HC extends interim orders till June 30

HC extends interim orders till June 30

02/06/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday extended the various interim orders till June 30. However, orders relating to grant of parole/leave have been extended only till June 8.

Following similar directions issued by the Principal seat in Chennai, a Division Bench of Justices P.N. Prakash and B. Pugalendhi suo motu extended the interim orders and clarified that the High Court Bench had not become completely operational and what had been permitted was staggered opening of the court for physical appearance.

The judges said that with regard to the extension of remand, only nine district courts had become functional from June 1.

It would be difficult for production of remand prisoners for extension of remand either under Section 167 Cr.P.C or Section 309 Cr.P.C., before various Courts in the State,either in person or via video conferencing.

Therefore, the court directed that all remands under Section 167 Cr.P.C. and Section 309 Cr.P.C., would stand extended till June 30 without prejudice to the right of the prisoner to be released on bail in the meanwhile.

The court said that with regard to the extension of limitation period, it was bound by the orders passed by the Supreme Court. The case was adjourned till June 8 for deciding the issue relating to the extension of parole/leave of convicts.

Locusts fly into Chhattisgarh from M.P.

Locusts fly into Chhattisgarh from M.P.

Minimal damage done to crop so far by the swarms as alert is maintained, say government officials

02/06/2020, SIDHARTH YADAV,BHOPAL

Note of caution: Locust swarms can be killed by pesticides but some move away to nearby districts. PTI

Swarms of desert locusts flew into two villages of Korea district of Chhattisgarh from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh but caused minimal damage, State government officials said on Monday.

“The swarms descended on three villages on Saturday night, but one of them flew away from a village the next morning,” District Collector Satyanarayan Rathore said.

On Sunday, a swarm remained between Punji and Jwaratola villages of Bharatpur block of the district. “We sprayed pesticide, which killed most of them. All panchayats are on alert and fire tenders have been put on standby,” he added.

A further advance inside Chhattisgarh depended on Madhya Pradesh’s handling of swarms and the wind direction, Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, Principal Secretary of the Chhattisgarh Agriculture Department, told The Hindu.

No standing crops

“If they don’t manage to kill them all, they are likely to come here. There is a nationwide alert already. As there are no standing crops at the moment, there was no damage in Korea,” Ms. Dwivedi added.

On May 29, State Director of Agriculture Taman Singh Sonwani alerted district officials to possible invasions and asked them to tour villages to apprise villagers of it.

Mr. Singh had informed agriculture officials that swarms could invade Chhattisgarh from neighbouring Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

He directed officials to spread awareness among farmers and teach them natural remedies, traditional alternatives and chemical methods to prevent any crop damage.

Illegal construction on temple land stopped

Illegal construction on temple land stopped

02/06/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, CHENNAI

As part of its efforts to retrieve temple properties, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) department has stopped illegal construction work on land belonging to the Dhenupureeswarar temple in Madambakkam by a private party.

Officials said that the owner of the building was trying to convert his house into a commercial establishment since it is located on Madambakkam Main Road and is worth several crores of rupees. “We are in the process of vacating over 290 encroachers from the seven streets that came up on nearly 20 acres of land belonging to the temple. We have already written to the Revenue Department to not entertain any sale of property or registration in the specified pattas so that people will not further misuse the lands,” an official of the HR and CE said.

Going for a haircut? don’t forget your Aadhaar

Going for a haircut? don’t forget your Aadhaar

SOP issued for establishments to help in contact tracing

02/06/2020, DENNIS S. JESUDASAN, CHENNAI

Back in business: Salons and parlours allowed to operate in Chennai from Monday. B. JOTHI RAMALINGAMB_JOTHI RAMALINGAM

The next time you go for a haircut or grooming in Tamil Nadu, remember your Aadhaar number and your mobile phone number. According to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued for salons, beauty parlours and spas, they must collect the name, address, mobile phone numbers and Aadhaar of their customers to help in contact tracing for COVID-19.

The seven-page SOP for owners and workers of these establishments issued by the Commissioner of Revenue Administration to Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation and all District Collectors, hand sanitisers are to be provided near the entrance of beauty parlours and spas, if not, facilities to wash hands with soap and water. A senior officer said the details are collected as a precaution and would help in case someone in a salon tested positive.

“With details in hand, it would be easy for contact-tracing, which is taking a long time. We are taking various steps but public cooperation is essential.”

“To the extent possible” customers could be allowed for “service by appointment” to avoid crowding and to ensure physical distancing norms.

Only 50% of the seats are to be occupied at a time and markings for queues are necessary to ensure there is no crowding.

Additional Commissioner, 49 personnel return to work

Additional Commissioner, 49 personnel return to work

02/06/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Warm welcome: Commissioner of Police A.K. Viswanathan welcoming Additional Commissioner of Police (North) R. Dhinakaran back to duty on Monday.SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Commissioner of Police A.K. Viswanathan and other officers welcomed Additional Commissioner of Police (North) R. Dhinakaran and 49 police personnel who joined duty on Monday after being cured of COVID-19.

At the office of the Commissioner of Police, Vepery, Mr. Viswanathan received them and appreciated them for rejoining duty. “As many as 50 police personnel, including the Additional Commissioner, are joining duty on the advice of doctors after they were discharged. The police personnel have been discharging their duties effectively in COVID-19 prevention. While they were discharging duties on field, some of them contracted COVID-19. I appreciate them for coming back to duty,” he said. He said the police should work hard to ensure that public moved freely.

Along with Additional Commissioner of Police (North), two Assistant Commissioners of Police, four police inspectors, 12 sub-inspectors, and 31 others joined duty.

ATM robbery solved, bank employee held

ATM robbery solved, bank employee held

02/06/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Maduravoyal police on Monday solved the Tamilnadu Mercantile Bank ATM theft case with the arrest of a bank employee.

Over a dozen persons, including bank staff, were interrogated as part of the investigation into the theft of ₹8 lakh from the ATM on Sunday.

The police said the masked suspect arrived in an autorickshaw at the ATM around 12.30 p.m. Sunday and entered the kiosk on the pretext of spraying disinfectant. The suspect opened the machine and was taking out cash.

A customer, who came to deposit cash, grew suspicious and alerted the security guard. By then, the suspect had left the spot with the booty.

Following a complaint filed by bank manager Rajkumar, Maduravoyal police inspector T. Radhakrishnan took up investigation. Mr. Radhakrishan said: “The CCTV footage and good coordination of our team helped solve the case quickly.”

The police gave the name of the suspect as M. Sivanandan, 39, an employee working with another branch of the bank. The accused knew the password as he regularly loaded cash into the machine. He allegedly stole the money to settle a loan taken to build his house at his native place in Thoothukudi district.

Within days after flights resume, all safety norms go for a toss

Within days after flights resume, all safety norms go for a toss

Long queues seen at airport, with no physical distancing

02/06/2020, SUNITHA SEKAR,CHENNAI

A long wait: Though only a limited number of flights were operated on Monday, passengers had to wait in serpentine queues to get in. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Long queues without any physical distancing. Chennai airport seems to have gone back to a pre-COVID-19 era.

Though only a limited number of flights operate every day, the airport is witnessing serpentine queues in two areas — the entry to the terminal and at the security check.

There are only about 40-45 flights that the airport currently handles after airlines resumed domestic operations early last week. But, passengers do not follow physical distancing norms, rendering them vulnerable to contracting the infection from co-passengers.

S. Janaki (name changed), a passenger who recently travelled from Chennai to Bengaluru, said, “It was scary to see people so close to each other. Both passengers and authorities need to be aware of the seriousness of this situation. The responsibility lies on both sides equally. But the authorities could have a volunteer wearing PPE or mask and gloves constantly reminding passengers to maintain distance between one another. Passengers should also realise that their life is at risk and behave responsibly.”

She added that with many passengers coming to the airport hours before their flight, those with earlier flights had to jostle with others in queues.

Airports Authority of India officials insist that they keep urging passengers to stand apart but admit that many disregard their pleas. “We have seen a lot of first-time flyers in the last one week and they are not quite aware of the rules. We keep telling them but the staff are also scared to go very close to passengers,” an official said.

Stanley Medical College Hospital to have 400 more beds for COVID-19

Stanley Medical College Hospital to have 400 more beds for COVID-19

New beds with oxygen lines will be ready in three days, says Vijayabaskar

02/06/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The PWD has taken up work on priority to ready the 400-bed facility at the Stanley Medical College Hospital. FILE PHOTOB_JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Another 400 beds are getting ready at an old block of the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai for handling COVID-19 patients, Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said on Monday. With this, the hospital will have 900 beds for the patients affected by the pandemic.

“The hospital already has 500 beds as an exclusive COVID-19 facility. We are scaling up facilities in hospitals keeping in mind the requirements,” the Minister said at a press conference. Facilities in all medical college hospitals, district headquarters hospitals, and also in taluk hospitals in some districts such as Perambalur, Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur were being increased. “At the primary health centre-level, we are readying bed facilities and oxygen provision in 30-bed centres,” he said.

The Public Works Department had taken up work on priority to ready the 400-bed facility at Stanley Hospital. “It will be ready in two or three days. All the beds will be in individual rooms with partitions and oxygen lines,” he said.

According to him, measures were being taken to augment manpower. “Already, retired dean of the hospital and doctors from Erode had joined,” he said.

People should compulsorily wear masks and follow physical distancing when utilising public transport. In case of any symptoms of Influenza Like Illness, commuters should not use public transportation and come forward for testing, the Minister said.

Official returns

“There is no need to fear COVID-19,” said A. Ravi, professor of medicine, and COVID-19 Nodal Officer of the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital. After testing positive for COVID-19 and undergoing treatment, he has returned to duty now.

“I was seeing many patients and visiting the COVID-19 outpatient department and wards. I was wearing masks and personal protective equipment, and following hand hygiene. Despite all safety precautions, I developed high grade fever nearly 15 days ago. Then, I started to experience fatigue that was followed by dry cough. I decided to undergo testing, and my swab returned positive for COVID-19,” he said.

Isolating himself, Dr. Ravi was admitted to the hospital and underwent treatment. “I started to experience signs of improvement from the 10th day. Another swab returned negative for COVID-19. After taking rest for two days, I returned for work,” he said.

In his experience at the hospital, he said patients with uncontrolled diabetes were affected the most. “It is not only important to take medication but also periodically check sugar levels and ensure that it is under control. There is no need to fear, and one can recover well,” he said.

With a number of senior doctors testing positive at the hospital, he said most of them tested negative for COVID-19, and were all set to return to duty.

State govt. issues SOP for chartered flights

State govt. issues SOP for chartered flights

People coming in from abroad to be tested on Day 1 of arrival and again on Day 7

02/06/2020,DENNIS S. JESUDASANCHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for chartered flight services within, to and from the State, as well as services to and from other countries. Passengers taking chartered flights within Tamil Nadu or from other States must get a TN ePass before boarding the plane.

According to the SOP issued by Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam on Monday, all persons arriving in Tamil Nadu on chartered flights from abroad would be tested through the RT-PCR method on Day 1 of arrival and on Day 7.

They would “have to undergo paid institutional quarantine for seven days. If the test is positive, they will be taken to the hospital”.

Exemption from testing

The passengers will be tested again on Day 7. “If the test taken on Day 7 also returns negative, they can be sent to home quarantine for seven days. If quarantine facilities are not available in their house, put them in facility quarantine in the respective districts for seven more days,” the SOP stated.

RT-PCR testing is mandatory for passengers from Maharashtra, Delhi and Gujarat. “However, if they produce COVID-19 negative certificates issued by an ICMR-approved lab (within two days of testing), they will be exempted from testing,” the SOP said.

If the individual tests positive, he/she would be taken to a hospital and treated as per protocol. If the individual tests negative, he/she has to undergo home quarantine for seven days, and self-monitor their health for seven more days.

Business travellers

“Persons travelling on a business trip who intend to return within 48 hours are exempted from quarantine. Otherwise, the individual has to undergo home quarantine for seven days. The individual shall self-monitor his/her health for seven more days,” the guidelines stated.

All passengers on chartered flights travelling within, to and from Tamil Nadu and to and from other countries must be subjected to thermal scanning before boarding. Individuals with COVID-19 symptoms would not be allowed to travel.

As for flights within Tamil Nadu, testing is mandatory for individuals travelling from Chennai to other places in the State. “However, if they produce a COVID-19 negative certificate issued by an ICMR-approved lab (within two days of testing), they will be exempted from testing,” the SOP said.

Persons travelling on a business trip who intend to return within 48 hours are exempt from quarantine.

“Otherwise, the individual has to undergo home quarantine for 7 days. The individual shall self-monitor his/her health for seven more days,” the SOP added.

As regards passengers leaving for other States or other countries from Tamil Nadu, they have to adhere to the receiving State’s/country’s COVID-19 protocol for travel, testing and quarantine.

Tamils stranded in Singapore seek State govt. help to get back home

Tamils stranded in Singapore seek State govt. help to get back home

02/06/2020, SANJAY VIJAYAKUMAR,CHENNAI

Many Tamils stranded in Singapore have requested the Tamil Nadu government to arrange flights to facilitate their return to the State.

“Many people have lost jobs and are struggling here. They are unable to go back to Tamil Nadu as there are no flights. We have a WhatsApp group for people from Tamil Nadu stuck in Singapore. There are senior citizens who need medical treatment and pregnant ladies who are desperate to return. With job losses, it is difficult to survive, given the cost of living factor,” said Ramasubramanian of Karaikudi, who is among those stranded in Singapore.

Not a single flight has been operated from Singapore to destinations in Tamil Nadu under the Vande Bharat Mission, he said.

Anitha, who works in Singapore, said her husband came there on a ‘dependent pass’ in February, and has been stranded there since.

“He is a diabetic and needs treatment from his doctor in Chennai. Flights are being operated from Singapore to northern States in India, but not to Tamil Nadu,” she said. Ms. Anitha said that even if flights were operated to destinations like Tiruchi, it would be helpful.

Mr. Ramalingam, who hails from Kumbakonam and is working in Singapore, said he had to come back for medical treatment for suspected tuberculosis.

Mr. Ramasubramanian said tourists and students were also stranded in Singapore.

Cases at Secretariat spark calls for scaling down staff strength

Cases at Secretariat spark calls for scaling down staff strength

At least 10 workers infected; assn. wants departments to function with 33% staff

02/06/2020,DENNIS S. JESUDASAN  CHENNAI

A file picture of the Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai building inside the Secretariat premises.

With at least 10 employees from various government departments on the Secretariat campus in Chennai having tested positive for COVID-19, the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association (Tansa) has requested the State government to revert to the earlier system of allowing departments to function with only 33% staff. The government had recently increased the permissible staff strength to 50%.

On Monday alone, four employees from three departments tested positive for COVID-19, multiple sources confirmed. While some employees sought the closure of the Secretariat for at least two days, others said it should be allowed to function with only 33% staff.

“When only two employees of the Southern Railway headquarters tested positive, the campus was sealed for two days and disinfected. But here, we have more cases. In what way is the virus in the Railways different from the one at the Secretariat?” a staff member asked. But another staff member contended that the Secretariat was the nerve centre of the entire State, and hence, it cannot be sealed. “It cannot be called a COVID-19 cluster as of yet,” the employee said.

Tansa president S. Peter Antonysamy said the Association had submitted representations to various departments, pressing certain demands. “The Public (Buildings) Department has kindly accepted many of our requests. It has installed sanitiser dispensers and is disinfecting the premises regularly,” he said.

Tansa had also requested that departments be allowed to function with only 33% staff, since a few cases had been reported, he said, adding: “We have also requested that pregnant women, employees above 55 years of age and those with diabetes and other health issues be exempted from having to report for work. The primary concern is that it (the virus) should not spread.”

When contacted, a senior official told The Hindu: “We have been regularly cleaning the premises, and hand sanitisers are available on all floors. We have disinfected the floors on which cases were reported, and have sent all the contacts of these positive cases to quarantine.”

Clashes outside White House, more U.S. cities under curfew

Clashes outside White House, more U.S. cities under curfew

President Donald Trump spends nearly an hour in a bunker amid fury

02/06/2020, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,WASHINGTON

Growing rage: A protester throwing a U.S. flag into a burning barricade during a demonstration against the death of George Floyd near the White House on Sunday. AFP

The police fired tear-gas outside the White House late on Sunday as anti-racism protesters again took to the streets to voice fury at police brutality. Major U.S. cities were put under curfew to suppress rioting.

With the Trump administration branding instigators of six nights of rioting as domestic terrorists, there were more confrontations between protesters and the police and fresh outbreaks of looting.

Violent clashes erupted repeatedly in a small park next to the White House, with authorities using tear-gas, pepper spray and flash bang grenades to disperse crowds that lit several large fires and damaged property.

Secret Service agents rushed President Donald Trump to a White House bunker on Friday night as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the executive mansion. Mr. Trump spent nearly an hour in the bunker, which was designed for use in emergencies like terrorist attacks, according to a Republican close to the White House.

Local leaders appealed to citizens to give constructive outlet to their rage over the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis.

One closely watched protest was outside the state capitol in Minneapolis’ twin city of St. Paul, where several thousand people gathered before marching down a highway.

The Minneapolis police later reported that they had discovered caches of home-made fire-bombs around the two cities. There were other large-scale protests on Sunday night, including in New York and Miami.

In Louisville, Kentucky, CBS affiliate WLKY-TV reported the local police chief as saying law enforcement shot and killed a man early Monday morning as they broke up a crowd, although it was unclear if the group was taking part in protests.

Looting was reported on Sunday night in Philadelphia and the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Monica, and images on Fox TV showed ransacked Rolex and Gucci stores in New York city.

The shocking death last Monday of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minneapolis ignited the nationwide wave of outrage over law enforcement’s repeated use of lethal force against unarmed African Americans.

Social distancing norms derailed at NDLS

Social distancing norms derailed at NDLS

Thousands Wait For Hours Outside Station To Catch Trains

Jasjeev.Gandhiok@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:02.06.2020

There was chaos outside New Delhi Railway Station on Monday as queues stretched for several hundred metres after thousands of passengers reached the station to board trains out of the capital. From Monday, Indian Railways started running an additional 200 trains, 74 of which would be connected to Delhi’s railway stations.

New Delhi Railway Station handled 23 trains on Monday. However, with barricades at the entrance at Paharganj, only one narrow queue was being allowed inside, causing people to wait for over half an hour just to enter the station premises.

When TOI visited the station on Monday, the Ajmeri Gate side was almost deserted with hardly any passenger rush being seen during the day, but the Paharganj side had queues stretching up to several hundred metres towards Connaught Place. People were standing barely a few inches away from each other. No RPF or police personnel could be seen separating the passengers and the traffic only made things worse.

Narendra Shukla who was headed to Kanpur by a 5.05 pm train said he arrived at the station around 2.50 pm itself. However, he was waiting in the queue for over 20 minutes. “It is moving really slowly and no social distancing is being maintained. I did not expect the situation to be this bad,” said Shukla.

Umesh Yadav who was headed to Dibrugarh said he arrived several hours early, but did not expect to stand in a queue for close to an hour. “They have called us 90 minutes in advance, but there appears to be no planning. This is further putting people at risk,” added Yadav.

The situation was no better at the platform. People were seen sitting next to each other as railway officials kept allowing all those passengers in who had been screened. Passengers were being allowed entry, even if their train was yet to arrive, to reduce congestion outside, said an official.

The first of the 200 special trains to depart was New Delhi-Una special. It departed from platform 10 of the railway station at 2.35 pm, carrying 806 passengers on board.

Northern Railway officials said social distancing was being maintained inside the station, with contactless thermal screening being done at six locations – three in New Delhi, two at Old Delhi and one at Anand Vihar.

“Regular announcements are being made regarding train arrivals and departures as well as to request passengers to follow all necessary precautions for safety against Covid-19 while travelling. Only passengers having a confirmed or RAC ticket are being permitted entry to the station,” said a railway official.

Five of Delhi’s stations will now be seeing movement of trains, including Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Sarai Rohilla and Anand Vihar.

ON THEIR WAY: Though thousands of passengers gathered at the station, railway officials said social distancing rules were maintained

Girl breaks piggy bank, pays airfare of three migrants

Girl breaks piggy bank, pays airfare of three migrants

Ranchi:02.06.2020

A small philanthropic gesture by a 12-year-old girl from Noida is winning hearts. She paid for the airfrare of three migrant workers from Jharkhand from her piggy bank savings.

Her act of kindness amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has left thousands of migrant workers stranded in major cities across the country, drew appreciation from Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday.

The girl, a Class VIII student of a private school, paid Rs 48,000 to buy air tickets for the three workers from Jharkhand, one of them a cancer patient, from her savings. Appreciating her action, Soren said he was grateful to the 12-year-old for her sensitivity to the needs of others and wished her a bright future, a statement from the chief minister’s office read.

The girl, identified as Niharika Dwivedi, said, “Samaaj ne hame bahut kuchh diya hei aur iss sankat mein usse wapas karna hamari zimmedari hai (The society has given us much and it is our responsibility to return it during this crisis)”.

Dwivedi’s help assumes significance amid the distress faced by migrant workers across the country with many of them walking hundreds of kilometres every day to reach their homes, and some even dying due to accidents and fatigue during the arduous journey.

Sources said the girl, with the help of her parents, got in touch with some common friends to find out if any migrant worker was interested in going back home in view of the hardship faced during the anti-coronavirus lockdown and got to know about the three Jharkhand natives, which including a cancer patient. PTI

Covid-19 count: India overtakes Germany & France, at 7th spot

Covid-19 count: India overtakes Germany & France, at 7th spot

Death Toll Remains Above 200 For The Fourth Straight Day

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:02.06.2020

A day after overtaking Germany, India went past France in total count of Covid-19 cases on Monday, rising to the seventh spot in the list of countries with highest caseloads of the virus. On the first day of India’s unlocking phase, the number of fresh infections dipped slightly to 7,573, while the death toll remained above 200 for the fourth straight day.

India had recorded 1,92,630 Covid-19 cases till late on Monday, going past France’s count of 1,88,882 infections till now. The day’s death toll from the pandemic was 203, the third highest single-day count so far. The toll has remained above 200 for four consecutive days now, with the highest number

(270) reported on May 29. The total toll from the pandemic rose to exactly 5,600 on Monday, translating to a case fatality rate of 2.9%. While Maharashtra continued to report the highest fresh cases, Monday’s count of 2,361 was lower than those reported in at least the last two days. Of these, Mumbai reported 1,413 cases, taking the city’s count to over 40,000. The cumulative case count of the states crossed 70,000, accounting for over 36% of all cases in the country.

The state reported 76 more Covid-related deaths, taking the total toll to 2,362, which translates to a case fatality rate of 3.37%, significantly higher than the national average. Mumbai alone accounted for 40 deaths on Monday.

After several days of reporting over 1,000 fresh cases, Delhi’s count dipped slightly to 990 on Monday. However, the city reported 50 deaths, taking the total toll past 500, to 523.

Meanwhile, Gujarat became the third state in India to cross 10,000 discharges of Covid-19 positive patients after Maharashtra (29,329) and Tamil Nadu (13,170), with 10,780 patients sent home post recovery. Across India, the total number of Covid patients was over 95,000. Gujarat recorded 423 positive cases in 24 hours ending 5 pm on Monday, taking the total to 17,217. The new cases include 314 from Ahmedabad, 39 from Surat, 31 from Vadodara and 11 from Gandhinagar. This is the third consecutive day when state reported 400 plus positive cases. It has registered 438 cases on May 31 and 412 cases on May 30. The state also recorded the death of 25 Covid-19 positive patients, increasing the toll to 1063. The deceased include 22 from Ahmedabad.

In the highest spike in infections in a single day in Arunachal Pradesh, 16 fresh cases were reported on Monday. All of those who tested positive came from Delhi in a Shramik Special train. Odisha witnessed the highest daily spike in cases so far, with 156 people testing positive for the virus. Another 119 people were cured and discharged from hospital in what is also the biggest single-day jump in recoveries. The number of infected persons rose to 2,104 and the number of those cured rose to 1,245, leaving the state with 850 active cases. Seven patients have died of Covid-19 and two others have died of comorbidities.

NOT TAKING CHANCES

Divide Deepens, But Trump Eyes Poll

Divide Deepens, But Trump Eyes Poll

Clashes Continue On Day 6; Prez Was ‘Moved’ To Bunker During Stir Outside White House

Chidanand.Rajghatta@timesgroup.com

Washington:02.06.2020

“NOVEMBER 3RD,” US President Donald Trump tweeted in all caps on Sunday as America raged with fury over racism for the sixth successive day. Another tweet challenged a “heavily biased Democratic poll”, while boasting that he is leading in all swing states and has the biggest “enthusiasm” lead ever.

Amid a furious social and racial conflagration that has spread to scores of American cities, the president is making no secret of the fact that he is looking at the unfolding chaos through the prism of the November presidential election. Denying there are any “white supremest” groups involved in the rioting as alleged by some liberal activists, Trump blamed Antifa, an autonomous anti-fascist anti-capitalist left wing movement for the violence, associating Democrats with it. He also said he is designating Antifa as a terrorist organisation, although the US has no domestic terrorism law to designate something that has no organisational structure and no office bearers.

Trump’s anger at the protests peaked on Sunday night as hundreds of people who have been streaming towards the White House over the past few days turned violent over the weekend, burning signposts, traffic barricades, and anything combustible, even as many activists demonstrated peacefully seeking racial and social justice. At one point on Saturday, the Secret Service got so unnerved by the sight that they reportedly rushed Trump to an underground bunker last used during 9/11 for safety, generating social media ridicule. Soon after the news surfaced, Trump tweeted “FAKE NEWS!”, but several media outlets confirmed it even as online trolls mocked Trump with hashtags such as “BunkerPresident” and “BunkerDon”.

Scenes of violencewere everywhere, with ugly graffiti sprayed on government buildings and monuments, including one near Lincoln Memorial that read “YALL NOT TIRED YET?”. Luxury stores such as Gucci and Chanel were looted in New York City, and there were scenes of arson and vandalising of stores across the country. The random acts of violence and looting masked a more complicated picture of thousands of people emerging from their home to protest peacefully. In fact, even the police reaction was not always heavy-handed: in some instances, cops joined peaceful demonstrators, kneeling down with them in solidarity.

But in other incidents, cops unleashed brute force, using baton charges, pepper spray, and violence on even peaceful demonstrators and journalists. One widely circulated video showed a policeman with his knee on the neck of a protestor, exactly in the same manner that led to the killing of George Floyd, before his fellow cop managed to push the knee off the victim’s neck. It was not clear where and when the video was shot. In another instance, cops in Atlanta pulled out a black couple from a car and tasered them, leading to the mayor suspending two policemen.

Through all the seething disquiet, there was no effort on part of Trump to calm the situation. Instead, he lashed out at governors for their “weak” response to the violence, calling protesters “terrorists”. “Someone throwing a rock is like shooting a gun,” he told them. “You have to do retribution.”

Full report on www.toi.in

Along with imagery of fire and fury, there were also snaps of cordiality between police and protesters. While protests turned violent near the White House in Washington (left), a protester in Los Angeles was seen shaking hands with a National Guard member after others hurled insults at them

‘Remove Chinese apps’ clamour gets louder

‘Remove Chinese apps’ clamour gets louder

Chandrima.Banerjee@timesgroup.com

02.06.2020

It’s a straight pitch with an unsubstantiated claim: “Chinese apps are not secure you can scan and select Chinese apps that you want to uninstall.” That was enough. There are now over 10 lakh downloads in exactly two weeks since the app ‘Remove China Apps’ was launched. It is also the top downloaded Android tool in India with a 4.8 rating as of Sunday.

The app, with the icon of a dragon and two brooms crossed behind it, offers to identify all “Chinese apps” in one click and uninstall them. The Covid-19 outbreak had started what the recent LAC standoff has reinforced — circumspection about China — and the battleground is an app store. Growing interest in “Indian apps” has meant Google search interest shooting up from 31 in the first week of May to 100 in the third week.

The top trending Android app — ‘Bharat Messenger’ — and two of the top 10 trending communication apps in India on Sunday had the “Indiamade” connect. Another app, ‘Indian Messenger’, had been dormant for about a year since it was launched. But on Sunday, it started trending at number 8 and went straight to a 4.4 rating. “Indian apps very good,” a reviewer wrote. The third app, strangely also called ‘Indian Messenger’, has been downloaded over 10 lakh times and has a 4.6 rating.

Driving these apps are three touchstones of China-centred rhetoric — data security (“Chinese apps are unsafe”), national supremacy (“China funds anti-national agents”) and Covid-19 (“China spread the virus”) — that come together to spur a need for virtual retribution.

Man returns to UP on foot from B’luru, dies of snakebite in hour

Man returns to UP on foot from B’luru, dies of snakebite in hour

Petlee.Peter@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:02.06.2020

He walked a gruelling 2,000km for 12 days from Bengaluru to reach his village in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh and gave his mother an ecstatic hug. Barely an hour later, 23-year-old Salman Khan was dead — from a snakebite, after he stepped into a field to wash up after the dusty journey home.

His mother, who had been waiting anxiously for the youngest of her five children to return, went into shock following his death on May 26. Rukshan, in her 50s, has been bedridden since, slipping in and out of consciousness. Having buried their youngest, the family now struggles to foot her hospital bills.

It was on December 29 last year that Salman took a train to Bengaluru to earn a living. He found work, along with many others from Gonda, at a construction site in Banashankari and regularly sent money home. The family, which lives in a shack in Dhanepur village in Srinagar Babaganj of Gonda in east-central UP, had hoped their days in abject poverty were numbered.

On the dawn of May 12, Salman and 10 others embarked on their journey home by foot, unable to stay on any longer after the lockdown. Dodging police in Karnataka and Andhra, swimming across the Tungabhadra and spending a few days in quarantine, he finally made it home at 5pm on May 26 — exhausted, hungry and feet covered in blisters.

“Our contractor didn’t pay us for two months. We waited and then tried to get on a train. After four days of long waits outside police stations, humiliation and caning, 10 of us decided to walk home and set out on May 12,” said Koushal Kumar, also a Gonda native, who worked with Salman.

“We reached the Karnataka border that day and were chased away by police,” recalled Kumar, who then guided the group through an alternative route along the railway line. Days of walking got the group to Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. They waded through the Tungabadra river on the AP-Telangana border and managed to enter Maharashtra by hitchhiking a brief ride on a tractor. “Mostly moving in the dark to escape police, we walked and hitched rides on trucks through Madhya Pradesh and entered Prayagraj,” said Kumar on phone.

“My mother and I were overjoyed to see him. His foot was badly cut, and he was frail,” said Riyaz Khan, breaking down on phone.

After tears and hugs, Salman stepped into a sugarcane field nearby to wash up. “We found him dead an hour later. Our mother went into a shock on seeing his body and had to be hospitalised,” said Riyaz.

Barely an hour after he reached home, 23-year-old Salman Khan died from a snakebite when he stepped into a field to wash up after the dusty journey. His mom is in shock after momentary reunion

In a first, virtual court goes paperless in SC

In a first, virtual court goes paperless in SC

All 3 Judges Use Laptops To Read Files & Make Notes

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:02.06.2020

In a pioneering development for a judiciary consuming a staggering 10 billion sheets of paper annually, a virtual court of the Supreme Court went paperless on Monday and judges heard cases without having a single paperbook case file on their table.

It was an unusual sight in virtual court number three. Missing were the usually stacked case files besides the three chairs on the dais prior to assembling of the judges. Even more unusual was the three judges — Justices D Y Chandrachud, Hemant Gupta and Ajay Rastogi — walking in with their laptops. They opened their laptops and started hearing cases even as most lawyers connected through video links were seen using paper case files.

During the arguments, the judges were seen making notes on the laptop as the hearings continued without any glitch. If all judges in the SC, high courts and trial courts follow suit, then the judiciary will save 10 billion sheets of paper and thousands of trees from being felled for the purpose every year.

The first move to make SC proceedings paperless was initiated by then CJI J S Khehar, who in 2017 brought in largescreen computers which were placed before the judges in the first five courts. But the judges, who had worked with case files and physically turned pages to go through petitions, were uncomfortable with the sudden decision to go paperless. “I will rather read the files physically than go through it on a computer. It just does not feel that one has read a file when reading on a computer screen,” a judge had said three years ago.

Most judges shared the view. Soon, the huge computers were folded and used as table tops. Later, these were removed to the storeroom. “Software for court-work at that time was not advanced and had several shortcomings. Present software is much more advanced. It allows the judges to make notes with special pens on the computer screen itself about a case and these notes can be preserved confidentially. The law clerks’ notes, as well as the judge’s own notings, can be stored separately and can be seen by the judge during the hearing along with the case file,” a source said.

To streamline filing of cases and their categorisation for grouping, the SC’s E-Committee, headed by Justice Chandrachud, has constituted a committee to prepare standard operating procedures for digitisation and e-filing of cases in all HCs and district courts. “The e-filing module is ready for HCs and district courts,” the source said.

Judges in different HCs told TOI that the technology for virtual hearing did not support simultaneous functioning of more than three virtual courts, impeding the HC from listing a large number of cases daily.

NEW NORMAL: Chief Justice of India S A Bobde and Justice D Y Chandrachud (right) attended the online event as Supreme Court on Monday streamed a live demo on e-filing of cases for advocates

Wife pawns mangalsutra for Covid warrior’s last rites in K’taka

Wife pawns mangalsutra for Covid warrior’s last rites in K’taka

Basavaraj.Kattimani@timesgroup.com

Hubballi  02.06.2020

: When 108 ambulance driver Umesh Hadagali died of a heart attack on May 27, after some two months of non-stop duty as Covid warrior, his wife had to pawn her mangalsutra to conduct his final rites. Her video on social media, seeking help for her sons, aged 12 and 7, triggered a call from the chief minister.

Speaking to the family on Monday, B S Yediyurappa assured all help, besides speedy insurance and compensation payout. Umesh’s wife Jyoti has sought a job for herself and help to further the boys’ education.

Umesh, of Konnur in Naragund taluk of Gadag, had been working as an ambulance driver for nine years. Tragically, the 38-year-old suffered the heart attack on duty and died before he could be taken to hospital.

Jyoti said Umesh had been working without a break since the lockdown came into force.

“He used to work 12-14 hours a day, saying his work was crucial to shift people to hospital in such a critical time. I’m shattered. The future of my children is at stake. The CM has promised help,” she said.

Full report on www.toi.in

Airlines allowed to sell middle seats

Airlines allowed to sell middle seats

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:02.06.2020

Airlines have been allowed to keep middle seats occupied too if flights have high passenger loads.

Passenger seated on the middle seat will need to be given a wrap-around gown in addition to face mask and shield.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday issued an order which among other things, mandates trying to keep the seat between two passengers vacant.

The order, a fallout of judicial observations, is binding on all airlines, charter and private jet operators, whether Indian or foreign, operating domestic or international flights. It also says “no meals or drinking water shall be served on board except in extreme circumstances arising due to health reasons”.

This will be implemented on domestic and international flights of 2-3 hour duration. On longer flights, packed meals can be served to minimise crew-passenger contact, said an official.

While the DGCA had on March 23, directed airlines to keep the seat between two flyers vacant on domestic flights, the aviation ministry later said this would render airlines financially unviable and that the practice was not being adopted elsewhere.

An Air India pilot moved Bombay high court on the issue as the Vande Bharat repatriation flights were coming almost full.

The HC questioned the practice. Following this, AI moved an urgent plea in the Supreme Court on the issue.

The SC on May 25 observed (in a special leave petition filed by the Union of India versus Deven Yogesh Kanani), that the “DGCA is free to alter any norms he may consider necessary during the pendency of the matter in the interest of public health and safety of the passengers rather than of commercial considerations.”

Following the SC observations, the aviation ministry constituted an expert committee of three eminent doctors — AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, Indian Council of Medical research DG Balram Bhargava and heart surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan — on May 26 “to review and further strengthen the public health related protocols of air travel.”

SAFETY FIRST: A family wears PPE suits before travelling in a flight in Mumbai on Monday

Bank worker steals ₹8.2L from ATM

Bank worker steals ₹8.2L from ATM

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  02.06.2020

An employee of a private bank opened its ATM at Maduravoyal using a password unchanged for more than three years and fled with Rs 8.2 lakh on Sunday, police said. West Mambalam resident D Sivanandhan, who was arrested on Monday with the help of CCTV camera footage, entered the ATM kiosk posing as a man spraying disinfectant. A court is set to send him to jail.

A police officer said Sivanandhan, 39, whose wife is an employee in the state home department, told investigators that he decided to steal from the ATM as he was unable to pay off the loan he had taken to construct a house in his native town of Tuticorin. The password he used to open the ATM was the one that was set three years ago when he was at the Maduravoyal branch, police said. He was later transferred to the Ambattur branch of the bank.

At 12.30pm on Sunday, the officer said, Sivanandhan entered the ATM kiosk of the bank branch on MMDA East Main Road in Maduravoyal. His face was masked and he carried a spray can. Telling the security guard he had to sanitize the kiosk, he entered and used the old password. The cash chest opened and he began bundling the cash.

A customer waiting outside the kiosk to withdraw the money noticed Sivanandhan opening the cash chest, but he remained silent as he thought that he could be employee. It was only after he saw the man rush out of the booth and board an autorickshaw in a hurry that he realized something was amiss.

The customer immediately contacted the branch manager Rajkumar who arrived, made a check and found Rs 8.2 lakh missing. Based on his complaint, the Maduravoyal police registered a case and arrested Sivanandham after a hunt.

A police officer said Sivanandhan, 39, whose wife is an employee in the state home department, told investigators that he decided to steal from the ATM as he was unable to pay off the loan he had taken to construct a house in his native town of Tuticorin

Tamil Nadu introduces cashless ticketing system in govt buses

Tamil Nadu introduces cashless ticketing system in govt buses

Used As A Trial On Two Routes, It May Be Expanded Across The State

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:02.06.2020

As a step towards moving to digital payments, Tamil Nadu Transport Department on Monday launched cashless ticketing system in government buses.

This trial run, introduced in two city buses (T Nagar to Secretariat and Saidapet to Secretariat), will soon be expanded to other routes across the state depending on the feedback, said MR Vijayabaskar, state transport minister.

QR codes were pasted near the entrance and conductor seat. Passengers were instructed to scan this code using their smartphone as soon as they enter the bus through the rear entrance.

After taking their seats, the conductor will enquire about their destination and suggest the ticket amount to be paid for the travel.

Passengers can pay using Google Pay, PayTm, Amazon Pay or any other Unified Payments Interface (UPI) recognised by banks.

A ‘Soundbox’ in the bus, integrated with the conductors’ mobile, will confirm the payment. Passengers and conductors will also get their usual text messages from their respective banks for every payment made or received. This gives a double confirmation, said a Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) official. “On Monday, only government employees travelled in these two special buses and there was not much confusion. But when the plan is extended to rural areas, we are not sure whether all passengers will have smartphones. So we are formulating a way to overcome this situation,” he added.

As many as 5,659 government buses hit the roads on Monday after a gap of two months due to lockdown. These buses were operated from 6 am to 9 pm. Though government said that only 60% of seats should be used, in some areas, the crowd was more than expected and social distancing norms weren’t followed. Conductors had a tough time in restricting excess passengers, who were waiting for long, from boarding the vehicle at bus stops.

Minister Vijayabaskar said there was not much response in most districts but number of buses will be increased along routes in which demand was high.

Minister also said that additional special buses will be operated for Class X state board students, who might it find difficult to reach their exam centres. Secretaries of both school education and transport departments had a meeting regarding this recently.

MIND THE GAP: While government said that only 60% seats should be used, some buses were crowded and social distancing norms couldn’t be followed

Low occupancy helps train passengers keep physical distance

Low occupancy helps train passengers keep physical distance

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  02.06.2020

Inter-city train services resumed in a small way across Tamil Nadu on Monday with eight trains running half empty. The bar on trains to Chennai remains.

Occupancy was around 50% or less on most of the trains. Though e-pass was compulsory, special desks at railway stations helped passengers obtain them for their further travel by road.

In Coimbatore, people started to reach the station much earlier than the stipulated 90 minutes before departure.

While the Coimbatore-Katpadi train’s air-conditioned coach was nearly empty, the AC coach on Jan Shatabdi to Mayiladuthurai had occupants. Of the 183 people expected to board the Katpadi train, only 117 turned up. The Shatabdi saw 69% of its seats being booked, but actual occupancy numbers were less.

“Many passengers who booked did not turn up because of confusion over e-passes. However, we are allowing those without e-passes to travel after taking down their addresses,” said Coimbatore deputy station manager, commercial, Chitti Babu.

With low occupancy, it was easy for passengers to maintain social distancing. While families sat next to each other, the row in front of them was left empty. Some travelling alone managed to get a whole row for themselves.

Similar was the situation at Madurai and Trichy. On the first trip, the Trichy-Nagercoil Superfast daily special had 227 passengers, an occupancy of only 35%, while around 50passengers boarded the Madurai-Villupuram Intercity Superfast special at Trichy. The Coimbatore to Mayiladuthurai special train arrived at Trichy at 11.05 am, with around 500passengers. On the return journey, 410 boarded at Trichy junction.

The Madurai-Villupuram intercity express had only 22% occupancy because a majority of the passengers on the route are usually headed to Chennai. The Coimbatore-Mayiladuthurai Express witnessed 39% occupancy.

Though, the Madurai district administration had arranged epasses instantly for rail passengers, rail users have appealed to the state government to revoke the order mandating e-passes as all the trains are travelling across various zones.

J Michael, 50, said no one asked him for an e-pass when he boarded the train at Coimbatore. “After arriving at the Trichy junction railway authorities asked me to produce it. But there was a special desk at the station where I got a pass to proceed by bus to my village,” he said.

HUGE CROWDS, TRAFFIC SNARLS A WELCOME SIGHT

GIFHTING COVID-19

HUGE CROWDS, TRAFFIC SNARLS A WELCOME SIGHT

Commuters Are Back In Urban Areas After Two Months, But Buses Run Near-Empty Across TN. Industrial Units Face Shortage Of Workers And Shops Record Poor Sales

TEAM TOI  02.06.2020

Tamil Nadu on Monday marched a step closer to easing of restrictions, opening up a new set of services at the beginning on lockdown 5.0.

After more than two months, several arterial stretches in towns and cities were tied up in traffic snarls as more people stepped out of homes. Cabs joined autorickshaws on the roads as private offices resumed operations with larger workforces.

As government buses too wheeled out of depots, the state appeared to have bounced back to near normalcy. Dozens were seen entering and leaving railway junctions too as train services resumed after a long gap.

All major textile shops and jewellery outlets reopened, albeit without air conditioning. Some branded jewellery outlets chose to remain shut.

In Coimbatore, about 60 % of outlets in the shopping hub of Cross Cut road opened, while in Townhall and Oppanakara Street, about 80 % of shops were open. In Trichy, except for gyms and movie halls, most establishments including major textile outlets on NSB Road, at Singarathope and West Boulevard resumed business. “We advised employees and customers to maintain at least six feet distance between each other. Customers were told to avoid touching handrails,” said M Sharath, managing director, Sarathas, Trichy.

Almost all shops in the commercial hubs of Madurai were open. “My wife’s birthday falls on June 7. I was desperate for the shops to reopen,” said R Jaysingh of Simmakkal in the temple town, stepping out from a textile showroom.

However, there was a clear lack of patronage. Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) authorities in Coimbatore had to cut short number of buses and even limited the trips since the number of passengers was low. “There was no need to enforce social distancing at all. Most seats were empty,’’ said a TNSTC officer. A bus from Yercaud to Salem had to ply without even a single passenger. Cabs and autorickshaws drivers too said they were disappointed.

People like Jaysingh did visit the textile showrooms or electronic gadget outlets, but they were far and few. Ashraf Tayub, secretary of Tamil Nadu Textile Merchants Association, said textile stores witnessed only 15 % of usual sales and that it would not help them pay employees’ salaries and meet running charges. “But how long can we remain shut,” he asked, hoping that the situation would change in the coming days.

Industrialists say that although government allowed them to open their units with 100% employees, most of them had functioned only with 50% of staff strength. “Guest workers have left in large numbers. Besides, the supply chain is yet to resume and we couldn’t ramp up production due to raw material shortage,” said Kappalur Industrialists Association president P N Ragunatha Raja.

However, resumption of public transport system has renewed hope that economic activities would soon revive. Construction workers and those from the unorganized sector who were stuck without any means of transport have started moving out for jobs. Government officials as well businessmen hope more people will come out their houses in the coming days and that business will pick up.

SOME SEMBLANCE OF LIFE: As life crawled back to normalcy in Chennai, shoppers and errant motorists returned on the roads

The QR code-based ticketing has been introduced on a trial basis in two buses on the Secretariat route

M R Vijayabaskar |

TRANSPORT MINISTER

We advised employees and customers to maintain at least six feet distance

M Sharath | MANAGING DIRECTOR, SARATHAS, TRICHY

Fatality rate dips amid rising cases & deaths

Fatality rate dips amid rising cases & deaths

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:02.06.2020

With a larger proportion of Covid-19 patients recovering, the case fatality rate, or the percentage of deaths of the total cases, has declined steadily to 2.83% from 3.3% around 45 days ago, even as the health ministry recorded the biggest singleday spike so far with 230 new deaths and 8,392 fresh cases till 8am on Monday.

The death toll due to Covid-19 rose to 5,394 and the number of cases have climbed to 1,90,535 in the country. Of the total cases, 93,322 are under active medical supervision, whereas 91,818 patients are rid of the disease. In last 24 hours, 4,835 people who underwent Covid-19 treatment were discharged.

“The recovery rate in the country is progressively increasing and has reached 48.19% amongst Covid-19 patients. On May 18, it was 38.29%, on May 3, it was 26.59% and on April 15, it was 11.42%,” the health ministry said. The recovery rate is significant as it indicates timely detection and treatment, adequate medical infrastructure and clinical protocols.

Variations remain from state to state, but the overall picture now shows the case fatality rate at 2.83%. On May 18, it was 3.15% and on May 3, it was 3.25%.

‘Govt strategy is to widen testing, ensure patients recover’

“A steady decline can be seen in the case fatality rate in the country. The relatively low death rate is attributed to the continued focus on surveillance, timely case identification and clinical management of the cases,” the ministry said.

Officials said cases were expected to rise as migrant workers return home and the lockdown eases. The focus of the government strategy is to widen testing and ensure patients recover. The rise in cases continues to be influenced by

states like Maharashtra and Delhi though there is increased incidence in several other states too. As long as the fresh cases do not become a torrent, the case load can be managed, it is felt.

Comparing India’s case fatality rate with other countries with high number of deaths, the ministry said the global case fatality rate was 6.19%. It was highest in France at 19.35%, followed by Belgium at 16.25%, Italy at 14.33% and the UK at14.07%.

It also said the testing capacity had increased in the country through 676 laboratories, including 472 government and 204 private ones. Cumulatively, 38,37,207 samples have been tested so far, whereas 1,00,180 samples were tested on Sunday.

Officials said cases were expected to rise as migrant workers return home and the lockdown eases