Are you illiterate, HC asks SV Shekher for sharing derogatory post against women journos

Are you illiterate, HC asks SV Shekher for sharing derogatory post against women journos

The issue pertains to a derogatory post shared by Shekher in April 2018 in the wake of the controversy over Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit patting a woman journalist on the cheek

Published: 30th March 2021 08:51 PM 

By Harish Murali

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday wondered whether actor and BJP leader S Ve Shekher was illiterate to forward derogatory posts against women journos without reading them. The court made the observations while issuing an interim stay to the framing of charges against Shekher in the case pending before a trial court.

The issue pertains to a derogatory post shared by Shekher in April 2018 in the wake of the controversy over Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit patting a woman journalist on the cheek without her consent when she was asking him a question at a press conference venue. The trial in the case is pending in the Special Court for MP/MLAs.

According to Shekher, apart from the present criminal proceeding, there were three other private complaints filed against him for the same offence. “All the three private complaints have been stayed by the high court in separate proceedings. Only in the present proceeding the prosecution has filed a final report before the jurisdictional court,” he added.

According to the additional public prosecutor, Kritika submitted that even forwarding the post amounted to endorsing the opinion of the message. She opposed the petitioner’s plea to quash the criminal proceeding.

During the hearing on Tuesday, Justice N Sathish Kumar asked whether the accused was illiterate to forward such posts without reading them. The court observed this in response to Shekher's statement that he had unintentionally forwarded the post of his friend on social media without reading the content.

“Forwarding is also an offence. Tendering an apology may help you during the trial. But can the prosecution be quashed because you have tendered an apology?” queried Justice Sathish Kumar.

The counsel for the petitioner Venkatesh Mahadevan, however, argued that the post was removed within two hours and a public apology was also tendered by the petitioner.

The court directed the prosecutor to file a detailed report on the plea. The court granted an interim stay on framing of charges and also dispensed with the personal appearance of the accused before the trial court during the hearings. The case was adjourned to April 16 for the next hearing.

Resume Covid vaccine-at-doorstep service, urge senior citizens

Resume Covid vaccine-at-doorstep service, urge senior citizens

After private hospitals in the city stopped the ‘vaccine-at-doorstep’ facility, senior citizens have requested hospitals to resume the service since it may attract more people to vaccination.

Published: 31st March 2021 06:33 AM 

By KV Navya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: After private hospitals in the city stopped the ‘vaccine-at-doorstep’ facility, senior citizens have requested hospitals to resume the service since it may attract more people to vaccination.

About a week ago, a private hospital in Kelambakkam began the ‘vaccination at home’ service for those aged 45 and above. After it received a good response, a handful of other hospitals too started the service. However, they had to stop after the government instructed them against it.

“Each patient must be monitored for at least 30 minutes after administering the vaccine. There could be blood pressure or cardiac issues. That is why every hospital has resuscitation tools and emergency medicines in the vaccination room. Spending 30 minutes with every patient in their homes may not be a viable option,” said an official from the public health department.

However, senior citizens say the government itself can introduce the service with necessary precautions. “The State can make use of ambulances and turn them into mobile vaccination centres. The vehicles can be equipped with emergency medicines and tools. This also reduces the risk of a senior citizen contracting the virus while venturing out,” said a 64-year-old retired doctor at Guindy, on condition of anonymity.

They also said that, already, vials are going waste due to people not coming forward to get vaccinated.

“The government can hold camps in areas with high senior citizen concentration. One vaccine vial can be administered to 10 persons and if camps are held, no vial will go waste,” said 71-year-old P Ranganathan, residing at Besant Nagar.

High Courts Weekly Roundup [March 22 – March 28]

High Courts Weekly Roundup [March 22 – March 28]: Allahabad High Court 1. 'Applicant In Jail Can't Be Left At The Mercy Of State': Allahabad High Court Expresses Displeasure At Non-Filing Of Reports In Time [Anmol Rastogi v. State of UP]

2ம் தேதி முதல் வெயில் கொளுத்தும் 20 மாவட்டங்களுக்கு எச்சரிக்கை

2ம் தேதி முதல் வெயில் கொளுத்தும் 20 மாவட்டங்களுக்கு எச்சரிக்கை

Added : மார் 30, 2021 23:28

சென்னை:தமிழகத்தின், 20 மாவட்டங்கள் மற்றும் புதுச்சேரியில், நாளை மறுதினம் முதல், இயல்பை விட அதிக வெப்பநிலை பதிவாகும் என, வானிலை ஆய்வு மையம் எச்சரித்து உள்ளது.

சென்னை வானிலை ஆய்வு மைய இயக்குனர் புவியரசன் வெளியிட்ட செய்திக்குறிப்பு: தமிழகம் மற்றும் புதுச்சேரியில், வரும் 3ம் தேதி வரை பெரும்பாலும் வறண்ட வானிலையே நிலவும். வடமேற்கு திசையில் இருந்து, தமிழக பகுதி நோக்கி, தரைக்காற்று வீச சாத்தியக் கூறுகள் உள்ளதால், பல்வேறு மாவட்டங்களில், அதிகபட்ச வெப்பநிலை இயல்பை விட, 3 டிகிரி செல்ஷியஸ் வரை அதிகரிக்கும்.

சென்னை, காஞ்சிபுரம், செங்கல்பட்டு, வேலுார், ராணிப்பேட்டை, திருப்பத்துார், திருவள்ளூர், திருவண்ணாமலை, விழுப்புரம், கடலுார், சேலம், தர்மபுரி. கிருஷ்ணகிரி, கள்ளக்குறிச்சி, நாமக்கல், கரூர், திருச்சி, பெரம்பலுார், அரியலுார், மயிலாடுதுறை ஆகிய, 20 மாவட்டங்கள் மற்றும் புதுச்சேரி, காரைக்காலில் அதிகபட்ச வெப்பநிலை பதிவாகும்.

தென் கிழக்கு வங்கக் கடல் மற்றும் அதையொட்டிய தெற்கு அந்தமான் கடல் பகுதிகளில் இன்றும்; கிழக்கு வங்கக் கடல் மற்றும் அந்தமான் பகுதிகளில், நாளையும், மணிக்கு, 50 கி.மீ., வேகத்தில் சூறாவளி காற்று வீசும். இந்த பகுதிகளுக்கு மீனவர்கள் செல்ல வேண்டாம்.

அதேபோல, குமரிக்கடல், மன்னார் வளைகுடா மற்றும் மாலத்தீவு பகுதிகளில், வரும் 2, 3ம் தேதிகளில், தென்மேற்கு திசையில் இருந்து மணிக்கு, 50 கி.மீ., வேகத்தில் பலத்த காற்று வீசும். எனவே, இந்த பகுதிகளில் மீனவர்கள் எச்சரிக்கையுடன் செல்ல வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு அதில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

விடுமுறை நாட்களிலும் கருவூலம் மற்றும் கணக்கு துறை பணியாற்ற கோரிக்கை

விடுமுறை நாட்களிலும் கருவூலம் மற்றும் கணக்கு துறை பணியாற்ற கோரிக்கை

Added : மார் 30, 2021 21:42

சென்னை:'தேர்தல் செலவுக்குரிய பணத்தை உடனடியாக விடுவிக்க வசதியாக, ஏப்., 2 முதல், 4 வரை, தேவையான ஏற்பாடு களை செய்யுங்கள்' என, கருவூலத்துறை செயலருக்கு, தமிழகத் தலைமை தேர்தல் அதிகாரி சத்யபிரதா சாஹு, கடிதம் அனுப்பி உள்ளார்.

அதில், அவர் கூறியிருப்ப தாவது: தமிழக சட்டசபை பொதுத் தேர்தலும், கன்னியாகுமரி லோக்சபா தொகுதி இடைத்தேர்தலும், ஏப்., 6ல் நடக்க உள்ளது. எனவே, அனைத்து மாவட்ட தேர்தல் அலுவலர்களும், தேர்தல் செலவுக்கான பணத்தை பெற, கருவூலம் மற்றும் கணக்கு துறைக்கு, 'பில்'களை அனுப்புவர்.

அவற்றுக்கு உடனடியாக பணம் வழங்க வசதியாக, ஏப்., 2 முதல், 4 வரை, விடுமுறை நாட்களிலும், ஊழியர்கள் பணியாற்றும் வகையில், தேவையான நடவடிக்கையை எடுக்கவும். இது தொடர்பாக, அனைத்து மாவட்ட கருவூல அலுவலர்களுக்கும், உரிய அறிவுரை வழங்கவும்.இவ்வாறு, சத்யபிரதா சாஹு கூறிஉள்ளார்.

Digital outage hits HDFC Bank customers again

Digital outage hits HDFC Bank customers again

RBI Had Put Expansion Curbs On Lender

Loss Of Connection With Data Centres Likely Cause

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai:31.03.2021 

HDFC Bank customers yet again experienced downtime on their internet and mobile banking with services not accessible to them for several hours. Although the bank said that it was an “intermittent issue” faced by a section of customers in the morning, some of them said that even at 6pm they could not get access to lender’s online services.

The latest glitch in providing online access comes at a time when HDFC Bank is expected to get back to the banking regulator on how it has addressed recurrent issues on its digital banking platform.

In December 2020, the RBI had barred HDFC Bank from new digital launches and issuance of fresh credit cards until it addressed its digital issues. The RBI had also asked the bank’s board to identify lapses and fix accountability. The RBI’s directive came after a prolonged outage of digital services following a power outage at the bank’s primary data centre.

Incidentally, HDFC bank had told investors that it should be able to address the regulator’s concerns in a few months. The fresh outage could raise fresh concerns for the RBI. Sources said that prima facie customers faced service outage and this was not a planned downtime and the central bank would seek more information.

According to sources, Monday’s outage was due to the bank losing connectivity to data centres. The bank had responded to customer complaints on social media with a standard statement that “some customers are facing intermittent issues accessing our net banking/mobile banking app. We are looking into it on priority for resolution. We apologise for the inconvenience and request you to try again after some time”.

Tuesday’s outage hit customers hard as it came on the penultimate day of the financial year and after a long weekend. Several customers complained about their inability to pay their credit card bills. Some customers said that branch visit was not an option as in salary accounts, the home branch is usually close to their office and with most people working from home, the “home” branch is out of reach for them. Besides internet and mobile banking, customers complained about not being able to access their funds through UPI apps as well.

Fresher alleges ragging, 7 medicos face probe today

Fresher alleges ragging, 7 medicos face probe today

Shrinivasa.M@timesgroup.com

Mysuru:31.03.2021 

Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences has summoned seven students for questioning on Wednesday as part of an inhouse inquiry after a fresher alleged he was ragged during a welcome party at the college hostel late Sunday night.

The students, who are in second and third year of MBBS, have been asked to bring their parents when they appear for the inquiry, police said.

While district superintendent of police Divya Sara Thomas told TOI that no FIR has been registered in the case yet, college authorities denied any ragging incident at the hostel building attached to the college in Chamarajanagar, about 180km from Bengaluru.

The fresh academic session began two months ago with about 150 students in the first year. Police sources said senior students had organised a welcome event for freshers on Sunday night. Around 3am on Monday, a student called up his parents alleging he was being ragged.

Worried parents of the boy arrived at the college on Monday morning. By then, a police team was at the campus after a tip-off that a student had been harassed at a late-night get-together.

A source said that senior students, who were informally questioned at the college, reportedly denied ragging the freshers and said they were “only encouraging freshers to show cultural skills they knew. However, one student complained that he was being ragged”.

On Tuesday, police officer Divya and other senior officers visited the college and urged the students to concentrate on studies. Institute’s dean and director Dr GM Sanjeev said the students were busy in the library till 10.30pm on Sunday and added that the campus was safe with no complaints of ragging till now.

Around 3am on Monday, the student called up his parents saying he was being ragged at the welcome party