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Monday, September 7, 2026

NEWS TODAY 07.09.2026

Newborn infected with Cov in womb, saved at city hosp

Prithvijit.Mitra@timesofindia.com 07.09.2026

Kolkata: The pandemic may have ended four years ago, but coronavirus continues to throw up an occasional scare. Last week, a newborn, who contracted the virus in her mother’s womb, was saved from the jaws of death at a city pvt hospital. Numerous such cases were reported during the height of the pandemic between 2020 and 2022.

While the baby had life-threatening symptoms, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in neonates (MIS-N) ‘associated with peri-natal SARS Covid infection’ and sepsis leading to severe breathing distress, irregular heart beats and fluctuating blood pressure, her mother had no symptoms that prevented doctors from suspecting Covid. The infant had to be put on ventilation but was eventually diagnosed and saved by using Gamma Globulin, a blood protein that acts as antibodies against viruses and bacteria. Born on Aug 24 at Belle Vue Clinic to Arpita Santra, the baby girl developed a severe breathing distress soon after birth. Symptoms started multiplying and she was soon found to have sepsis, which is an extremely toxic response of the body to an infection. But doctors could not gauge the trigger. The newborn was first put on oxygen and as her condition worsened, she was shifted to ventilation.

“We decided to conduct a pro-BNP test to help gauge the infection. It detected MIS-N and sepsis which pointed at Covid. Both conditions were life-threatening and the symptoms were getting severe by the hour. But since the Covid test result could not be obtained before five days, we decided to go ahead with treatment,” said paediatrician Santanu Ray, who led the treatment at Belle Vue. A high pro-BNP test result indicates that the heart muscles are stretched, overworked or under extra pressure. When the heart chambers experience increased volume or pressure, they release this protein into the bloodstream to help regulate fluid balance and blood pressure. “MIS-N has a mortality rate of 50%. Since her other parameters were deteriorating fast, we had to be quick. While MIS-N increases the risk of a heart failure, she also had sepsis. We decided to administer Gamma protein which is an effective method to counter severe infection and its symptoms,” added Ray. It helped counter the symptoms and put the baby on a recovery path. “By the time Covid was confirmed on the fifth day, she had started showing signs of improvement. While the worst period was over, she was kept under screening for several more days till she could be weaned out of oxygen support completely,” said Ray

Govt employee dumps wife, and two daughters on street

07.09.2026

Ahmedabad: A govt employee allegedly dumped his 52-year-old wife and two daughters on the streets saying he could not arrange for their accommodation. The woman from Kalol on Saturday filed a complaint with Sola police alleging that the husband, posted with the supply department in Una, and his family have been harassing her.

The woman harmed herself after being left on the road. The woman told police that she lived in a rented room in Kalol while her husband lives in Una, Gir-Somnath. A few days ago, rainwater entered the room, forcing the woman and her daughters, aged 14 and 17, to move to Trimandir in Adalaj. The husband came to see them and suggested arranging accommodation elsewhere for a month. According to the complaint, the woman wanted a permanent arrangement, to which the husband allegedly said he did not have the money and she could do what she wanted.

She alleged that he left the three on Ognaj Road and went away. According to the complaint, the woman harmed herself with a blade and was taken to a hospital. She has also accused her brother-in-law and sister-in-law of subjecting her to harassment. Times News Network

Power bills may stay high as Aug consumption surges 15%

Venkadesan.S @timesofindia.com 07.09.2026

Chennai: Electricity bills are bound to be on the higher side this month for all consumers, with TNPDCL recording a 15% jump in electricity consumption in Aug, compared to the same period last year. The year-on-year growth was two percentage points higher than in July, when consumption increased 13% compared to July 2025.

TNPDCL officials said power consumption has grown at 6% every year in the past, but this year has seen an unprecedented surge in electricity demand, crossing 10% during the peak of summer. “As the weather continues to be hot and sultry, power consumption continues to be high,” said an official. About 1.3 crore domestic consumers who fall in the July-Aug billing cycle may end up shelling out the same amount they paid in peak summer. TNPDCL has made arrangements to prevent inflated charges due to misreading of electricity meters. “Users of domestic services who have consumed more than 500 units in July and Aug have been separately categorised. If their bill for Sept or Oct is 20% higher than previous bills, the software will flag them for re-verification. If the reading was wrong, it will be corrected. If the charges were correct, they will be uploaded to generate a bill,” said officials.

Residents, however, said the problem lies in delayed meter reading. “For the past few billing cycles, assessors haven’t visited houses to read the meters, as the post remains vacant. We inform the assessor about our consumption on call,” said Niranjankumar, of Aminjikarai. President of TNPDCL Assessors Union, Kannan, said the number of assessors has dwindled to 1,500 against the sanctioned strength. “Re-inspection is an extra burden,” he said, blaming outsourced workers and non-cooperative consumers for inflated bills. C Selvaraj, a retired engineer from TNEB, said it does not make sense to compare consumption patterns of subsequent months. “They should compare consumption in corresponding months of previous years,” he said.

New secretariat to come up at Foreshore Estate TNHB, GCC Grant NOC For 25 Acres

Julie.Mariappan@timesofindia.com 07.09.2026

Chennai: The new assembly-secretariat complex will come up at Foreshore Estate, govt sources confirmed to TOI. Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on Saturday gave the ‘enter upon permission’ nod for the complex to be built on 25.16 acres. The govt is likely to issue an order shortly granting in-principle administrative sanction for the project. The main building would be a 15-storey structure of 20 lakh sqft built-up space. The TNHB land, which has access from Santhome main road, carries a guideline value of 22,000 per sqft, taking its estimated value to 2,047 crore. Chief minister C Joseph Vijay last week said it would be built at 1,200 crore. The govt had shortlisted three locations — Foreshore Estate, Highways Research Station in Guindy and a site opposite Fintech City in Nandambakkam. “The availability of 25 acres at Foreshore Estate makes it an ideal location,” said an official.

Following a formal request from the govt, TNHB on Saturday granted ‘enter upon permission’ to the public department to use 21.37 acres of its land in Mylapore. The land comprises three survey numbers — 4593/1 (0.55 acre), 4593/29 (0.15 acre) and 4593/33 (20.67 acres). The parcels were acquired in 1958 for housing projects. Between 1963 and 1968, 1,112 govt employees’ quarters and 96 TNHB quarters were built there. Another 60 quarters were built in 1986 and 112 in 1998, taking the total to 1,380. Of these, 1,284 quarters had become dilapidated. Since the demolition of the structures, the site has remained vacant. TNHB has initiated steps to demolish its own 96 residential quarters. “TNHB has said the value of the land should be assessed and paid to it in accordance with govt rules. It has also requested govt to consider providing alternative land to compensate for the transfer, if such land is available,” said the official.

In a letter to Chennai collector, TNHB said it had no objection to the use of the land covered under Survey No.s 7588/2 and 4592/79. In 1997, govt had transferred 1.13 acres in Survey No. 7588/2 in Mylapore village for the construction of govt rental housing. Regarding the 1.73 acres covered under Survey No. 4592/79, the board said acquisition files and other records were unavailable. Revenue records, however, appeared to classify the parcel as govt poramboke land. GCC has also given permission to public dept to use 0.93 acres. According to a letter issued by GCC commissioner G S Sameeran on Sept 5, the land, covered under Survey No. 4593/2, is classified for road use. “The land parcels add up to 25 acres, and with some more land under revenue dept, the site will cover 26.5 acres,” said a govt source.

Foreigner cannot claim electoral rights reserved for citizens, says HC

Citizenship is not merely a formal entry in a document; It forms the legal bond from which political rights and civic obligations arose, says Madurai Bench of Madras High Court

B.Tilak Chandar

MADURAI. 07.09.2026

A foreign national cannot claim electoral rights reserved by law for citizens merely because his/her name has erroneously or otherwise continued to remain in an electoral roll, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has said. The court was hearing a petition filed by Jeya Ananthan, who was born in Kuttam in Tirunelveli district in 1986.

He was an Indian citizen by birth. His father was doing business in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 2003, his father fell ill and was unable to manage the business by himself.

The petitioner proceeded to Colombo to assist him. In 2005, the petitioner’s father entrusted the business to the petitioner and returned to India, and died in 2014. The petitioner participated in his father’s final rites. He got married in 2018 and now resides in Colombo with his wife and son, and has acquired Sri Lankan citizenship.

In April 2026, the petitioner came to India along with his wife and son to attend to his mother who underwent a surgical procedure. Then, he found that his name continued to be in the electoral roll. He cast his vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. A criminal case was registered against him. During the course of investigation, his passport, Overseas Citizen of India card and mobile phone were seized. The articles were subsequently returned to him, subject to the condition that he should appear before the competent authority as and when required. The petitioner filed the petition seeking a direction to the authorities to permit him to travel to Colombo.

Justice L. Victoria Gowri said a person claiming Sri Lankan citizenship exercised his voting right in an election here and thereafter sought a direction permitting him to leave India.

The freedom to travel abroad was an important facet of personal liberty. Nevertheless, such freedom was not absolute and might be regulated by a procedure established by law, particularly when the person concerned was facing a criminal investigation, the court said.

Elections constitute the institutional expression of the sovereignty of the people. The sanctity of an electoral roll and the lawful exercise of the franchise are indispensable to the legitimacy of representative government. A foreign national could not claim electoral rights reserved for citizens merely because his/her name continued to remain in the electoral roll, the court said.

Citizenship was not merely a formal entry in a document. It formed the legal bond from which political rights and civic obligations arose. Franchise was among the most solemn of those political rights. Its exercise by a person not qualified under law warranted a fair and effective investigation. At the same time, the investigation must proceed within the bounds of law, respecting the petitioner’s presumption of innocence and personal liberty, the court said and dismissed the petition.