Jayaraj-Bennix case: SC refuses bail to two cops

Jayaraj-Bennix case: SC refuses bail to two cops

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:08.09.2021

The Supreme Court has declined to grant bail to two police officers – inspector S Sridhar and sub-inspector P Raghu Ganesh – in connection with the death of trader P Jayaraj and his son J Bennix in June 2020 due to custodial torture by Sathankulam police in Tuticorin district. “…considering the facts and circumstances, at this stage, we are not inclined to interfere with the high court’s order refusing bail,” held a division bench of Justice Vineet Sarann and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari on Tuesday.

On June 19, 2020, Jayaraj, 59, and Bennix, 31, were picked up by Sathankulam police on charges of keeping their mobile phone shop open during pandemic lockdown hours. Due to brutal third-degree treatment in custody, the two suffered severe injuries. While still in judicial custody, Bennix died at Kovilpatti hospital on June 22, and Jayaraj died the next day. Owing to public uproar, Tamil Nadu government handed over the case to CBI, which has filed chargesheet as well. Trial is on at present.

On Tuesday, S Nagamuthu, senior counsel representing inspector Sridhar and Raghu Ganesh, argued in the Supreme Court that the father-son duo did not die due to the injuries sustained at the police station, and that they died due to respiratory illness and heart ailment. As the accused officers would not abscond, they should be enlarged on bail, he argued.

Additional solicitor general KM Natraj, representing the CBI, however, pointed to photographs and forensic reports and said there were at least 18 injuries recorded on the victims’ bodies.

Senior advocate Indira Jaisingh, representing Bennix’s mother, said the two officers were very much present at the station when the victims were being tortured. Noting that two eye witnesses have gathered courage and gave statements against their senior officers, Jaisingh said enlarging the police officers on bail at this stage would collapse the trial.

Workers, doctors welcome TN bill on right to sit

Workers, doctors welcome TN bill on right to sit

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:08.09.2021

The state government’s bill mandating all shops and establishments to facilitate seating arrangements for their workers and staff has brought cheer among workers and healthcare professionals.

On Monday, Minister for Labour Welfare and Skill Development C V Ganesan introduced a Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, 1947, making it mandatory for shops and establishments to provide seating arrangements for employees working in shops and commercial establishments.

“Considering the plight of the employees, the premises of every establishment shall have suitable seating arrangements for all employees so that they may take advantage of any opportunity to sit which may occur in the course of their work and thereby avoid ‘on their toes’ situation throughout the working hours,” the bill stated.

Women workers in large shopping centres like in T Nagar and Purasawalkam are elated at the announcement as seating arrangements for shopfloor workers and salespersons are not enough. For those with health issues, standing for hours at a stretch takes a toll on their health, doctors said.

In 2018, neighbouring Kerala passed a legislation mandating seating arrangements after women workers protested condemning the same.

Dr N Sekar, former president, Vascular Society of India, said a common health ailment in people who stand for long hours is varicose vein, found among traffic cops, sales persons, waiters and those working in factory units.

Dr Sekar explained that blood tends to stagnate in the leg for those who stand for long hours. Since veins in the calf region have to push the blood back to the heart, there has to be a movement of muscles. If left unattended, blood vessels start enlarging leading to ulcers, blood clots or chronic inflammation on legs.

“As a vascular surgeon, I feel happy about the government’s move. It provides me immense happiness that workers will be offered dignity and respect at their workplace. My hope is that other states adopt it too,” said Dr J Amalorpavanathan, Director of Vascular Surgery (Retd), Madras Medical College and member, Planning commission of Tamil Nadu.

BIG RELIEF: A worker at a textile showroom in T Nagar. A common health ailment in people who stand for long hours is varicose veins

Graft: Govt official gets 2 years in jail

Graft: Govt official gets 2 years in jail

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:08.09.2021

A former assistant executive engineer with the market management committee, Koyambedu wholesale market complex, has been found guilty of graft charges by a special court that also sentenced him for two years imprisonment.

He had demanded a bribe of ₹30,000 from a person who ran a tea stall within the market premises and abused his position as a public servant by threatening the tea stall owner that his shop will be sealed if he did not accede to the official’s demands.

According to the prosecution, M Sivalingam, the former government official had approached the tea shop within the Kamarajar flower market premises on November 3, 2014 and demanded a bribe.

After negotiations, the official had agreed to take an amount of ₹5,000 initially. Unwilling to pay the amount, the tea stall owner preferred a complaint against the official with the vigilance and anti-corruption department.

A trap was laid and on November 17, the accused official met the tea stall owner, who gave chemically coated currency notes to the official. DVAC officials caught him red-handed while accepting the bribe.

Can’t stop probe in Kodanad case, truth must come out: SC

Can’t stop probe in Kodanad case, truth must come out: SC

Chennai:08.09.2021

In a leg-up to the state government’s decision to initiate further probe into the Kodanad estate murder and burglary case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to interfere with the investigation and said “the truth must come out”. Ruling on a special leave petition filed by Anubhav Ravi, an AIADMK functionary, who opposed further investigation, saying it would delay the ongoing trial in the Nilgiris sessions court, a bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud sought to dismiss the petition. But it then declared it as withdrawn after senior counsel Siddharth Luthra, representing Ravi, sought the court’s permission to withdraw the plea.

The order may have political ramifications as decks have now been cleared for the TN police to summon and interrogate witnesses and suspects. The case concerns the murder of a security guard and burglary at Kodanad estate, co-owned by former CM Jayalalithaa and her friend V K Sasikala, in 2017. Sasikala was lodged in a Bengaluru jail then. Chargesheet had been filed against 11 suspects and the trial had reached an advanced stage when the new DMK government cited several loopholes and began further probe. TNN

‘PAY ₹30,000 TO MAN FOR MISSING FLIGHT DUE TO TRAIN DELAY’

‘PAY ₹30,000 TO MAN FOR MISSING FLIGHT DUE TO TRAIN DELAY’

Railways can’t be slowcoach: SC

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:08.09.2021

In a first of its kind ruling that will jolt the Railways and pleasantly surprise the general public that takes train delays as part of life, the Supreme Court ordered the Railways to pay a compensation of Rs 30,000 to a man who missed a flight from Jammu to Srinagar as the Ajmer-Jammu Express reached its destination four hours late.

A bench of Justices M R Shah and Aniruddha Bose fastened accountability on the Railways for delayed running of trains. It said that if the Railways cannot explain why a train reached its destination late causing inconvenience to passengers, then it would be liable to compensate them in case they filed a deficiency of service complaint before a consumer forum.

The SC said passengers’ time is precious and someone must be held accountable for train delays. “These are the days of competition and accountability. If the public transportation has to survive and compete with private players, they have to improve the system and their working culture. Citizen/passenger cannot be at the the mercy of the authorities/administration. Somebody has to accept the responsibility,” it said.

Justices Shah and Bose upheld the concurrent orders of the district, state and national consumer forums granting Rs 30,000 compensation with 9% interest to Sanjay Shukla, who with his family missed the 12 noon flight from Jammu to Srinagar because the train scheduled to reach Jammu at 8.10am on June 11, 2016 had chugged into the final stop almost four hours late at 12 noon, leaving the family with no chance of making it on time to the Jammu airport which was at quite a distance from the station.

The family had to arrange for a taxi to travel from Jammu to Srinagar at a cost of R 15,000 and pay Rs 10, 000 for lodging at Srinagar. The district consumer forum, Alwar, had surprised the Northern Western Railways by ordering it to reimburse to Shukla the costs incurred towards taxi fare and lodging and also pay an additional Rs 5,000 for mental agony and litigation expenses. The forum’s decision was upheld by State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and the National Commission. The Railways then appealed against the NCDRC decision in the SC.

Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati argued that in view of Rule 114 and Rule 115 of the Indian Railway Conference Association Coaching Tariff No. 26 Part-I (Volume-I), there shall not be any liability of the railways to pay compensation for train delays. But, the bench was in no mood to accept the argument given the chronicity of delay in running of trains in India.

TIME IS MONEY

CM advances disbursement of hike in dearness allowance for govt staff Regularises Suspension Days As Working Days

CM advances disbursement of hike in dearness allowance for govt staff

Regularises Suspension Days As Working Days

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:08.09.2021

Chief minister M K Stalin on Tuesday announced a slew of measures for government employees, including advancing disbursement of hike in dearness allowance, cancelling suspension on the last working day for staff facing disciplinary action, regularisation of strike and suspension days as working days and simplifying procedures for compassionate appointments.

In a suo motu statement in the state assembly, Stalin said despite a financial crisis the state government would implement the dearness allowance hike from January1, 2022, which is three months in advance, following requests from government employees’ unions. "Due to this decision, 16 lakh government employees and pensioners will be benefited. The government will incur an additional expenditure of ₹620crore and an annual expenditure of ₹6,480crore," he said. Stalin said the government would end the practice of suspending government employees, facing disciplinary and other charges, on the last working day. He further announced that the government would release new guidelines simplifying the norms for appointment under compassionate grounds. "After considering the demands of employees’ unions, the government decided to regularize the strike and suspension periods of government employees, who participated in various strikes called by unions in 2016, 2017 and 2019. The teachers, who were transferred will be given priority in transfer counselling. The government will cancel all disciplinary actions initiated against teachers during the strike and in case their promotion is affected by the disciplinary action, it will be rectified," CM said.

Further, the retirement age for noon meal workers would be increased from 58 to 60 years. The CM said the increment for higher educational qualification which was cancelled in 2020 would be restored again by following the Union government's guidelines. "With increase in enrolment in government schools, the government will take measures to appoint more teachers to meet the teacher: student ratio," he said. The chief minister said steps would be taken to fill vacancies for posts of junior assistants in government schools through Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC). Moreover, an order would be passed to include sons and daughters of government employees, dependent on them, without considering their age, under the health insurance scheme for government staff. For Covid-19 treatment, the government would fund the excess amount in case the treatment cost exceeds ₹10 lakh.

Times of India 07.09.2021