15th Annual Convocation 2019

THENI RAPE & MURDER

SC stays execution of TN convict

New Delhi:09.11.2019

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the execution of a death row convict who has been held guilty by the lower court and the Madras high court for brutally killing a college girl and her lover after raping her near Suruli hills in Theni district of Tamil Nadu in 2011.

Abench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi admitted the special leave petition (SLP) of condemned prisoner Kattavellai alias Devakar challenging the March13 verdict of the Madurai bench of the Madras high court upholding his conviction and award of the death penalty in the twin murder case. “The appeal is admitted. The execution of the death penalty is stayed,” the bench, which also comprised Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, said. The top court, in April, had quashed the trial court’s warrant of execution of the death sentence of the convict issued on March 27 saying that he cannot be hanged without being given the opportunity to exhaust all available legal remedies. Devakar had then not filed the SLP in the apex court against the high court verdict.

“Be that as it may, as the period for filing of a special leave petition/an appeal against the order of conviction and sentence passed is yet to be over, we are of the view that the warrant for execution of death sentence, dated March 27, 2019, is contrary to the law laid down by this Court... We deem it proper, without issuing any notice, to set aside the said warrant of execution of death sentence and allow this petition,” the SC had said. PTI

₹5,000 fine imposed on NEET accused

Madurai:09.11.2019

The Madras high court has imposed ₹5,000 on a petitioner, who filed a second petition seeking bail as he was arrested in the NEET impersonation case. The court imposed the cost observing that the petitioner is making a mockery of the process of law.

The petitioner, C A Davis had moved the high court Madurai bench seeking bail in the case. When the petition was heard on Friday, the state government submitted that there is no change in circumstance that warrants the petitioner to file a fresh petition seeking bail.

Taking note of the submissions, justice V Parthiban observed that the intention of the petitioner is to make mockery of the process of law and stampede the process of law.

The judge further observed that the court cannot be a mere spectator to the act committed by the petitioner. TNN

AIADMK uses pension as poll tool

Sets Target To Identify 5L Beneficiaries

Julie Mariappan & A Subburaj TNN

Chennai:09.11.2019

With local body polls around the corner, the ruling AIADMK is racing against time to identify old age beneficiaries for the government’s social security pension scheme. This comes in the wake of chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami expressing displeasure at a party meeting on Wednesday that a mere 1.5 lakh applications were received during the CM’s special grievance redressal scheme, while the government had set a target of five lakh.

The revenue department issued an order last week to sanction old age pension to five lakh new eligible persons from current fiscal that would cost an additional ₹618 crore to the exchequer. “We are working hard given the limited time before notification of local body polls. We have spread the word to all local functionaries in the constituency to identify the eligible beneficiaries and sanction the pension,” said a senior AIADMK leader, who attended the party meeting. Until September this year, 29.64 lakh people avail monthly pensions under nine schemes, including 12.52 lakh old age pensioners. The Jayalalithaa government enhanced the pension for all categories from ₹500 to ₹1,000 from 2011.

The AIADMK functionaries said applications were pouring in. “We only recommend, and the officials oblige our requests. I received 30 applications today,” said a district secretary. Incidentally, the AIADMK government deleted some six lakh beneficiaries in 2015, when it had to do an annual verification, as per the guidelines of the Centre’s National Social Assistance Programme. In the wake of an uproar from the opposition in the state assembly, the government cited duplications, deaths, change of address and non-fulfilment of certain eligibility criteria as reasons. The Centre also sponsors partially the pension schemes for old age, widows and differentlyabled.

Elders above 60 years, destitute and those falling below poverty line are eligible to avail the pension, but many a time, the affluent get paid, it is alleged. The Coimbatore district administration had received 21,000 applications seeking old age pension in the recently held CM’s special grievance redressal programme in the district.

Lack of proper mechanism had people like C K Vijayalakshmi of Teachers Colony in Anupanadi in Madurai waiting for months to get her application moving in the district collectorate, while A Venkatesh of Ponnammapet in Salem could get it done for a relative, Neela, but not before paying a tout ₹4,000. The state should strictly implement the law for maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens that guarantees monthly allowance from children and legal heirs, and orders imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month for violations.

(With inputs from Padmini Sivarajah, V Senthil Kumaran)

SR vigilance officials in Salem to investigate sick leave scam

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.11.2019

Southern railway vigilance officials from Chennai are camping in Salem for the past two days to probe complaints that some station masters misuse sick leave to go on long holidays to their home towns or hill stations.

Sources said the role of officials at the railway hospitals in the division is under scanner. Vigilance officials are investigating if bribes were paid to obtain false medical certificates.

Employees who were supposed to be on sick leave for 10-14 days returned from holiday and got a medical certificate dated a day before they rejoined duty.

After TOI reported this practice, many station masters complained that they, guards and pointsmen were being denied leave as there were a lot of vacancies. "Senior officials are not taking steps to fill these vacancies and station masters are overworked," said EK Babu, a senior office-bearer of the All-India Station Master Association (AISMA).

In fact the letter from Salem division sent to Vigilance itself highlights the vacancy issue. A large number of station masters are from north and eastern India. "They have to take leave to visit their families at least once or twice a year but it is difficult to get leave. They use the sick leave route for this," said a station master based in Chennai.

After the vigilance took up the case, the medical department officials in Salem has released all employees who were currently marked as sick, sources said.

₹35L compensation for family of man mowed down by bike

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.11.2019

An accident claims tribunal in the city has directed an insurance firm to pay ₹35.9lakh to the family of a man who was fatally knocked down by a two-wheeler near Kandhan Chavadi in 2016.

The family moved the tribunal seeking a compensation of ₹1crore.

The petitioner, D Anjugam, said in her petition that her husband Dakshinamurthy was crossing the road near the Kandhan Chavadi bus stop when a rashlydriven motorcycle hit him. He was taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where he died three days later.

The two-wheeler owner submitted before the tribunal that Dakshinamuthy was crossing the road negligent of road traffic rules and was responsible for the accident. The bike owner further contended that his vehicle had a valid insurance at the time of the accident and hence the insurance firm was liable to pay compensation, if any.

Counsel for the insurance firm contested the age, income and other particulars of the victim.

“The victim suddenly crossed the carriageway unmindful of the oncoming vehicle. Further, the motorcycle owner was not in possession of a valid driving licence at the time of the accident and had violated provisions of motor vehicles act,” the counsel submitted.

After examining the submissions and documents, the tribunal held that the accident happened only due to the negligence of the motorist.

Noting that the deceased was aged 40 at the time of the accident and was a contractor earning a monthly income of around ₹25,000, the tribunal computed other factors such as loss of future income for the family and medical expenses and held that they are eligible to receive a compensation of ₹35.9lakh.

After examining the submissions and documents, the accident claims tribunal held that the accident happened only due to the negligence of the motorist.

VIT entrance application sale begins

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.11.2019

The sale of printed application forms for VIT Engineering Entrance Examination (VITEEE-2020) for BTech programmes was launched at the Vellore Head Post Office on Friday by chancellor G Viswanathan. VITEEE will be held from April 13 to April19, 2020, as a computer-based test in 120 cities in India as well in Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat and Qatar.

The application forms can be obtained by providing a demand draft for ₹1,250 drawn in favour of VIT, payable at the respective campus or by cash payment at 22 select post offices across the country. The last date for applying is February

29. For further details go to www.vit.ac.in.