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Thursday, September 5, 2024

Questioned in city drugs case, student leaps to death Cops Arrested 11 Students After Raids In Potheri

Sindhu.Kannan@timesofindia.com 5.9.24

Chennai : A 22-year-old private engineering college student jumped to his death from the fourth floor of an apartment building in Potheri near Maraimalai Nagar on Tuesday night, three days after he was taken with 23 others by police for inquiry over ganja use. On Saturday, 1,000 police personnel from Tambaram commissionerate raided several gated communities in Potheri, occupied mostly by engineering college students, and seized ganja, hookah machines, ganja oil, ganja chocolates and arrested 11 students. Police who identified the deceased as Konda Srinivasa Nikhil of Telangana, a fourth year B Tech (CSC) student, said hookah pipes had been seized from his room.

After he was taken to the Maraimalai Nagar police station for questioning and his parents were informed, officers issued a warning, obtained a written apology and let him off. No case was registered. A preliminary probe revealed that the college management summoned him for an internal inquiry and his parents reprimanded him for getting into bad company.

No suicide note, No suicide note left behind

Some of the house owners in the building had already asked the students to vacate the place, police said. For three days after the raid, Nikhil confined himself to his room and did not attend college. Tuesday night, he jumped from the fourth floor. A few fellow students rushed him to a private hospital in Potheri where he died early on Wednesday morning. Police sent the body for postmortem to Chengalpet Govt Medical College and Hospital and registered a case.

He did not leave any suicide note behind. (Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on TN’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)

Government hospital in Madurai bars free food for patients, NGO sees role of actor’s eatery

"The hospital authorities claimed that our distribution was an obstacle and cited security reasons," said Managing Trustee of Star Friends Trust T Gurusamy.

Hospital authorities have issued the order citing security reasons

Express News Service

Updated on:

03 Sep 2024, 10:08 am

MADURAI: Authorities at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) have stopped free food distribution by an NGO to attendants of patients, citing security reasons. Currently, volunteers of the NGO distribute food packets near the GRH entrance.

Speaking to TNIE, Managing Trustee of Star Friends Trust T Gurusamy said, “Our mission is to provide essential support and resources to those in need. We distributed free food to visitors and attendees of the patients at the GRH for 173 days, as they were mostly from other districts. On the 174th day (Thursday), we were asked to stop the distribution.

"The hospital authorities claimed that our distribution was an obstacle and cited security reasons. This is not valid as our distribution lasts for just an hour every morning. We suspect the reason behind this is a private eatery owned by a Tamil actor located inside the premises and raised concern over this. However, we do not blame anyone but are worried that distributing food at the entrance will invite attention from outsiders and passers-by. We will be issuing tokens to attendees, said T Gurusamy.

Speaking to TNIE, GRH (Madurai) Dean (In-Charge) Dr G Selvarani said, “We are not against distributing food packets to patients, attenders or visitors. But it is inviting beggars and destitute from outside the premises. The food distribution vehicle is parked inside the narrow passage blocking the movement of patients, doctors and health workers. Hence, we asked the volunteers to distribute the packets outside the GRH near the entrance.”

Second-year Medical College student dies by suicide after failing exam

On Monday evening, the results of the first-year semester examination were published and Vivega who reappeared for the first year's Physiology subject in which she had failed earlier, was saddened to know she had failed once again.

Express News Service

Updated on:

03 Sep 2024, 4:56 pm

2 min read

VIRUDHUNAGAR: A 20-year-old second-year Madurai medical college student, hailing from Virudhunagar, died by suicide at her house on Monday allegedly after failing in a subject in the first-year semester examination.

According to sources, Vivega's mother Kanagalatha is an office superintendent at the Virudhunagar Government Medical College Hospital, and her father Veeramani is an accountant at a private hospital.

Vivega, a 2022 batch student has been doing her medicine at the Madurai Medical College by staying in the college's hostel. Following the semester holidays, she has been staying at home.

On Monday evening, the results of the first-year semester examination were published. Vivega who has reappeared for the first year's Physiology subject in which she had failed earlier, was saddened to know that she had failed in the examination once again.

Vivega informed her parents that she was about to bathe and left for her room. Later, Vivega's parents received a call from her friend that Vivega's mobile had been switched off for a long time and told them to check on her. When her parents forcefully opened the locked room, they found Vivega had attempted suicide. She was then rushed to Government Medical College Hospital in Virudhunagar.

However, doctors declared that she was brought dead. A case was registered at the Virudhunagar Rural Police Station under 194 BNSS. "No suicide note was recovered. We have conducted a thorough search of her house," police sources said. Following the autopsy, the body of the deceased was handed over to the parents.

Two Madras university employees go on hunger strike

Two employees M Vijaykumar and Sivakumar are working as section officers. Vijaykumar alleged that the authorities have been delaying his promotion which is due from 2016.

Madras University

Express News Service

Updated on:

04 Sep 2024, 1:20 pm

CHENNAI: Two non-teaching faculty at the University of Madras have been on a hunger strike since Monday to protest alleged delay in their promotions for many years.

The two employees M Vijaykumar and Sivakumar are working as section officers. Vijaykumar alleged that his promotion was due in 2016, but the authorities have been delaying, citing improper reasons.

“If I was given a promotion on time, I would have become assistant registrar by now. Despite 30 years of service, I am not getting my due,” he said, adding that the two resorted to this mode of protest since many of their complaints were ignored. He added that they intend to continue their protest until their demands are met.

Vijaykumar said the university was earlier delaying the promotion, citing a case pending in court. However, he has not been promoted despite the court ruling in his favour In 2018. Despite repeated attempts, varsity officials were not available for comment.

Madras varsity convocation likely to be held on September 24

As the post of vice chancellor has been lying vacant since last August, the varsity was unable to conduct the convocation for academic year 2023-24.

Madras University

Binita Jaiswal

Updated on:
04 Sep 2024, 11:47 am

CHENNAI: The convocation of University of Madras is likely to be held on September 24. The varsity officials said the decision to conduct the convocation was taken after the Governor-Chancellor RN Ravi recently insisted all the state universities to conduct convocations by October 31.

As the post of vice chancellor has been lying vacant since last August, the varsity was unable to conduct the convocation for academic year 2023-24. Last year convocation was held in August in which President of India Droupadi Murmu was the chief guest.

Usually, the convocation is held between April and June. The varsity on Tuesday released a statement for awareness of students citing that the convocation will be held in the fourth week of September. However, sources told TNIE that September 24 has been finalised for the event.

Varsity sources said organising the convocation will be no cakewalk as they will have to deal with the ongoing tussle between the two power centres. “We have managed to finalise a chief guest for whom all the stakeholders have agreed, “ said a person aware with the development.

As per the statutes of the university, the vice-chancellor alone can call for a convocation and issue the degree certificates. However, as per the governor’s instructions, the varsity convenor committee is initiating the process, but they are yet to decide as who will sign the certificates in the absence of the V-C.

“A decision in this regard will be taken soon, “ said a higher education department official. Due to the tussle between governor and higher education department, the V-C post is lying vacant since last year.

While the governor formed a four-member V-C search committee including the nominee from the University Grants Commission, the state government formed a three-member search committee excluding the nominee and now the matter is pending before the court.

Meanwhile , the news of the convocation has brought relief to the students. “ I had given an undertaking in my office that i will submit my original certificate and my HR keeps asking for it. Finally, I will be able to complete my paperwork, “said S Kowshik, a student of the varsity.