at pains to dismiss speculation of possible split in the wake of the release of Jayalalithaa’s close aide V K Sasikala from a Bengaluru prison on January 27. DMSK president M K Stalin on Tuesday took a dig at the EPS government, wondering if the government would survive after January 27.

“Stalin’s ambition is to split the AIADMK and topple the government. He has no intention to do good for the people. Everywhere he goes, he asks if Edappadi Palaniswami will continue as CM. Of course, he will. That is because he enjoys the support of the people. The AIADMK cannot be touched even if a thousand Stalins emerge,” Palaniswami told supporters in Theradi, Kancheepuram district.

Palaniswami reminded the crowd of how he rose up the ranks from area secretary to minister through sheer hard work. “Stalin came up through short-cuts,” he said. “Stalin, you did not come to this position through hard work. But I did. I know how to steer the party and run the government,” the CM said, asking the DMK chief “to do good or else people may not even offer you a seat in the opposition benches”.

Recalling the “disrespectful behavior” of the DMK during the trust vote in 2017 and the alleged “physical assault” on Jayalalithaa in 1989 on the floor of the House, he said voters should think what it would be like if the DMK returned to power. Law and order would deteriorate, he said. “Udhayanidhi speaks disparagingly of women. Such people are eager to come to power. There is no history of those who slander and humiliate women winning,” the CM said and accused Stalin of making false and fancy promises during his Makkal Gram Sabha meetings.

SEA OF SUPPORTERS: Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at a rally in Kancheepuram on Wednesday

College principal on sit-in protest for basic facilities

College principal on sit-in protest for basic facilities

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com

Puducherry:21.01.2021

The principal of a government college in Puducherry has launched a novel protest to highlight the problems students and faculty face.

From Wednesday, Sasi Kanta Dash, principal of Tagore Government Arts College, refused to use his chamber and instead set up office on the floor near a bust of Tagore at the entrance to the institution. He’s also decided to spend his nights at the college until the government fulfills a 12-point charter of demands.

These demands are to provide basic amenities for students such as classrooms with adequate seating, toilets and common rooms for girl students, and renovation of the computer laboratory, physics laboratory and auditorium. From just 647 students in 2016, the college no had more than 14,000 students, but infrastructure had not kept pace. The result: The 45-year-old dilapidated auditorium now houses three classrooms without partitions. The toilets for girl students are inadequate and computer and physics laboratories have not been upgraded. "How will the toilet facilities set up for 600-odd students cater to the needs of 14,000-odd students. Within 30 minutes the toiletsrun dry and we have to call the services of water tankers. The auditorium is dilapidated and if any untoward incident happens the teachers must not be made scapegoats," said the principal. He said repeated pleas to the officials concerned fell on deaf ears.

"My conscience does not allow me to sit in the principal's chamber while all my students and staff members are suffering in this pitiful environment. Therefore from January 20, I shall discharge my official duty by sitting on the floor of the college and staying in the college day and night till the grievances are met. I wish to categorically declare that my action is not a protest against the government or any authority but an expression of the unbearable anguish I feel when I see my students and staff members suffer," said Dash.

From Wednesday, Sasi Kanta Dash, principal of Tagore Government Arts College, refused to use his chamber and instead set up office on the floor near a bust of Tagore at the entrance to the institution

Sasikala admitted to hospital in B’luru with fever, breathlessness

Sasikala admitted to hospital in B’luru with fever, breathlessness

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

21.01.2021

Expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala, who is about to complete her four-year jail term in the disproportionate assets case, was shifted to a hospital in Bengaluru after she suffered fever and breathlessness on Wednesday. Parappana Agrahara prison officials shifted Sasikala to Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College Hospital around 5.30pm.

"Sasikala, 63, with comorbidities of hypertension, diabetes and hypothyroidism has been admitted with cough and fever," Dr Manoj Kumar HV, dean and director, Bowring hospital, said late at night.

Sasikala, who is slated to be released from jail on January 27, was put in an isolation ward after she had fever and breathlessness. A Rapid Antigen Test of her throat swab sample tested negative for Covid-19. However, the results of her RT-PCR tests are awaited. “She’s being treated with high flow nasal oxygen. Necessary investigations are being done and results are awaited,” said hospital medical superintendent Dr Vijayalakshmi GN.

When Sasikala was brought to the hospital, her oxygen saturation level was 80%, as against the normal of 95% and above. “With oxygen support, she is maintaining oxygen saturation level of 97 %,” the superintendent told TOI.

Prison officials have already officially communicated the date of Sasikala’s release to her advocates. However, there is no clarity on when her fellow convicts in the case — sister-in-law J Ilavarasi and nephew V N Sudhakaran — will be released. All three were imposed ₹10 crore each as fine, besides four-year jail term. Failure to pay fine entails another year in the prison.

Sudhakaran’s jail term ended on January 14. “We wonder why he hasn’t paid the fine as he has been fighting a legal battle for early release,” an official said. A special court in Bengaluru had deducted 89 days of imprisonment of Sudhakaran, permitting him to walk out any time after paying ₹10 crore. Ilavarasi, slated to be released in February, too has not paid the fine.

“Sasikala’s release formalities will begin on January 26. An official communication will be made to Sasikala, asking her to get ready to walk out on January 27. That morning, she has to sign a few documents, including the prison register she had signed on February 14, 2017,” prison officials said.

Asked if she had deposited any property or gold, prison officials said, “There was no gold ornament on her when she walked into prison. She didn’t have any cash either.”

While the charges against the prime accused, J Jayalalithaa, lapsed due to her death before the Supreme Court judgment on February 14, 2017, the three other convicts walked into central prison the next day.

Sasikala paid the fine in November 2020 and sought an early release. In her application to the home department, she sought remission, enabling an early release. The papers are with the home department.

HEALTH SCARE: Parappana Agrahara prison officials shift Sasikala to Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College Hospital in Bengaluru on Wednesday

I-T searches properties of private varsity

I-T searches properties of private varsity

Pan-TN Raids Initiated Over Tax Evasion

Mayilvaganan.V@timesgroup.com

21.01.2021

Income tax department sleuths descended on several properties linked to a private university and a missionary institute across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

Sources said searches were conducted in 28 places in Coimbatore and Chennai belonging to Karunya University and Jesus Calls, a missionary institution. The simultaneous searches were conducted by 300 personnel split into several teams drawn from the I-T department in Chennai, Trichy, Madurai Coimbatore and Kerala.

In Coimbatore, searches were conducted at Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences run by the university, Karunya Christian School’s Avinashi Road campus as well as residences of some of the senior officials of the varsity and Jesus Calls ministry.

Though I-T department officials were not available for comments, sources said the searches were due to alleged tax evasion. Searches were on at the time of going to the press.

The searches shocked the students and faculty members of Karunya University, located on the outskirts of the city, on Siruvani Road. Karunya Institute of Technology was established as an engineering college in 1986, while Jesus Calls ministry was founded in 1962.

It is the third such raid in the district in the past two months. In November, I-T officials had raided three places belonging to DMK’s Coimbatore west district in-charge R Krishnan in Kalapatti. It was also part of a state-wide raid related to an educational institution. It was reported that the raid was carried out at Krishnan’s house after the sleuths found a land transaction between him and the chairman of an educational institution in Erode.

Corrupt govt staff are like weeds, must be nipped early: Court

Corrupt govt staff are like weeds, must be nipped early: Court

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  21.01.2021

Government servants who demand bribe are like weeds that need to be nipped early for the general public to have faith in the system, observed a special court in Chengalpet while sentencing a city traffic police inspector to three years imprisonment under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Iyappan, who was with the Valasaravakkam police station, had demanded bribe from the staff of a contractor hired by the city corporation after seizing his two-wheeler.

According to the prosecution, during the early hours of November 19, 2018, Thangadurai was overseeing stormwater drain work along Arcot Road when the inspector seized his two-wheeler stating they did not have police permission to carry out the work. Despite several attempts to meet the inspector at the station, he was unavailable, and a week later, when Thangadurai requested the two-wheeler, the inspector demanded ₹10,000 bribe. The contractor alerted DVAC (Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption) officials and Iyappan was caught red-handed while taking ₹8,000 near a traffic signal along Arcot Road, the prosecution submitted. The prosecution submitted 17 witness statements.

In response, the counsel for the tainted police official submitted that the prosecution has not submitted enough evidence to prove the allegations against the inspector and contended that the complaint itself was fabricated due to previous enmity. The counsel further argued that the seized money was not sent for chemical analysis.

After perusing all submissions and documents, A K K Rajini, principal sub-judge, Chengalpet, said the arguments by the inspector’s counsel were far-fetched and stated that if the inspector did not have the intention to take a bribe, there was no reason for him to have seized the two-wheeler and kept it in custody for over a week. Based on the evidences submitted, the special court held Iyappan guilty and sentenced him to three years imprisonment with a fine of ₹10,000.

117 MBBS seats, 459 BDS seats wasted due to delay in intake

117 MBBS seats, 459 BDS seats wasted due to delay in intake

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  21.01.2021 

At least five MBBS seats in government medical colleges and 112 seats in self-financing medical institutions are vacant in TN this year after two rounds of counselling. This is not because of the dearth of qualified students but because of the state’s own admission policies and “early” deadline for admission procedure due to the pandemic.

The state selection committee says it will not be able to allot these seats as the deadline set by the National Medical Commission for the admission process ended on January 15. Besides, 12 undergraduate dental seats in government colleges and 447 management seats in self-financing dental colleges are vacant. In the second round, students were allowed to “upgrade” seats — take admission in colleges where seats weren’t available during first allotment. The committee could not fill the vacancies created, particularly in government colleges, with giving the option of “upgrade” to other students.

On January 15, when the second round of counselling ended, one seat each at Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital and Government Vellore Medical College Hospital and three at Rajah Muthiah Medical College were vacant. “All seats in colleges were taken in the first round. During the second round, a student allotted a seat in Kilpauk Medical College, opted for Christian Medical College. We can’t allot the vacant seat to the next student without giving “upgrade option” to all students below his rank,” said selection committee secretary Dr G Selvarajan. The council didn’t have time to fill 112 lapsed NRI MBBS seats and 469 BDS seats. The state has set a separate fee structure for lapsed NRI seats, he said. The counselling process was also slowed because officials had to ensure pandemic protocols were followed.

The directorate of medical education has now moved the Supreme Court seeking additional time for mop-up counselling. “At least 23,000 students had applied for government quota seats and more than 14,000 students had applied for management quota seats. A week-long mop up will give others a chance,” said director of medical education Dr R Narayanababu. The case is likely to come up for hearing on Thursday.

While states such as Karnataka have also reported vacancies in MBBS/BDS seats this year, student counsellors say TN has not just been “slow” with counselling, but also did not plan ahead of time.