Medical negligence during childbirth: SHRC recommends ₹10 lakh compensation

Woman, infant died after nurse tried to manage delivery in the absence of doctor

13/02/2020,DENNIS S. JESUDASANCHENNAI

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Wednesday recommended the payment of ₹10 lakh as compensation to a man, whose wife died after a nurse attempted to administer the process of childbirth in the absence of a qualified gynaecologist at a Primary Health Centre. The newborn also died in the incident, which occurred in Erode district in December 2018.

SHRC acting chairperson D. Jayachandran recommended that a sum of ₹5 lakh be recovered from the respondent, Dr. S. Vijayalakshmi, an assistant surgeon who was attached to the PHC in Vijayamangalam at the time of the incident. The Commission also recommended disciplinary action against her.

According to the complainant, B. Raj of Perundurai taluk, his wife Kanchana had registered her pregnancy under the National Health Mission scheme at the Primary Health Centre in Vijayamangalam and underwent periodic check-ups during 2018. When she visited the PHC after developing labour pain on November 11 that year, the respondent informed her that she was ready for delivery.

However, when the patient visited the PHC again the same afternoon, she was told that the doctor had gone to Chennai, and that the nurse would have to administer the delivery. During an inquiry, it came to light that the nurse had called the respondent over the phone and had explained the complexity of the pregnancy to her, but the latter still did not return to the PHC.

The procedure was ill-administered by the nurse, leading to the patient being shifted to another PHC at Thingalur, which refused to provide treatment. The patient was eventually taken to the government hospital in Erode, where the doctors declared her and the infant dead.

The Commission had taken suo motu cognisance of a media report on the incident in December 2018 and had called for a report. The woman’s husband eventually submitted a complaint against the respondents in September last year

Directives to govt.

After considering the arguments from both sides, the SHRC recommended the payment of ₹10 lakh as compensation to the complainant. It also recommended disciplinary action against all four members of the Special Maternal Death Audit Committee, which met on December 23 last year.

Mr. Jayachandran asked the State government to strictly monitor the presence of doctors to provide delivery care on a 24x7 basis in all PHCs across the State. He further recommended that a duty chart in Tamil, with mobile numbers, be displayed in all PHCs, and that the authorities should make random calls and undertake surprise visits to PHCs.

“This Commission also recommends that the Government of Tamil Nadu shall take steps to improve the quality of all the Primary Health Centres like CEmONC (Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care) in a full-fledged manner and ensure the functioning of PHCs on a 24x7 basis,” the SHRC order stated.

Pregnancy can be terminated: Dean

13/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,MADURAI

The Dean of Government Sivaganga Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that the 24-week pregnancy of a woman with special needs could be terminated. In a counter affidavit, the Dean said a complete physical examination of the woman was done and she was fit for termination of pregnancy.

Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana posted the case for passing orders.

Earlier, the court had directed the Dean to constitute a committee of medical experts to see if the pregnancy could be terminated.

The woman was currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The mother of the woman with special needs had moved the High Court Bench seeking a direction to terminate the pregnancy of her daughter, who was sexually assaulted by their neighbour. The accused, Kasi, was arrested and remanded in judicial custody following a complaint filed by the mother.

‘No coronavirus patients in Sivaganga’

13/02/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,SIVAGANGA

Sivaganga Government Medical College Dean Rathinavel on Wednesday said there were no coronavirus patients in the district. In a statement issued here, he said 84 persons, who had been to various parts of China and returned home recently, were screened on arrival at airports by medical teams.

Death during delivery: HC reserves order

13/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,MADURAI

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday reserved orders in the case pertaining to the death of a 22-year-old pregnant woman due to medical negligence. It was said that the woman was left unattended for hours at K. Pudur Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) in Madurai.

Taking cognisance of the submissions made in the case, Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana reserved the orders. Only after the court’s intervention the death certificate of the woman was issued. The court was hearing the petition filed by S. Manimuthu, husband of the deceased woman, M. Sakthikali, who sought a compensation of ₹10 lakh for the medical negligence.

In his petition, Mr. Manimuthu said his wife was admitted to K. Pudur UPHC for her first delivery. The duty doctor had assured a normal delivery following a check-up and left the clinic. Within minutes, his wife experienced labour pain, he said. However, there was no one to attend to her for hours together, except a nurse. A commotion ensued at the UPHC as the staff were unable to deal with the situation, and there was a delay in referring his wife to Government Rajaji Hospital. Soon, she breathed her last, he said.

Victim’s mother sits on a protest outside court

13/02/2020, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA,NEW DELHI

Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi broke down at the Delhi court requesting a fresh date to execute the four death row convicts in the gang rape and murder case and sat on a protest outside the court premises. “I too have some rights,” she said after the court offered a lawyer to one of the four convicts, Pawan Gupta. After the hearing, Ms. Devi joined a protest led by women’s rights activist Yogita Bhayana outside the Patiala House Courts premises.

“There is no appeal pending in any court in the country... I appeal to the Supreme Court to issue the death warrant as this court (trial) is in no mood to issue one,” she said.

A child cannot be put behind bars, rules SC

‘Police have no right to detain children’

13/02/2020, KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL,NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court has made it clear that the police have no right to detain children in conflict with law in a lockup or a jail.

A juvenile in conflict with law, if apprehended, has to be placed immediately under the care of the special juvenile police unit or a designated child welfare officer. The child has to be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB).

“Once a child is produced before a JJB, bail is the rule,” a Bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose declared. If for some reason bail is not granted, a child cannot be put behind bars.

He has to be lodged either in an observation home or in a place of safety.

The law is meant to protect children and not detain them in jail or keep them in police custody, said the court.

The eight-page order on February 10 came after the court’s attention was drawn by the recent media reports about “children being detained in police custody and tortured in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh”. The order sends a significant message to the authorities in the light of reports about children detained in connection with the protests against the Citizenship (Amendments) Act.

The Bench has issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh and Delhi Commissions for Protection of Child Rights and directed them to file their responses within three weeks.

Court offers lawyer to Nirbhaya convict

A condemned convict is entitled to legal aid: judge

13/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,NEW DELHI

Awaiting justice: Nirbhaya’s mother protesting outside the trial court in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI

A Delhi court on Wednesday offered Pawan Gupta, one of the four death row convicts in the December 16, 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, an advocate, noting that a condemned convict is entitled to legal aid.

Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana adjourned the hearing for Thursday and told Pawan, who has removed his lawyer, that he could choose from a list of empanelled advocates to represent him in the case.

Nirbhaya’s parents and the Delhi government had on Tuesday moved the court seeking fresh death warrants for the four convicts, after the Supreme Court granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of a fresh date for the execution of these convicts.

The trial court had on January 31 stayed the execution of the four convicts — Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31).

Except Pawan, all convicts have exhausted their legal remedy to file a curative petition before the Supreme Court.

The President has also rejected the mercy pleas of Mukesh, Akshay and Vinay.

The four convicts have since been sentenced to death by a local court.

The order has been upheld by the High Court and the Supreme Court.

VIT’s Riviera 2020 gets under way

13/02/2020, T. MADHAVAN,VELLORE

Rohit Kumar and Sankar Viswanathan at the event in VIT. C. VENKATACHALAPATHYC. VENKATACHALAPATHY

Riviera 2020, the international cultural and sports fest of Vellore Institute of Technology, began with a scintillating music show, and cultural and sports events.

The four-day extravaganza, expected to witness over 40,000 participants from 300 educational institutions across the country and outside, kicked off with a 9.9 km marathon. It was flagged off at Katpadi by Sankar Viswanathan, VIT vice-president, and about 5,000 students took part.

Arjuna awardee for kabaddi, P. Ganesan, inaugurated the fest and said that students should grab the opportunities that VIT is providing through the fest. Asian Games gold medallist (rowing) Rohith Kumar inspired students with anecdotes.

“Not getting comfortable and complacent, to keep challenging oneself and moving forward — these are mantras one has to keep in mind to scale new heights in life,” he said.

While the Vaak Yuddh event saw intense debating sessions, Sahiti tested knowledge of films and Super Singer brought musical talent to the fore. In the evening, thousands of students were treated to music by singer Sid Sriram and his band.

NEET scam: sleuths seek UIDAI assistance to track down suspects

CB-CID shares photos, biometric data for verification with Aadhaar database

13/02/2020, S. VIJAY KUMAR ,CHENNAI

The Crime Branch-CID of the Tamil Nadu police has written to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), seeking its assistance to track down those suspected of having acted as proxies in the sensational NEET scam.

Investigators have shared the photographs and biometrics of at least a dozen suspects with the UIDAI authorities for verification with the national Aadhaar database.

The suspects, booked on the charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and impersonation, were hired as proxies by candidates from Tamil Nadu to write the test on their behalf in different centres across the country.

The scam first surfaced in the Theni Medical College in Tamil Nadu, where the first case of a candidate clearing NEET with the help of a proxy who took the test on his behalf in north India was exposed. After the case was transferred to the CB-CID, more such cases were detected, and the agency had arrested 15 persons, including seven medicos and six parents. An investigation is on to apprehend the proxies who were hired to write the examination for these candidates at centres in other States.

Since the proxies are suspected to be undergraduate or postgraduate medicos, the agency has written to the Board of Governors of the National Medical Commission, requesting that the photographs of the suspects be shared with all medical colleges in the country for identification.

“We have written to the Director-General of Health Services to verify data in deemed universities. The details of proxies have also been shared with the Directors of Medical Education (DME) of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Rajasthan for posting the photographs of suspects on the notice boards in all medical colleges,” Superintendent of Police C. Vijaya Kumar told The Hindu on Wednesday.

Social media

After Director-General of Police M.S. Jaffar Sait held a review meeting with senior officials on the progress made in the case, investigators decided to write to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, seeking their assistance in identifying the suspects. “Since a majority of youth, particularly students, are active on social media, it is possible to identify the suspects if their photographs are shared with the administrators of such platforms,” he said.

Mr. Vijaya Kumar said the photographs/fingerprints of the proxies will not match with any records maintained by the National or State Crime Records Bureaux since they were not habitual offenders. “It has been almost three months since we wrote to the Central and State health authorities. Special teams are closely coordinating with these officials, and a breakthrough is expected soon. The possibility of a similar scam in NEET in other parts of the country cannot be ruled out,” he said. The CB-CID, which is currently focusing on the NEET scam in MBBS admissions, will soon start probing allegations of similar irregularities in postgraduate admissions, sources in the agency said.

LPG consumers are a worried lot as backlog goes up to 10 days

IOC says with one lakh new cylinders arriving in a week, issue will be sorted out soon

13/02/2020, , DEEPA H. RAMAKRISHNAN,CHENNAI

Out of gas: The lack of supply of fresh stock of cylinders to the plants is the main reason for the delay. K. PichumaniK. Pichumani

Panic calls to cooking gas agencies have increased in the last couple of weeks with the consumers getting their liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) refill supplies after delays. The current backlog ranges between 5-10 days, which is much more than last month’s backlog of 4-8 days.

“The situation has been worsening since October last year; only consumers did not notice it. But between January and February, the delay has increased. While core city consumers are better off and get cylinders within 5-6 days, those on the outskirts get them in 10 days. In some rare cases, it even takes 15 days,” said a distributor, who did not want to be named.

Vatsala Kumar, a consumer, said she was worried about her refill supply. “I had waited for a week after the other cylinder got over to make the booking thinking that I would get the refill immediately since I needed to keep aside the required amount. Now I have an SMS saying four days to delivery. But it has been five days now. Hopefully, I will get it in a couple of days,” she said.

Oil industry sources said that the lack of supply of fresh stock of cylinders to the plants was the main reason for the delay. “The supplies have been stopped since October. Every month a certain number of cylinders have to get into the system so that older cylinders can be taken out for mandatory tests. Currently, a large portion of cylinders are being sent to consumers beyond the due date for such tests and they lead to leaks,” said a source in the know.

While admitting to backlog in supplies, official sources in Indian Oil Corporation said that it was limited to Chennai city and surroundings. “The rest of the State has not been affected. We are getting one lakh new cylinders in a week, which will ease the pressure. We are not compromising on safety aspects and are conducting the mandatory checks on bottles at the plant and also at the distributor point. We are also asking consumers to insist upon conducting pre-delivery checks before accepting the refills,” the official said.

On the complaint about commercial cylinders being given priority over production of domestic refills, the official denied it. “Our plants at Ennore, Chengalpattu and Athipattu supply LPG refills to Chennai area. Commercial cylinders bottling does not exceed 15 per cent,” he said.

MIOT Hospital celebrates 21st anniversary

13/02/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

MIOT International Hospital celebrated its 21st anniversary on Wednesday by honouring its staff and a few local doctors for service beyond the call of duty. The hospital, founded by orthopaedic surgeon P.V.A. Mohandas, with a staff strength of 3,500 people had served people despite the hostile atmosphere it faced, said Managing Director Prithvi Mohandas. The hospital reflected the spirit with which his father and orthopaedic surgeon P.V.A. Mohandas worked, Dr. Prithvi said.

His father had cycled 12 km to his hospital from home on the day of former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran's death, when the entire city had shut down and there were riots.

Hospital Chairman Mallika Mohandas said the anniversary celebrations had reaffirmed her belief that they were on the right track. On the occasion two doctors from the hospital presented the treatment of two patients — an 18-year-old engineering student from Nagpur who fell from the fourth floor and suffered multiple fractures and a 10-year-old boy of Tuvalu Islands, who fell from a tree and became paraplegic.

Tuvalu’s Health Minister Isaiah Tappe said with the help of the hospital, Tuvalu was setting up a dialysis unit.

Fraudsters pose as genuine sellers online, dupe buyers
With no direct interaction with victims, they operate from far-off places like Delhi

13/02/2020, R. SIVARAMAN, CHENNAI

A businessman in Mandaveli was tempted by an advertisement for the sale of a used car on an online portal. According to the ad, the car was on sale for ₹1.8 lakh, way lower than its market price. The seller, claiming to be an army personnel, had posted that he was selling the car since he was moving to Delhi.

As soon as the buyer evinced interest to buy the car, the seller sent a picture of the car, without its registration number, RC book or insurance records, through WhatsApp. He asked the buyer to pay an advance through mobile wallet or link-based payments. The seller promptly sent a gate pass for the vehicle from an army camp, so that the buyer could drive it away. Convinced, the businessman transferred the entire amount and the seller vanished. His mobile phone was switched off.

Likewise, another victim from Porur was keen on buying a high-end bike and checked online. A seller, who claimed to be from the Central security services, had advertised a picture of a his bike for sale, quoting ₹50,000 on an online portal. The market price for the bike was over ₹ 1.5 lakh. As he was attracted by the offer and showed interest, the fraudster sent him vehicle details over WhatsApp, and asked him to send an advance through mobile wallet. The seller sent a fake receipt of a courier company, indicating that the product had been shipped. After collecting all the money from the buyer, he switched off his mobile phone and vanished.

These are not isolated cases. In the last two months, the Cyber Crime Unit of the Central Crime Branch has received more than 60 complaints of such frauds.

A senior police officer said, “We are receiving too many complaints from victims who lost their money to fraudsters who posed as genuine sellers on sites such as OLX, Quikr and others, by listing goods at very cheap prices.”

Similar pattern

Fraudsters usually pose as armed forces personnel or personnel from central security forces and post fake or stolen identity cards and documents relating to cars/ two-wheelers.

They share fake Aadhaar and other identification details and ask buyers to pay the initial advance, and then the entire amount.

Another senior officer said, “All communication is through WhatsApp or other messaging platforms. There is no face-to-face interaction between the buyer and the seller. Overenthusiastic buyers are not ready to verify the credentials of the sellers and get cheated quickly.”

Sometimes, sellers who post their products for sale too are cheated by fraudsters. On seeing an ad posted by a genuine seller, the fraudsters come forward to pay the quoted price. Then they get the sellers to share the OTP for money transfer under the pretext of mobile wallet transfer and swindle the entire money, the police said.

In most cases, the fraudsters operate from far-off places such as Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. “It is tough to crack these cases and trace the money trail, since all transactions are done through mobile wallets or the UPI mode. Online sale portal representatives also said that transactions were done outside the portal and so they had no control,” the police said.

Soon, data may be sent 1,000 times faster

13.02.2020

Data could be transmitted a thousand times faster than current internet cables after a breakthrough, scientists have said. The new research uses terahertz quantum cascade lasers that could send data around the world at speeds unimaginable using current technology. The study, was published in the journal Nature Communications this week.

The study saw researchers make a breakthrough in the control of terahertz quantum cascade lasers, which they say could be used to transmit data at a speed of 100 gigabits. Current ethernet connections work at 100 megabits a second, a thousand times less quick.

To be used to send to data, the lasers need to be switched off about 100 billion times every second. That requires precise control, and engineers have so far been unable to do it. Now researchers think they have found a way of controlling that very fast modulation, using sound and light.

“At the moment, the system for modulating a quantum cascade laser is electrically driven. But the electronics that delivers the modulation put a brake on the speed of the modulation. The mechanism we are developing relies instead on acoustic waves,” said John Cunningham, a professor of Nanoelectronics.

When an electron passes through the optical part of the laser, it travels through a host of “quantum wells” that throw out a pulse of light energy. An electron can emit a number of those photons, and that is controlled — using soundwaves to vibrate those quantum wells — in the new experiment. But, the research is not perfect yet. THE INDEPENDENT

THE SPEAKING TREE

Knowledge Is Often Mistaken For Wisdom

Jaya Row  13.02.2020

Knowledge is accumulation of facts and data. It is to be well informed. Wisdom is application of the information. It is transformational. Society esteems the wise for their virtuosity. Subject matter experts number in the thousands, but rare are the wise. You may know recipes but not know how to make a delicious meal.

We know we should exercise, eat healthy and be positive. How many are able to actually follow through and achieve it? Across time and throughout history many have been exposed to the spiritual dimension. But seldom has it been acted upon.

Instant gratification leads to long term misery while real happiness appears in the garb of pain. Anything that is in our long term interests is unpleasant in the beginning. But due to ignorance, we run after the rapture of the moment.

There are three stages of gaining wisdom – sravana, listening/ reading; manana, reflection; and nidhidhyasana, application. Sravana is the intake of knowledge. Having listened, we need to mull over it, contemplate on it, and look at it from different angles. Only then will the knowledge get integrated into our system. This is called manana. When knowledge is internalised we live it. Nidhidhyasana is meditation which leads to Realisation, the last step to gaining knowledge of Self.

In the Bhagwad Gita, Arjuna speaks words of wisdom but is unable to live them. Krishna bridges the knowing-doing gap in Chapter 7 by guided reflection. He presents knowledge from a fresh perspective and ignites original thinking.

Krishna begins with an analysis of the world and shows how Spirit permeates the universe. As humans, we have the choice of staying with the world or penetrating through to the Force. Pursue limited, myopic goals or rise above the obvious and seek the Eternal. The choice is ours. Krishna supports us in our chosen path and ensures we obtain what we strive for. All paths eventually lead to him. In the end, everyone seeks happiness, infinite bliss. Some look for it in the world, some through different religious practices.

Krishna respects all paths. In this lies the open-mindedness of the Indian tradition. Not only do we respect all faiths but we accept agnostics and atheists too in our fold.

The onus is on us to figure out the quickest and most effective path to the goal of total fulfilment. The ignorant, unaware of the higher, seek and obtain trivial, finite ends. A few visualise that which transcends the material plane – they belong to four categories. Some turn to God only to enhance their wealth. They believe that will bestow riches on them. The distressed, who meet with tragic circumstances and are agitated, seek solace. Others are curious and look for answers to questions. But the jnanis, the wise, excel. They see the futility of worldly pursuits and abide in the transcendental. They are not carried away by the glitter of transitory joys. They seek permanent happiness. They experience enlightenment.

The Spirit is hidden, unmanifest, shrouded by maya, illusion. We see the manifestations and get carried away by them. The deluded world does not know the Truth – the Unborn, the Imperishable – says Krishna. But the virtuous who have freed themselves from worldly enticements seek the Higher with determination.

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Hours after wedding, man disappears from dhaba, found hanging from tree
Pankul.Sharma@timesgroup.com

Bareilly:13.02.2020

A salesman at a petrol pump in Meerut fought his way to marry the girl of his choice in Bareilly. Both families bowed to the wishes of the lovebirds and they got married on Monday.

On his way home along with his bride and brother on Tuesday, he mysteriously disappeared from a roadside dhaba, where they had halted for refreshment, only to be found hanging from a tree two kilometres away. Police said Dushyant Giri, 22, committed suicide.

Station house officer (SHO) of Pakbada police station inspector Surendra Pal Singh told TOI, “When we were sending the body for an autopsy, Giri’s family members told us that they didn’t want any further action, including the postmortem. But, following the standard procedure, we sent the body to a mortuary for an autopsy. The evidence collected from the spot suggests that it was a case of suicide.”

A native of Kuandali village under Saidnagali police station limits in Amroha district, Dushyant tied the knot with his girlfriend Asha, 20, on Monday. On Tuesday, Dushyant was on his way home along with his bride, brother and two photographers in a car, when they halted at a roadside dhaba for refreshment in the afternoon, said police.

However, people accompanying the couple found Dushyant missing from the dhaba all of sudden. After his brother and others failed to trace him, they informed police and sent the bride back to her parent’s house in Bareilly.

During the search operation, police found Giri hanging from a tree in a field in Pakbada area, around two kilometres from the highway.

Full report on www.toi.in


WAS ON HIS WAY HOME:

Dushyant Giri with his bride Asha

Kejriwal likely to retain old cabinet, swearing-in ceremony on February16
New Delhi:13.02.2020

Arvind Kejriwal’s new cabinet is unlikely to have fresh faces as he is expected to retain all six incumbent ministers, top sources in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said on Wednesday.

Speculation was rife over inclusion of Oxford-educated Atishi and Rajiv Chadha, a prominent young face of the party, in the new cabinet.

However, sources told PTI that the AAP chief is unlikely to tinker with the existing combination and is set to retain all the incumbent ministers.

Kejriwal will take oath as chief minister of Delhi for a second straight five-year term at the Ramlila Ground on February 16.

At a press conference, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said all the cabinet ministers of the new government will take oath along with Kejriwal.

“The Aam Aadmi Party chief feels that retaining ministers in the outgoing dispensation, whose works have won the party a second term, is the best thing to do,” a source said.

Apart from Kejriwal and Sisodia, the other members in the outgoing cabinet are Satyendar Jain, Gopal Rai, Rajendra Pal Gautam, Imran Hussain and Kailash Gahlot.

Chadha and Atishi will have a bigger role in the party in the future and they might also be given charges of some government-run bodies, an AAP functionary said. PTI

SMILE OF SUCCESS: Delhi CM-designate Arvind Kejriwal along with Manish Sisodia during a meeting with newly elected party MLAs in New Delhi on Wednesday

Death row convict in Nirbhaya case entitled to legal aid: Court

New Delhi:13.02.2020

A Delhi court on Wednesday offered a counsel to Pawan Gupta, one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, saying a condemned convict is entitled to legal aid till his last breath.

Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana expressed displeasure over delay from Pawan’s side who said he has removed his earlier lawyer and will need time to engage a new one. District legal services authority (DLSA) provided Pawan’s father with a list of its empanelled advocates to choose from.

Pawan has not yet filed a curative petition — the last and final legal remedy available to a person — which is decided in-chamber. He also has the option of filing a mercy plea.

Nirbhaya’s parents and the Delhi government had moved the court on Tuesday seeking fresh death warrants for the four convicts after the Supreme Court granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of fresh date for the execution of these convicts.

The date of execution, first fixed for January 22 in Tihar jail, was postponed for 6am on February 1 by a January 17 court order. The trial court later, on January 31 stayed, “till further orders” the execution of the four convicts in the case, who are lodged in Tihar Jail.

The Tihar jail authorities had filed a status report on Tuesday before the trial court stating that no legal option was preferred by any convicts — Mukesh Kumar Singh, 32, Pawan Gupta, 25, Vinay Kumar Sharma, 26, and Akshay Kumar, 31— in last sevenday period granted by the Delhi high court. PTI

Govt: Only recommended early release of Rajiv convicts
Guv Deciding Authority, State Tells HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2020

The state government on Wednesday clarified to the Madras high court that it has only recommended the release of all seven life convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case as it lacks power to order such release.

“The state cabinet has only made a recommendation to the governor. The governor has to take a decision. He cannot be questioned by the state for not acting on its recommendation,” public prosecutor A Natarajan said.

The prosecutor made the submission on a plea moved by Nalini Sriharan, one of the convicts, seeking to declare her detention as illegal since the governor has failed to order her release based on the recommendation of the state cabinet dated September 9, 2018.

When the plea moved as a habeas corpus plea came up for hearing before a division bench of R Subbiah and R Pongiappan, the court directed the prosecutor to file the reply as an affidavit by February 18 as to whether Nalini’s imprisonment after the state’s recommendation for release would amount to illegal detention.

According to the petitioner, as per the Supreme Court judgment in Maru Rams case, the advice of the state government under Article 161 of the Constitution would be binding on the head of the state the governor. She contended that as the power under Article 161 (power of the governor to grant pardons and suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases) has already been exercised by the government of Tamil Nadu, the governor has no discretion but to act on the advice of the council of ministers. Since she has not been released as per the advice of the council of ministers, the continuous detention was illegal and violative of Article 14 and 21of the Constitution, she claimed.

Behind the bars for more than 27 years, Nalini is the longest serving woman prisoner in the country.

Purohit will take a good decision: Min

Opposition DMK, which during its tenure passed a resolution in the cabinet to punish all convicts barring Nalini in the assassination case of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, is not worthy enough to criticise the AIADMK dispensation which has been working for the release of the convicts, said state minister for law, prison and courts C Ve Shanmugam. Speaking to reporters at Villupuram on Wednesday, Shanmugam, citing the Supreme Court direction that the TN government may request governor Banwarilal Purohit regarding the premature release of the convicts, said, “We, the AIADMK government, believe that the governor will take a good decision regarding the release of Nalini, Sriharan, Perarivalan, Santhan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran and Robert Payas.” TNN

Overnight hike in LPG price leads to chaos

Consumers Who Booked Cylinders Before Increase Asked To Pay Up

Aditi.R@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.02.2020

An overnight hike in LPG prices has put several consumers who had booked their cylinders earlier in a fix as agencies have begun demanding that they pay the difference amount of ₹147 at the time of delivery. The consumers had paid the prehike amount of ₹734 online.

Price of a non-subsidised LPG cylinder weighing 14.2 kg in Chennai has increased by ₹147 to ₹881according to Indian Oil website. The price hike has been the steepest since January 2014 and consumers, especially those who have paid for the cylinders online, are having a hard time making the revised payments.

“When I booked an LPG cylinder yesterday, it was ₹759 and I paid the amount online. I also received a booking confirmation message on my mobile,” said Ganesan, a government employee. “But on Wednesday, the delivery boy asked me to pay ₹145 more since the price was hiked at midnight. Would they return the difference amount if the price had dropped,” he asked.

T Narendranath, a resident of Alwarpet, also booked a cylinder and paid online on Monday. But on Wednesday, when the delivery boy came to his house, he had to return because Narendranath and his family were away and their house help at home did not have money to pay the hiked rate. “We had paid the earlier price online so that when we return home we will have the cylinder. But now it seems like we have to go home and request the agency to deliver once again,” he said.

Narendranath also complained that when he went to re-book the cylinder online, he had to make a new payment. “They would neither adjust this with the old payment nor would we get back the money we paid online. The only option we have is to pay the difference in cash. The authorities should have thought through all this before making the announcement,” he said.

K Parthiban, who also paid for the cylinder online, complained about the steep hike. “People who earn well can afford to buy the cylinders but what about others? The caretakers of my house, who draw a monthly pay of ₹4000, are already worried about making ends meet,” he said.

An official from the oil industry said the steep price hike and increase in online payments by customers was the reason behind the confusion. “But customers only have to pay the amount mentioned on the printed bill and not a rupee more,” he said.

When I booked an LPG cylinder yesterday, it was ₹759 and I paid the amount online. I also received a booking confirmation message on my mobile. But on Wednesday, the delivery boy asked me to pay ₹145 more since the price was hiked at midnight. Would they return the difference amount if the price had dropped?

GANESAN

Chennai resident

Govt issues guidelines for appointment on compassionate grounds
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2020

Following court directions, the government issued comprehensive guidelines for the legal heirs of government staff, eligible for consideration under compassionate grounds.

An order issued by chief secretary K Shanmugam said the legal heirs of government staff who died in harness, retired on medical invalidation (within age of 53), defence personnel killed/disabled in action and who died in harness were eligible for consideration. The legal heir or dependents of missing government servants may be considered when a competent court declared the missing government staff was dead in view of the provisions of Indian Evidence Act 1872. That apart, legal heirs of government staff who die under suspension and yet to reach the age of superannuation, and the dependents of the persons belonging to SC killed in communal clash, will also be considered.

The legal heirs of those staff, who are retained in service after the date of superannuation, under temporary appointment, consolidated pay, daily wage, contract appointment and whose services not regularised, those not coming under regular time scale of pay, are not eligible. The order said the legal heirs/close relatives of the deceased government staff are also eligible for compassionate. This included, son/unmarried daughter/wife/husband/legally adopted son/legally unmarried adopted daughter/widowed daughter/divorced daughter/deserted daughter. Father/mother and unmarried brothers and unmarried sisters of the unmarried deceased government staff also eligible.

Police set up spl team to fight fake news on social media
Residents Urged Not To Believe Rumours
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2020

“Beware, don’t encourage people who approach your doorstep asking you to take a blood test for diabetes. They could be anti-social elements, belonging to a particular banned outfit roaming around to spread HIV.” – Tamil Nadu police. Such messages, purportedly from the law enforcers for effect, have been flooding social media platforms over the past few days and causing panic.

The city police have decided to act against such messages which are alarming and designed to disturb the public peace. A special team has been set up and will monitor and bust such fake news doing the rounds in social media. Police will also keep urging members of the public not to believe any rumours. “These fake messages don’t look like random rumours, but seem to be carefully composed. They look official enough to deceive people” said a police officer.

The subject could be about kidnappers on the prowl to take away children, about burglars set to strike at houses or about the safety of women. Recently, senior officers were surprised to see two messages with the logo of the state police asking the members of public to be wary of the child lifters, particularly in the northern parts of the state. Another one spoke about police providing exclusive cab services to women to ensure their safety. Both were found to be false. “We know these are fake messages, but still we conducted checks as the message appeared genuine,” said the officer.

The special team, comprising officers and staff from the social medisa monitoring wing, will check with personnel across various districts and after ensuring no such information had been passed will post the clarification message on the police’s social media accounts like Facebook and twitter. “Sometimes the messages are disturbing; some even land on our phones,” the officer said.

The team will monitor fake message and also probe the source of such messages. Once the culprit is found, he/she will be taken to task for spreading rumours.

“Our aim is to create awareness in the minds of the public and also to ensure they don’t get duped,” said police commissioner A K Vishwanathan.

AICTE: 50% seats vacant, no new engg colleges for 2 years

Hemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:13.03.2020

The All India Council for Technical Education has put the brakes on engineering education. With a glut in BTech institutes across India, no fresh applications for setting up new institutes will be accepted till 2022. The decision draws upon the experience of the admission season of 2019-20 which saw every other seat in this technical stream remain vacant.

India is home to the second largest cohort of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates after China. But estimates show the country is the world’s capital in terms of engineering capacity. Put together, India has a total of 27 lakh seats in the undergraduate (14 lakh), diploma (11 lakh) and postgraduate

(1.8 lakh) space, but only 13 lakh students took admissions in 2019-20, with seven lakh of them joining undergraduate programmes. “In view of the large number of vacant seats in various programmes during the last few years and the likely future demand, the council shall not grant approval to new technical institutions at the diploma/ undergraduate/postgraduate level in engineering and technology,” stated the new AICTE handbook that defines the guidelines for the coming academic year.

ENGINEERING SPACE NEEDS RE-ENGINEERING

‘Ban on new BTech institutes should be reviewed after 2 years’

The council’s committee headed by IIT-Hyderabad chairman B V R Mohan Reddy suggested that the ban be reviewed after two years.

In 2019, merely six lakh graduates found jobs during campus placements, according to AICTE data. Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 518 engineering colleges shut down.

Experts say the technical education sector needed a massive revamp. “The hopeless engineers and sluggishness in the industry are leading to a massive breakdown of technical education in India,” said G D Yadav, former vice-chancellor, Institute of Chemical Technology.

The National Perspective Plan also states that existing colleges asking for new programmes or for increase in student intake in engineering and technology will be turned down, barring those that are starting courses in emerging areas. The Reddy report stated if one looked at seats available versus students admitted, the number stood as low as 49.8%. “Creating any further capacity is a big drain on investments since, at the very basic level, it involves the creation of physical infrastructure like buildings and laboratory infrastructure. We recommend that we do not create any new capacity starting from the academic year 2020. The creation of new capacity can be reviewed every two years after that.”

When the sun of the new millennium rose, shining on the aspirations of a young India, it marked the golden age for professional education. In the early part of the previous decade, hundreds of new institutes came up and thousands of aspirants queued up to join them. That was a time when the country was bullish on education and India added tens of thousands of seats to its professional colleges every year. Two decades hence, the picture is one of stark contrast in technical professional colleges.

Father’s Pensionary benefits not exempt from Attachment towards Payment of maintenance to children 

February 4, 2020



The Kerala High Court has held that a father’s pensionary benefits are not immune from attachment towards payment of maintenance to children.

A Division Bench of Justice K.Harilal and Justice C.S. Dias was considering the question whether the father’s pensionary benefits are exempted from being disbursed towards arrears of maintenance payable to his children.

This was in an Original Petition filed under Article 227 of the Constitution of India, challenging the orders of an Execution Court which directed KSRTC – petitioner’s employer- to deposit the maintenance arrears in the Court, and permitted his children to withrdraw the same.

The petitioner raised the contention that pension is immune from seizure/attachment under Section 11 of Pensions Act and Section 60 (1) (g) of the Code of Civil Procedure.

The court said that since the petitioner is a retired employee of the KSRTC, it is KSR-Part III which is applicable for disbursement of pension and not Section 11 of the Pensions Act. As per Rule 124 of the KSR, pension is not liable to seizure/attachment at the instance of a creditor for any demands against the pensioner.

However, the Court said that the claim of wife and children for maintenance cannot be regarded as a debt and they cannot be treated as creditors.

This conclusion was arrived at on the basis of definitions of ‘creditor’ and ‘alimony’ given in Halsbury’s Laws of England, Stroud’s Judicial Dictionary, and several judicial precedents such as Chaturbhuj v. Sita Bai, Ramesh Chander Kaushal v. Veena Kaushal & Ors.

On this basis, the judgment authored by Justice C S Dias observed :

“In light of the definition of the word “creditor”, and that payment of alimony is not a debt or liability and that it is not one founded on a contract, express or implied, but is a legal means of enforcement of the obligation of the husband and father to maintain his wife and children, we hold that the respondents 2 and 3 cannot be branded or labeled as “creditors” of the petitioner. The liability of the petitioner to maintain his children is statutory and sacrosanct falling within the sweep of Art.15 (3) and Art.39 of the Constitution of India, as observed in Ramesh Chander Kaushal (supra)”.

“If wives and children are treated as creditors falling within the exemption to Rule 124 of the Rules, it will render laws relating to payment of maintenance redundant. Such a suppressive interpretation cannot be permitted”, the Court said.

In this regard, the judgment also noted that Section 39 of the Transfer of Property Act gives a person who has the right to receive maintenance a charge over the property belonging to the person bound to maintain such person.

The court also examined Section 60 (1) (g) of the CPC where the court observed that the legislature has knowingly included the words “family pension fund” under the said section.

“Therefore,it is held that wife and children do not fall within the fold of the exemption to Section 60 (1) of the Code, as family pension fund that is payable to the family/dependents of the pensioner is exempted from attachment only by a person falling outside the purview of family”, the Court observed on this aspect.

The Court also observed that the liability of the husband/father to maintain his wife/children is statutory as well as Constitutional, falling within the sweep of Art 15(3) and Art. 39 of the Constitution of India. While dismissing the petition the court said that the children have charge over the properties of the father and their right to be maintained by the father (petitioner) overrides all such exemptions in the law.

Ex railway staff arrested for sexually assaulting 16-yr-old girl for months in Chennai

Shankar Rao had abandoned the girl at the Chennai Central station after doctors told her she was pregnant.

news Crime Tuesday, February 11, 2020 - 09:35
 
The Chennai police arrested a former railway employee for sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl with learning disabilities and impregnating her. The police found out about the crime on Monday, when the girl was spotted at the Dr MGR Chennai Central station, trying to contact her family.

As per reports, the police arrested 45-year-old Shankar Rao who had allegedly confined the girl in his house for five months and sexually assaulted her. The police came to know of the incident on Monday, when the girl was trying to contact her grandmother from a public phone in Dr MGR Chennai Central station. She was rescued by the Childline staff and handed over to the Child Welfare Committee in Chennai, where she narrated her ordeal.

According to the CWC, the girl lived in Visakhapatnam and had gone missing in October 2019 on the way to a pilgrimage with her parents. Shankar Rao met her near a bus stand in Visakhapatnam and brought her to his house in Thiruvottiyur where he sexually abused her for over four months. On Monday, the girl had complained to Shankar Rao that she had severe stomach pain and he had taken her to a hospital where the doctors told her that she was pregnant. Shankar Rao then brought her to the railway station and abandoned her.

A member of the CWC told that while questioning the girl, they realised that she had learning difficulties. However, she had the address of the man and hence the police were able to nab him from his house. As per the police, Shankar Rao worked as an electrician in Southern Railways but was sacked in 2017 allegedly on disciplinary grounds. His wife had separated from him since he was an alcoholic and was irregular to work. The Thiruvottiyur police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and remanded him to judicial custody.

யார் இந்த கேஜ்ரிவால்?- பாஜகவையும், காங்கிரஸையும் அசைத்துப் பார்த்த டெல்லி அரசியல்

புதுடெல்லி 12.02.2020

2020 சட்டப்பேரவைத் தேர்தலிலும் கேஜ்ரிவால் பெரும் வெற்றி பெற்றுள்ளார். இதன் மூலம் 3-ம் முறையாக அவர் முதல்வர் பதவி ஏற்கவுள்ளார்.

ஹரியாணாவில் ஒரு நடுத்தரப் பொறியாளரின் குடும்பத்தில் 1968-ம் ஆண்டு பிறந்தவர் கேஜ்ரிவால். கோரக்பூரில் உள்ள ஐஐடியில் இயந்திரவியல் பொறியியல் பட்டம் படித்தவர், டாடா ஸ்டீல்ஸ் நிறுவனத்தில் ஜாம்ஷெட்பூரில் 1989-ம் ஆண்டு பணியில் சேர்ந்தார்.

பின்னர் அரசுப் பணித் தேர்வுக்குத் தயாரானதால் தனியார் பணியை விட்டு விலகினார். கொல்கத்தாவில் சில ஆண்டுகள் வசித்த அவர் அன்னை தெரசாவின் மிஷனரீஸ் ஆஃப் சாரிட்டீஸ், ராமகிருஷ்ணா மடம் ஆகியவற்றில் இணைந்து சமூகப் பணியாற்றினார்.

அரசுப் பணி

1995-ம் ஆண்டு மத்திய பணியாளர் தேர்வாணையத்தின் குரூப்-1 தேர்வில் தேர்ச்சி பெற்ற அவர், வருமான வரித்துறையில் உதவி ஆணையரானார். 2000-ம் ஆண்டில் மேல்படிப்புக்காக விடுமுறையில் வெளிநாடு செல்ல முடிவு செய்தார். ஆனால் அரசுப் பணி விதிமுறைகளால் பல்வேறு இடையூறுகளைச் சந்தித்தார்.

வருமான வரித்துறையில் பணியாற்றிய நிலையில் கேஜ்ரிவாலும், மணிஷ் சிசோடியாவும் சேர்ந்து 1999-ம் ஆண்டு பரிவர்தன் என்ற அமைப்பை உருவாக்கினர். அதன் மூலம் ஊழலுக்கு எதிரான பிரச்சாரத்தை அவர்கள் நடத்தினர்.

2002-ல் மீண்டும் வருமான வரித்துறை பணியில் சேர்ந்த கேஜ்ரிவால், ஓராண்டாக எந்தப் பொறுப்பிலும் நியமிக்கப்படாமல் இருந்தார். 18 மாதக் காத்திருப்புக்குப் பிறகு ஊதியமில்லா விடுப்புக் கோரி விண்ணப்பித்தார். பின்னர் 2006-ம் ஆண்டு பதவியில் இருந்து விலகினார்.

ஊழலுக்கு எதிரான இயக்கம்

இந்த நிலையில்தான் அண்ணா ஹசாரேவின் ‘ஊழலுக்கு எதிரான இந்தியா’ இயக்கம் பெரிய அளவில் தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்தியது. 2010-ம் ஆண்டில் டெல்லியில் காமன்வெல்த் விளையாட்டுகளுக்கான ஏற்பாடுகளில் ஊழல் நடந்ததாகக் கூறி போராட்டம் நடத்திய கேஜ்ரிவால், அடுத்த ஆண்டே அண்ணா ஹசாரே, கிரண் பேடி உள்ளிட்டோர் முன்னெடுத்த ஊழலுக்கு எதிரான போராட்டத்தில் தன்னையும் இணைத்துக் கொண்டார்.

ஜன்லோக்பால் மசோதாவை நிறைவேற்றக் கோரி நாடு தழுவிய அளவில் போராட்டம் நடைபெற்றது. அண்ணா ஹசாரேவின் நெருங்கிய சகாவான கேஜ்ரிவால், பிறகு ஹசாரேவிடம் இருந்து விலகி 2012-ம் ஆண்டில் நேரடிய அரசியலில் கால் பதித்தார்.

எளிமையான தோற்றம், சாமானியர்களை அணுகும் போக்கு, அடித்தட்டு மக்களை ஈர்க்கும் பேச்சு என அரவிந்த் கேஜ்ரிவாலின் செல்வாக்கு உயர்ந்தது. மக்களைக் கவரும் உத்திகள் மூலம் எளிதில் ஈர்ப்புள்ள அரசியல்வாதியானார்.

15 ஆண்டுகளாக தொடர்ந்து டெல்லியில் காங்கிரஸ் கட்சியின் வசம் இருந்த ஆட்சி மீது மக்களுக்கு ஏற்பட்ட அதிருப்தியை தனக்குச் சாதகமாகப் பயன்படுத்திக் கொண்டார். 2013-ம் ஆண்டு சட்டப்பேரவைத் தேர்தலில் ஆம் ஆத்மி 28 இடங்களில் வெற்றி பெற்றது. பாஜக 31 தொகுதிகளை வென்றது. 8 தொகுதிகளை வென்ற காங்கிரஸ் ஆதரவுடன் கேஜ்ரிவால் டெல்லியில் ஆட்சியில் அமர்ந்தார்.

காங்கிரஸ், பாஜகவுக்கு மாற்று

காங்கிரஸ் ஆதரவுடன் ஆட்சிக்கு வந்த நிலையில், அப்போது மத்தியில் ஆட்சியில் இருந்த காங்கிரஸ் கூட்டணியின் ஊழலை கடுமையாக விமர்சித்தார். இதனால் கேஜ்ரிவாலின் முதல் ஆட்சி 49 நாட்கள் மட்டுமே நீடித்தது. வெளியில் இருந்து ஆதரவளித்த காங்கிரஸ், ஆட்சியைக் கவிழ்த்தது. குடியரசுத் தலைவர் ஆட்சி அமைந்தது.

பின்னர் மத்தியில் காங்கிரஸ் தோல்வியடைந்து பிரதமர் மோடி தலைமையில் 2014-ம் ஆண்டு பாஜக ஆட்சி அமைந்தது. 2015-ம் ஆண்டு டெல்லி சட்டப்பேரவைத் தேர்தல் நடந்தபோது கேஜ்ரிவால் மீண்டும் பெரும் வெற்றி பெற்றார்.

மொத்தமுள்ள 70 தொகுதிகளில் 67 இடங்களை ஆம் ஆத்மி கைப்பற்றியது. பாஜக வெறும் 3 இடங்களில் மட்டுமே வென்றது. காங்கிரஸ் எந்த இடத்திலும் வெற்றி பெறவில்லை.

தற்போது 2020 சட்டப்பேரவைத் தேர்தலிலும் கேஜ்ரிவால் பெரும் வெற்றி பெற்றுள்ளார். இதன் மூலம் 3-ம் முறையாக அவர் முதல்வர் பதவியை ஏற்கவுள்ளார்.

வரவேற்பு இல்லாததால் நெல்லை - தாம்பரம் ரயில் ரத்து

Added : பிப் 12, 2020 01:37

சென்னை : பயணியரிடம் போதிய வரவேற்பு இல்லாததால், திருநெல்வேலி - தாம்பரம் இடையே இயக்க வேண்டிய வாராந்திர எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரயில்கள் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளன.

திருநெல்வேலியில் இருந்து தென்காசி வழியாக தாம்பரத்துக்கு, பிப். 20ம் தேதி மாலை, 5:45க்கும், தாம்பரத்தில் இருந்து, திருநெல்வேலிக்கு, 21ம் தேதி மாலை, 6:00 மணிக்கும், வாராந்திர சிறப்பு கட்டண ரயில் இயக்கப்படும் என, அறிவிக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது.இந்த ரயில்களுக்கு, பயணியரிடம் போதிய வரவேற்பு இல்லாததால், ரத்து செய்யப்படுவதாக தெற்கு ரயில்வே அறிவித்துள்ளது.

காரணம் என்ன

இந்த ரயில்கள் தென்காசி வழியாக, சுற்றிச் செல்லும் என, அறிவிக்கப்பட்டதாலும், நெல்லை எக்ஸ்பிரசை விட, பயண நேரம் ஐந்து மணி நேரம் அதிகம் என்பதாலும், கட்டணமும் அதிகமாக இருந்ததாலும், பயணியரிடம் வரவேற்பு கிடைக்காமல் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளன.

63 out of 66 Congress candidates lose deposit
Party’s pitch failed to win over voters

12/02/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Empty seats at the Delhi Congress office on Tuesday.

In a repeat of 2015, the Congress was decimated in the Delhi Assembly elections on Tuesday with its vote share falling from 9.7% to 4.27%. A total of 63 out of 66 Congress candidates forfeited their deposit this time.

Arvinder Singh Lovely from Gandhi Nagar, Devender Yadav from Badli and Abhishek Dutt from Kasturba Nagar were the only ones who managed to save their deposits.

Even sitting Chandini Chowk MLA Alka Lamba who switched from the Aam Aadmi Party to the Congress lost her deposit.

The party’s strategy of promising voters a throwback to a “Congress wali dilli” and highlighting achievements during the 15-year tenure of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit failed to strike a chord with voters.

Rahul Gandhi’s four election rallies in which he pushed the party’s plans to generate employment for the youth failed to garner support from the voters.

Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra took responsibility for the defeat and said that the party would need to introspect on what went wrong. He blamed politics of polarisation for the party’s fall in vote share.

The Congress contested the elections this time in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), fighting on 66 seats and leaving four for its ally.

Thalaivasal veterinary college will become functional this year: 

Minister Radhakrishnan

12/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER

SALEM

Minister for Animal Husbandry Udumalai K.Radhakrishnan said that the proposed veterinary college on the premises of the Advanced Institute for Integrated Research on Livestock and Animal Sciences at Thalaivasal here would become functional this year.

At the valediction of the three-day farmers’ exhibition at Thalaivasal, Mr. Radhakrishnan said “The veterinary college would begin functioning this year and 40 seats would be available in the first year. Construction of the college building will be completed at the earliest.” The exhibition was inaugurated by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday.

Scrapping of new pension scheme demanded

12/02/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

Members of Central, State Government and Public Sector Pensioners’ Confederation staging a protest in Madurai on Tuesday. G. Moorthy G_Moorthy

Members of Central, State Government and Public Sector Pensioners’ Confederation, Madurai Zone, staged a protest here on Tuesday, demanding scrapping of the New Pension Scheme introduced in 2003 by the Centre.

S. Sampath, State joint secretary, Retired Transport Employees Federation and coordinator of the Pensioners’ Confederation, said the need for scrapping the scheme was apparent as there was lack of clarity from both the Central and the State governments about what the scheme would entail.

He said uniformity of pension across cadre must be implemented at the earliest. “Due to the implementation of different pay commissions over the years, there is a large anomaly between pensioners of the same cadres. It has been successfully corrected in the army after years of struggle, and the same must be done in our case,” he said.

Mr. Sampath said the minimum pension across the board must be fixed at ₹21,000 per month and uniform medical insurance must be provided for pensioners across all sectors. The protesters also condemned freezing of DA to transport pensioners and delaying of disbursal of their terminal benefits.

Govt. can seek fresh execution dates: SC

Solicitor General calls for separate executions of Nirbhaya case convicts

12/02/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Steel will: The parents of the Nirbhaya rape case victim outside the Supreme Court in New Delhi in December. PTI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Union government to approach the trial court for issuance of a fresh date for the execution of the death sentence of the Nirbhaya gang rape convicts.

Appearing before a three-judge Bench led by Justice R. Banumathi, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the Nirbhaya convicts were trying the patience of the nation.

Mr. Mehta made a chilling reference to how policemen who gunned down the four gang rape and murder accused in Hyderabad were cheered by people, calling the incident a symptom of people losing faith in the process of law.

“This case [Nirbhaya] is of 2012 and I am still struggling to execute the death sentence. They [convicts] are acting in tandem to misuse the law by filing one petition after the other… People will stop having faith in the judicial system. Seven years have gone by and the convicts are still playing the judicial system… It is in situations like this that people celebrate encounter killings,” Mr. Mehta submitted.

The Solicitor General said convicts Mukesh, Vinay and Akshay have seemingly exhausted remedies. The fourth, Pawan Gupta, is yet to file a mercy petition.

Fresh plea

Mr. Mehta said a plea to fix a new date for the executions in the trial court would immediately see one or the other of the four convicts move court in a bid to further prolong the process.

As indicated, within a few hours of the hearing, Vinay moved the Supreme Court challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the President.

Mr. Mehta stressed that the Supreme court should instead focus on the government’s appeal to allow the four convicts to be separately executed. The court issued notice to the four convicts on this point and scheduled a hearing for February 13.

Octogenarian moves High Court seeking divorce

Judge dismayed over rise in cases of marital discord, says ego is prime reason for broken marriages

12/02/2020, MOHAMED IMRANULLAH S.,CHENNAI

Justice S. Vaidyanathan of the Madras High Court was taken aback on Tuesday when a case seeking divorce for an 80-year-old ex-serviceman was listed before him.

Suprised at the octogenarian being adamant on obtaining divorce from his estranged wife, with whom he had got married in 1970 and from whom he had separated in 1982, the judge initially wanted to know whether there was any possibility for reunification. When he was told that the aged man from Tiruvannamalai was very particular about getting his marriage nullified, the judge simply admitted the case and ordered notices to the appellant’s wife, now 70 and a mother of three, and a person with whom she reportedly had an illicit affair. Expressing dismay over the rise in marital discord cases, the judge said ego was the prime reason for the rising instances of broken marriages.

On going through the records, the judge found that the appellant as well his wife had accused each other of adultery. While the appellant’s case was that his wife was living an adulterous life and had begotten three children through some other individual, the wife, in turn, had accused the appellant of insisting upon getting divorced only to ensure that his pension, properties and other finances go to a woman with whom he was living illicitly.

He had filed a divorce petition before a district court in Tiruvannamalai in 2007 on two grounds - adultery and desertion. However, when it was taken up for final hearing in 2017, the ex-serviceman gave up the ground of adultery and pressed the ground of desertion alone. The trial court found that the wife separated only because of the illicit relationship between her husband and another woman. The petitioner is not entitled for decree of divorce on the ground of desertion,” the trial court had concluded, pointing out that the witnesses examined on behalf of the ex-serviceman had not supported the allegation of adultery levelled against his wife, and had instead confirmed his own .

Assailing the trial court’s refusal to grant him divorce, the octogenarian contended before the High Court that there could be no scope for reunion between a couple living separately for nearly 38 years, and hence, it was a fit case for grantof divorce.

AAP sweeps Delhi with 62 seats

AAP gets 53.6%, marginally below its 54.2% share in 2015BJP wins 8 seats, 5 more than 2015, with 38.5 % vote shareCongress candidates set to lose deposits in 63 seats

12/02/2020, JAIDEEP DEO BHANJ , JATIN ANAND,NEW DELHI

Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were voted back to power with a massive mandate in the Delhi Assembly election as the party won 62 seats in the 70-member House.

The party dropped just five seats and less than a percentage point in vote share from its stellar 2015 showing.

Despite a hard-fought and bitter campaign that saw big guns, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah address rallies, the BJP managed to win only eight seats, up five from its 2015 tally. The Congress, yet again, failed to open its account — the party’s candidates looked set to forfeit their deposits on 63 of the 66 seats contested.

Speaking after the victory, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “The people of Delhi have given birth to a new kind of politics — the politics of work. This is a vote for those who build schools, who provide electricity and healthcare. This augurs well for the country.”

Ministers post wins

The AAP secured 53.57 % of the vote share, while the BJP got 38.5% and the Congress 4.3%. Though three of the AAP’s incumbent Ministers — Manish Sisodia, Kailash Gahlot and Satyendar Jain — were trailing after the first few rounds of counting, they went on to retain their seats.

Raghav Chadha, Atishi Marlena and Dilip Pandey from the AAP, who lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, strode into the Assembly.

On the other hand, former AAP Minister Kapil Mishra, who left the party and fought on a BJP ticket, was defeated. Anil Bajpai, also a former AAP legislator, however, retained his Gandhi Nagar seat.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, while accepting responsibility for the dismal performance, argued that the party had, however, been able to increase its vote share. “I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal... In comparison to 2015, the BJP’s vote share has registered an increase, which is the result of the hard work put in by its workers... these results also seem to herald the dawn of a new political era in the city, which has become bipolar instead of triangular,” he said.

BJP sources, however, blamed the party’s strategy of not projecting a chief ministerial face against Mr. Kejriwal, not being able to counter the AAP’s power and water subsidy schemes and “unwarranted comments” against Mr. Kejriwal by senior party leaders — including Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur — for the results.

“All that these star campaigners ended up doing was overshadowing the local candidate; they also took the focus away from local issues,” a BJP insider said.

AI Express to resume Abu Dhabi flight from March

TNN | Feb 12, 2020, 04.11 AM IST

Trichy: Air India Express will resume its service to Abu Dhabi from Trichy international airport from the last week of March, after a gap of eight years, apart from launching new services to Doha, Delhi and Madurai.

With these new additions, the total number of international destinations from Trichy will increase to seven and number of services to 98( from 91). In terms of domestic services, it will increase to 70 from the existing 63.

It may be noted that among the tier-2 airports, Trichy airport connects all the major airports in UAE – Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, after Cochin and Ahmedabad airports, authorities said.

When contacted, a senior official from Air India Express at Trichy International Airport told TOI an official announcement will be issued within few days.

Till 2009, Air India Express had two (Thursdays and Saturdays) weekly services to Abu Dhabi. It was withdrawn from October 27, 2012, citing operational reasons.

Ever since its withdrawal, Tamils working in Abu Dhabi have been demanding to resume the service.

“Around five to six lakh Tamils hailing from Trichy and surrounding districts are working here for years. They have to reach Sharjah or Dubai first to reach Trichy. It takes three to four hours more than direct travel to Trichy from Abu Dhabi. We have also spent more money on that. Hereafter, our ordeal to reach our home town comes to an end. We thank Air India Express for resuming the service”, said N Malik Mohammed, native of Adhirampattinam in Thanjavur, working with National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC).

Dip in passengers from Singapore, says health dept

Feb 12, 2020, 04.28 AM IST

Coimbatore: The number of passengers arriving in the city from Singapore has reduced by nearly a half following the coronavirus outbreak, public health department officials said.

The number of passengers arriving from Singapore, which is usually around 170, has drastically reduced because they fear quarantine and movement restriction, deputy director of public health Dr Ramesh said. “Some days, only 50 people arrive from the island nation. We believe it is because of the coronavirus. Singapore is restricting exit and we are also restricting entry and movement if they show symptoms,” he told TOI.

The department has deployed four teams at the airport to screen passengers showing symptoms of the coronavirus, the official said. “I have received enquiries from people planning to fly into the city from Singapore and Malaysia on the quarantine conditions and restrictions in Tamil Nadu. Of the three people who called me, two cancelled their plans after I told them that we will quarantine them for 28 days if they have flu symptoms.”

However, airport authorities said that the fluctuation in the number of passengers flying into the city from Singapore is normal and could even be seasonal, with February and March being exam season in many places. “We are not noticing a sharp drastic decline,” airport director K Mahalingam said.

The seven Indians, who returned from China, have completed their quarantine period, said the director. “Now we are monitoring everyone landing from abroad displaying flu symptoms. The four medical health teams at the airport are ensuring that all passengers walk through the thermal scanner before leaving the airport. Since Singapore seems to have almost the second highest number of cases after China, we are monitoring patients who are flying in from the city.”

Meanwhile, 12 people continue to be under quarantine in the district, including a Chinese woman and her two children from Yunan. But none of them have tested positive for the virus.

Though most viruses die out during the summer, health officials said the behavior and viability of the coronavirus cannot be predicted. “We will have to wait for the peak summer to set in and see if the virus dies out like others and stops spreading,” said a health officer.

4 booked for enrolling student in unapproved Ukraine med institute

TNN | Feb 12, 2020, 04.44 AM IST

Madurai: The chief executive officer (CEO) of a city-based academy, which helps students get admission in educational institutions abroad, and three others were booked on charges of cheating a candidate who was enrolled in a medical institute in Ukraine without required approval, after collecting hefty money on the promise of getting him admission in an approved institute.

M Barathimohan, CEO of Nest Abroad Studies Academy in Kalavasal, a native of Cumbum in Theni district was booked along with his assistant Damodaran and two others - D Thirulogasundar from Ramanathapuram and S Harisudan from Udumalpet – who are running a hostel in Ukraine.

The city crime branch police booked them on Monday on charges of forgery and cheating based on a complaint from T Seenivasan, 53, from Melur. In his complaint, he stated that he had approached Barathimohan in 2016 for his son S Senthamizhdasan. In various instalments, he had paid Rs 21.50 lakh towards various charges including passport, institution and hostel fees. While he completed three years of education, they came to know that the institution is not approved by the Medical Council of India.

When he approached Barathimohan last year, he said that he can transfer his son to an approved institute and demanded more money. Although he paid it, the transfer did not happen. Two more candidates from Tamil Nadu P Vignesh and R Indrajith were also cheated by him. When the complainant questioned, the accused, cancelled the students’ visas without their knowledge, leaving them in the lurch.

The complainant approached the ministry of external affairs and paid a fee for visa cancellation to enable the students to return to India. Seenivasan had petitioned the Madurai city police commissioner S Davidson Devasirvatham and based on his instruction a case was registered by the sub-inspector of city crime branch P Kasirajan.

Stray dogs kill 12 sheep in TN village

TNN | Feb 11, 2020, 07.08 PM IST

THANJAVUR: Stray dogs killed 12 sheep near Peravurani in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu in the early hours of Tuesday. Ten other sheep sustained grievous injuries.

Revenue officials said the sheep belonged to Solairajan of Sornakadu village.

Around five dogs entered the sheepfold in the early hours of Tuesday and started to bite the sheep. On hearing the bleating of the sheep, Solairajan and his wife came out from the house and found stray dogs attacking the sheep.

On being informed, Peravurani revenue inspector Killivalavan, veterinary doctor Ravichandran and police rushed to the spot and conducted an inquiry.

Solairajan told the officials that he had incurred a loss of Rs 10 lakh. He said there was no chance for saving the injured sheep. He sought a compensation from the government.

Man sets college student’s motorcycle on fire after fight

TNN | Feb 11, 2020, 09.03 PM IST

CHENNAI: A catering contractor set a two-wheeler on fire near Koovathur on the East Coast Road after a quarrel with two college students. The two-wheeler that was set on fire belonged to one of the students. The Koovathur police arrested contractor and the two students.

Catering contractor Dhanasekaran of Kanathur was heading to Kottaipatnam on his two-wheeler. College students Dinesh and Surya stopped him and told him that there was no fuel in Dinesh’s motorcycle. They demanded that he either give them fuel or tow Dinesh’s two-wheeler to a nearest petrol pump.

The catering contractor, who didn’t like the students’ behaviour, picked up a quarrel with the college students. This led to a fisticuff between him and the students.

Local people started gathering around them. Dinesh and Surya abandoned their two-wheeler and ran away.

Unbale to control his anger, Dhanasekaran set the two-wheeler on fire. On hearing the incident, the Koovathur police rushed to the spot.

The police received complaints from the students as well as from the catering contractor. Subsequently, all the three were arrested and remanded in judicial custody.

Senior citizen couple beats son to death, surrenders

TNN | Feb 12, 2020, 04.04 AM IST

Puducherry: Police have arrested a senior citizen couple in Puducherry on charges of murdering their son following a quarrel over inheritance of the family business.

K Ranjith Kumar, 40 died of injuries after the couple, P R Kumar, 70 and K Annakodi, 61, attacked him with an iron rod in the early hours of Tuesday. P R Kumar walked into a Ariyankuppam police station in the morning and narrated the crime.

Superintendent of police (south) Chintha Kothandaraman said Ranjith Kumar, an engineering graduate, did his higher education in the UK. He worked in a private firm for a few years in London. He returned to India cutting short his professional assignment and married a French national from Kurchikuppam.

The couple settled in France after he acquired French nationality by virtue of his marriage. He could not get a suitable job in France.

Ranjith visited Puducherry in January and told his parents that he was settling down there permanently. He demanded that his parents hand over to him the family business of exporting seafood.

“His parents refused, leading to frequent quarrels between him and his parents,” the police officer said.

In the early hours of Tuesday, Ranjith reached home drunk and picked up a quarrel with his parents over the inheritance. When they refused, he attacked his mother.

His father hit him with an iron rod.

Ranjith sustained severe head injuries and fainted. Police said the couple probably feared he would attack them when he regained consciousness. They sprayed insecticides on his mouth and nostrils and tied his limbs with a sari. They hit him repeatedly with the rod, killing him. Kumar went to the police station in the morning.

Onion prices drop to Rs 25/kg in Chennai

TNN | Feb 12, 2020, 04.06 AM IST

CHENNAI: An additional dash of onions sprinkled over chats or uttappams is no longer a luxury. After months of soaring prices, touching almost Rs200 a kilogram, it is now selling at Rs 25 in most retail markets and online stores. And if you shop in Koyambedu, the prices could be up to Rs 5 less.

Besides import, the new onion crop has brought down the prices drastically. The exhorbitant cost of the kitchen staple had affected food prices in eateries and even led to onion thefts. Since the onion yield now is good, the market is again getting supplies from Nasik, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. “We are back to normal. We have more supply than the demand. So, cost has come down,” said R Sounderrajan, head of the Koyambedu Onion Trader Association.

Cost of other veggies such as tomatoes, beans, carrots, capsicum and cauliflower are also low. While a kilogram of radish and bottle gourd is retailing at Rs10, tomatoes and okra cost Rs12 per kg, premium quality of cauliflower and a kilo of beans is sold at Rs20. “They cost up to Rs5 lesser in Koyambedu,” said Rajesh Kumar, who has a retail shop at Koyambedu market.

Almost nearing the end of season, peas is being sold at Rs35 a kg, butter beans at Rs100 and double beans at Rs80. Spicy ingredients like green chillies and ginger are also easy on the pocket at Rs15 per kg.

The only vegetable still causing a heartburn for households is the drumstick at Rs110 per kg. “One stick costs Rs12 even in Koyambedu,” said Sounderrajan. “But in a few weeks it will come down to Rs10 for three to five sticks. Soon, we will have a good harvest within the state,” he said.

Centre can move court for fresh date to hang Nirbhaya convicts: SC

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:12.02.2020

The Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the Centre to seek a fresh date from the trial court for hanging of Nirbhaya case death row convicts whose mercy pleas have been rejected, but the government’s move to expedite their execution appears to have been stalled as one of the four condemned prisoners moved the SC challenging rejection of his mercy plea.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta strenuously explained the modus operandi of the four death row prisoners — Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay and Akshay — to individually take recourse to legal remedies and mercy pleas one after the other to frustrate the mandate of courts, which concurrently found them guilty of the brutal gang rape-cum-murder of Nirbhaya. He sought permission from the SC to proceed with the execution separately as discretion of mercy of the President was for individuals and not to the group of four concurrently convicted of the heinous crime.

A bench conceded the government’s view that mercy jurisdiction applied individually to condemned prisoners and not as a group prima facie appeared correct, but said it could not ex-parte decide whether the four should be hanged individually and separately or simultaneously.

Noting that none of the four had taken any step during the seven-day period granted to them by the Delhi high court to take available legal recourse, the bench granted liberty to the Centre to move the trial court to obtain a fresh date for execution of the death warrant.

It clarified that pendency of the Centre’s petition in the SC would not preclude the trial court from considering the Centre’s request on its own merit. The SC issued notice to all four convicts and sought their responses on Thursday to the Centre’s petition seeking execution of those whose mercy petitions had been dismissed by the President.

Full report on www.toi.in

TOI 12.02.2020

After grand win, a grand swearing-in

AlokKNMishra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:12.02.2020

AAP is planning to match its grand victory with an equally grand ceremony for Arvind Kejriwal to be sworn in as CM.

Newly-appointed AAP MLAs are likely to meet on Wednesday to elect the legislative party chief. The party will then stake claim with LG Anil Baijal to form the government. In 2015, the ceremony had taken place on February 14. The date is yet to be fixed this time.

According to the established procedure for a Union territory, once AAP stakes claim, the LG will write to the President through the home ministry explaining that AAP is eligible to form the government. The President will issue a warrant appointing the AAP legislative party chief as CM. In a full state, the governor appoints and swears in the CM.

The CM will then decide on his cabinet. In the case of Delhi, only seven ministers, including the CM, can be appointed. After the CM submits his list of cabinet ministers, the LG will administer the oath to the CM and his cabinet.

Now, get patta at click of a button

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:12.02.2020

Property buyers may no longer have to visit taluk offices or village administrative officers seeking a transfer for patta documents as it can now be done in subregistrar’s offices at the click of a button.

This would save considerable time for patta transfers that normally consume about a month in some cases.

The state government has kickstarted a facility through which name transfers would be done at the registration office as the property is being sold to a buyer from the existing owner.

According to a recent government order issued by the department of revenue and disaster management, title transfers that involves only a single owner and does not deal with sub-division properties would be taken up for automatic mutation.

When a property is due for registration, the registration official verifies five important elements including whether the sellers name matches with the name of the land owner in the online patta, survey number, subdivision number and area mentioned in the registration document matches with the online chitta, no encumbrance on the property. Moreover, the seller and buyer must furnish their Aadhar Card numbers and mobile numbers. In the event of all documents are clear, the name change in patta transfer would be done subsequently along with property registration at a click of the button without human intervention.

Registration department sources said that the facility would be available only for properties with single owners and not sub-divisions. "In case of a person is going to divide his property and register or in the event one property owner in joint property deeds and sell it, they cannot avail this facility as a personal verification by the revenue department is required. The online name transfer could be availed only for properties that does not require sub-division," the official added.

Photos of suspected Neet impersonators released

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:12.02.2020

The CB-CID on Monday released the photographsof thesuspectsin theNeet impersonation scam and sought the help of the public in identifying them. These suspects wrote the exam on behalf of medical aspirantsfrom Tamil Nadu and illegally helped them get admission into medical colleges in the state, said a press release.

Any information about these suspects may be communicatedtotheCBCID,Chennai on 9443884395, the release said, adding that alltheinformation will be kept confidential. The photographs of the suspected impersonators are also being pasted in places like bus stops and commercial establishments and will be shared on social media platforms.

In December 2019, the Medical Council of India asked medical colleges cross the country to display names and photographs of nine postgraduate and undergraduate medicalstudentswhohadwritten Neet 2019 on behalf of medical aspirants from Tamil Nadu.

Following a request from C Vijayakumar, Crime Branch-CID superintendent of police (south zone), the board of governors of MCI has asked deans of all medical colleges to match these pictures with their students’ data and display these photographs on noticeboards. Since the CB-CID officers were not able to identify them,they wantedtoseeif professorsor studentscan provide them with clues. In September, an inquiry by the government medical college in Theni, based on an email, revealed that photosof a first year studentin the college application and the Neet-2019 scorecard did not match. Investigation led to arrest of four more students, their parents and three agents.

Police have released photos of 10 suspects believed to be part of the Neet impersonation racket and have asked the public to come forward with information if any

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