Issuing false medical certificates for leave is an offence, says HC

Issuing false medical certificates for leave is an offence, says HC

19/11/2021

Staff Reporter Madurai

Coming across a case where a false medical certificate was issued by a doctor to a person who was facing serious allegations, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court observed that doctors were issuing such certificates for the purpose of leave without realising that it was an offence.

Justice B. Pugalendhi observed that the court respected doctors and it relied on the medical certificates issued by them for taking certain decisions. If such false certificates were being issued, the court would not be in a position to rely on them, the judge said. It was the duty of Tamil Nadu Medical Council to eradicate such an impression created by some doctors and take appropriate action to ensure that doctors did not indulge in such activities, the court said.

The court was hearing the anticipatory bail petition filed by Gopinath of Thanjavur district. He was in possession of 1.20 kg of ganja. He was arrested by the police and then remanded in judicial custody in February.

However, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the petitioner was granted interim bail by a special court and was asked to surrender after a month in March. He failed to surrender before the court concerned. A warrant of arrest was issued.

He then filed a plea seeking anticipatory bail before the High Court. He said that he suffered a fracture in his leg. He also produced certain medical records. It was said that the petitioner had obtained the certificate stating that it was for the purpose of seeking leave.

After ascertaining the fact that the medical certificate was false and the doctor had only issued it for the purpose of leave, the court recommended that appropriate action be initiated against the doctor, C. Balaji.

Police register case against 41 YouTube channels

Police register case against 41 YouTube channels

19/11/2021

Staff Reporter Coimbatore

The Cyber Crime Police Station here has registered a case against 41 YouTube channels on the charge of disclosing the identity of the girl who ended her life on November 11, allegedly following sexual assault from her teacher.

The case was registered by the police for offence under Section 23 (4) (procedure for media - any person who contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall be liable to be punished with imprisonment of either description for a period which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to one year or with fine or with both) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

According to the police, the YouTube channels published details such as the deceased girl’s parents’ photos, videos, name of her school and other details which could lead to her identity.

(Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could seek help and counselling by dialling 'Sneha' 24X7 helpline at 044-24640050)

PIL hearing on govt servants who died during Damoh poll

PIL hearing on govt servants who died during Damoh poll

Bhopal:19.11.2021

The counsel for the state government told a division bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court during hearing of a PIL charging that more than 100 government servants died due to Covid-19 during election duty in the Damoh bypoll that the list of deceased persons submitted in the court has not been provided to the government.

Following this, the bench of Chief Justice R V Malimath and Justice V K Shukla ordered that a copy of the list be provided to the government counsel as well, while deferring hearing of the case to November 23.

The petitioner Jaya Thakur claimed that more than 100 government servants on election duty died of coronavirus during election duty in the bypoll to Damoh assembly seat and 66 of them were teachers. The district education officer has confirmed the death of 66 teachers, who were on election duty, due to Covid infection. No compensation has been paid to dependents of these employees despite the Election Commission notification saying that a compensation of Rs30 lakh would be given to dependents of a government servant, who dies of Covid infection while performing election duty.

The court had asked the petitioner to present a list of employees who died of Covid infection during the election.

In the previous hearing of the case, the petitioner had submitted a list of 65 teachers who died due to Covid during election duty in Damoh before the court.

The counsel for the state government on Thursday told the court that the list has not been provided to the state government, following which the court directed to provide a copy of the list to the government counsel. Advocate Varun Thakur appeared in the case on behalf of the petitioner. TNN

Covid test lapses by 1 min, pregnant woman & 2 others denied boarding

Covid test lapses by 1 min, pregnant woman & 2 others denied boarding

Petlee.Peter@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:19.11.2021

A family of three, including a pregnant woman, was denied boarding an Indi-Go flight to Dubai, citing that the 48-hour validity of their RT-PCR negative test reports had lapsed by one minute. They were not allowed to board the flight even though they took Rapid RT-PCR tests at the airport for ₹3,000 each.

All Indian passengers headed to the UAE must clear this pre-departure test, besides carrying RT-PCR negative reports not older than 48 hours. Rukhsar Memon, 28, husband Suhail Syed, 39, and his mother Mamtaz Munawar, 63, had come to Bengaluru for their annual holiday at their Nandidurga Road home on October 9 this year.

On Tuesday morning, the family went to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to board the IndiGo flight 6E 95 from Bengaluru to Dubai scheduled to take off at 1.15pm. As per pre-departure requirement for UAE travellers, the three, including13-week pregnant Rukhsar, took Rapid RT-PCR tests outside KIA and secured negative reports for ₹9,000 before reaching the IndiGo check-in counter around 10am on Tuesday. Then came the shocker.

“We were denied boarding for the 1.15pm flight on Tuesday as the IndiGo ground staff said our initial RT-PCR test reports showed that our samples were collected at 1.15pm on Sunday,” recalled Suhail, who works as a sales executive with a Dubai-based health insurance firm. The airline calculates the 48-hour validity period from the time of sample collection.

The IndiGo ground staff told the family that by the time the flight takes off at 1.15pm, their RT-PCR reports will be “aged one minute over the mandated 48 hours”. “We requested the IndiGo manager at the airport to kindly consider us since we were well within the 48-hour validity when we reached the airport. My pregnant wife and my elderly mother were travelling with me. The employees were rude to us, especially the airline manager, as they dragged us for three long hours and finally denying us boarding,” said Suhail on his family’s ordeal.

Full report on www.toi.in

Govt offices go dark over unpaid bills

Govt offices go dark over unpaid bills

Shiva kumar Pinna

Jangaon:19.11.2021

Government offices in the district headquarters are struggling without electricity as staff and officers were seen carrying out their work under the mobile phone light.

Due to non-payment of electricity bills, the electricity department disconnected the power to the district medical and health office, district superintendent office, irrigation office, district agriculture office, Jangaon deputy commissioner of police office, Jangaon town police station, Lingalaghanpur police station and Bachannapet police station on Thursday morning.

The staff approached the electricity officials, however they were asked to clear the dues first. The NPDCL officials informed that power supply will be restored only if pending dues are cleared.

In 9 mins, donor’s heart beats traffic to beat again in recipient

In 9 mins, donor’s heart beats traffic to beat again in recipient

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad:19.11.2021

A donor’s heart reached the beneficiary 12 km away in flat nine minutes through a green channel created by the traffic police on Thursday morning. The heart was being transported from the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) hospital in Punjagutta to AIG Hospital in Gachibowli, a usually busy stretch prone to traffic blocks.

The donor was a 31-yearold brain dead patient, Nakirakanti Shekhar, who hailed from Nadimpally village in Mahabubnagar. The recipient of the heart was a 45-yearold from the city.

Shekhar had been injured in a hit-and-run accident near Achampet in Mahabubnagar on November 13 while he was on his way home after work. He was rushed to the local government hospital first and later shifted to NIMS.

“He was in the intensive care unit for four days. His condition deteriorated and was declared brain dead on the night of November 18. Jeevandan appreciates the donor family members for their noble act,” said Dr G Swarnalatha, head of state-run Jeevandan organisation.

Dr Swarnalatha said that a Jeevandan coordinator had provided grief counselling to the family and also explained the importance of organ donation. Following the counselling, Shekhar’s brother and sister consented to donate his organs under Jeevandan programme for patients who may be in need.

Apart from the heart, seven other organs were retrieved from Shekhar. These organs were sent to the Osmania General Hospital (liver and a kidney), another kidney was kept in NIMS for a transplant, two lungs were sent to KIMS hospital and two corneas given to the Sarojini Devi Eye bank.

Incidentally, this was the first heart transplant taken up at AIG Hospitals, according to Jeevandan officials.

NEET solvers’ gang mastermind ‘PK’ & aide arrested in Varanasi

NEET solvers’ gang mastermind ‘PK’ & aide arrested in Varanasi

Arrests Came After ₹1 Lakh Reward Announcement On Kingpin

Rajeev.Dikshit@timesgroup.com

Varanasi:19.11.2021

The Commissionerate police on Thursday arrested Pravin Kumar alias ‘PK’ alias Neelesh, the Patna-based mastermind of the solvers’ gang busted during NEET (UG)-2021 here on September 12, and his close aide Ritesh.

Their arrest took place a few hours after the announcement of a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on PK, against whom a local court had issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW).

Commissioner of police A Satish Ganesh said, “PK and Ritesh were arrested from the Ring road under the limits of Sarnath police station area. Ritesh, a clerk in culture and youth affairs department and posted at the secretariat of Bihar government in Patna, is married to PK’s sister Priya, who is a doctor at a PHC in Chhapra. Her involvement in the gang has also come to light in the ongoing investigations.”“PK, who belongs to Chhapra district and posed as a doctor, had settled in Patna following the retirement of his father from the industry department in 1990,” police said. “He had formed the solvers’ gang about six years ago. With the help of Ritesh he used to get the exam papers of different competitive examinations of UP, Uttarakhand and Bihar or arrange impersonators for gullible aspirants after charging huge amounts — from Rs 30 lakhs to Rs 49 lakh. With the wealth created from these illegal activities, he had constructed several multi-storied buildings in Patna, Danapur, purchased plots and luxury SUVs,” the police added.The process for announcing the cash reward on PK had been initiated after issuance of NBW against him and it was approved on Thursday morning. Before announcing the cash reward on PK, the CP said that cash rewards of Rs 20,000 had also been announced on each s accomplices — Mrityunjay Debnath and Dr Afroz — as they were also absconding .

Solver from Rajasthan arrested while taking SI exam for UP man

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Lucknow:

A Rajasthan native landed in police net on Wednesday while he was helping a UP resident become a sub-inspector. The solver was held while taking an exam in the place of a candidate for UP police sub inspector (SI) recruitment exam at a centre in Gudamba on Wednesday. The exam of recruiting SI is being organised by Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB).

On November 14, also two examinees -Dinesh Chandra, Amit Kumar were nabbed using foul means while taking the examination for SI. Two aides of Dinesh- Saurabh Tiwari, and Rahul Rathi were also arrested by the police on the same day for helping him in the examination. An invigilator developed doubt over the solver, and he alerted senior officials. The accused was later arrested by a police team which reached the scene on information.

The accused was identified as Ashok Kumar (24) of Rajasthan. It was found that he was taking an exam at the place of one Dharmendra Singh of Mathura. “On Wednesday, the centre manager of Chhatra Shakti Info Solutions, Deepak Yadav, in Gudamba police station area developed doubt when he was matching the faces of examinees with the photos pasted on their admit cards. He found that the photo pasted on admit card did not match with the suspect and he alerted the police officer supervising the exams at the centre,” said ADCP, North Zone, Prachi Singh.

ADCP Singh, said that it has come to the fore that solver Ashok Kumar was a member of a gang which rigged the exams.