Goa’s ex-chief secy sentenced to 2-yr jail for fraud, gets bail

Goa’s ex-chief secy sentenced to 2-yr jail for fraud, gets bail

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji:01.12.2020

A special CBI court in New Delhi has sentenced former chief secretary of Goa R K Srivastava to two years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 35,000 fine in a case pertaining to the revival of a defunct housing society in Delhi using forged documents, the agency said in a statement.

Later, he secured bail in the case.

Srivastava was convicted for his involvement in the revival of Delhi-based Shree Radhakrishna Co-op Group Housing Society Ltd when he was the registrar of co-operative societies, New Delhi, the agency said.

He was charged for entering into a criminal conspiracy with officials of co-operative societies, New Delhi, to revive the society on the basis of false/forged/bogus documents, CBI statement said.

The court directed Srivastava and Padam Dutt Sharma, the then deputy registrar of co-operative societies, New Delhi, to undergo two years RI with a fine of Rs 35,000 each. It also sentenced three others—Subhash Chander and Mayank Goswami to undergo four years RI with fine of Rs 25,000 and Ashwani Sharma to undergo four years RI with fine of Rs 30,000—in the case.

Following the orders of the Delhi high court, CBI had registered a case on October 26, 2006, against Chander and others.

Srivastava was chief secy of Goa from 2014-16

Earlier, a preliminary inquiry was registered. Investigation showed that Srivastava in connivance with Sharma and other accused were involved in the fraud, CBI said. After investigation, a charge sheet was filed against 12 accused in the court of special judge for CBI cases, New Delhi.

Srivastava served as the chief secretary of Goa from 2014-16. He was given an extension in service twice beyond his superannuation as the state was hosting the Brics summit during that period. In January 2017, he was appointed as the state election commissioner. Srivastava resigned in the first week of November citing “personal reasons”.

When the bail application filed by Srivastava came up for hearing before the high court, the public prosecutor sought to file a status report in the case. The high court directed the public prosecutor to file it before the next date of hearing and adjourned the case to February 17, 2021.

Srivastava has also filed an appeal against the order passed by the trial court directing him to undergo imprisonment.

The CBI stated that the trial court convicted the accused and acquitted five others. Two accused have since expired.

Medical colleges to focus on practicals

Medical colleges to focus on practicals

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

01.12.2020

Bengaluru: Colleges affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) will reopen for physical classes on Tuesday and while medical colleges will kick off practical and clinical sessions, some dental and pharmacy colleges have scheduled exams and may not resume regular classes immediately.

To ensure social distancing, colleges plan to divide students into batches of 20 or 30 for practical classes. “We have about 130 students in a batch,” said Dr Sanikop Mallikarjun, principal, Oxford Medical College. “We plan to make groups of 27 for practicals. Each group can remain in a single department for the entire day. Most theory portions were covered through online classes, so the focus will be on practicals.”

Jayanti C R, director, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, said the emphasis will be on first and final year students as they have exams coming up. Buses have been arranged to pick and drop students.

“Most hostel students are back. Students of other batches have also started trickling in. We will make batches of 20 for practicals,” she said.

Dr VT Venkatesh, principal, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, said they plan to have 2-3 faculty in practical classes so that students can be taught in smaller groups.

“The number of Covid-19 cases has fallen so there should be more non-Covid patients as well,” said Dr Venkatesh. “Students can examine these patients and learn. They have missed out on practical exposure for so long.”

Meanwhile, many dental colleges have exams under way. “The exams are under way and only odd batches are free now. Their numbers are very small. Physical classes will resume after the exams,” said Dr Asha R, principal, RV Dental College.

Dr Ramachandra Shetty, principal of Government College of Pharmacy, which has also scheduled exams, said classes could start only by the end of December or January.

Poor social distancing

Hostel students, however, claimed social distancing has been poor especially in common areas. “We have common mess and toilets so Covid protocols are hard to abide by,” said a final year MBBS student of a medical college in Tumkur. Some colleges do not allow students to step out as a precaution.

Many international students will have to skip classes and exams over. “I cannot travel to India for my exams due to lack of flights,” said an MBBS student who is currently in Malaysia.

SAFE APPROACH: Dental and pharmacy colleges have scheduled exams and will begin regular classes later this month

While we have given students the option of online classes, all those who have practicals have to report to college. All affiliated colleges can reopen. We’ll know the attendance only once the first-day ends

Dr S Sacchidanand VC, RGUHS

IMD: After ‘Nivar’ another storm to hit Kerala, TN

New Delhi:01.12.2020

A fresh low-pressure area, formed over the Bay of Bengal after landfall of cyclone ‘Nivar’, is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm of low intensity and cross the Sri Lankan coast on Wednesday evening, bringing heavy rainfall to India’s southernmost parts, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned.

After crossing the Sri Lankan coast, the cyclone will move westwards and emerge into the Comorin area on Thursday morning, the agency added. The system, as per the IMD’s forecasts on Monday, will bring heavy to very heavy rainfall over south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala and adjoining areas during December 2-4.Though it will not be severe like ‘Nivar’, the agency has advised fishermen not to venture into south-east and adjoining south-west Bay of Bengal from Tuesday night. TNN

Cyclonic storm: Red alert issued in 4 districts

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kochi:01.12.2020

IMD and Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) have asked people to stay away from beaches and coasts as the sea will turn rough from Tuesday. The weather report said that a depression – formed in the southeast Bay of Bengal – is moving toward Kanyakumari and south Kerala coasts which will later become a cyclonic storm at night on Wednesday.

The IMD on Monday issued orange alert (very heavy rainfall of 11-20cm) for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki on Wednesday. Red alert (extremely heavy rain of over 20cm) has been issued for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha on Thursday with an orange alert in Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki. The winds on these days would become gales (speeds reaching 70-80km/hr and gusting to 90 km/ hr). Kerala has imposed a total ban on fishing in the Arabian Sea and all fishermen have been asked to return to the nearest coast. Squally weather with wind is likely over southwest Bay of Bengal, Kerala coast, southeast Arabian Sea, Maldives and Lakshadweep by Wednesday.

District disaster management authority of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki are on alert. KSDMA officials informed district teams to ensure that trees, likely to be uprooted, be trimmed down with help of fire brigade.

All hoarding and boards are being removed to prevent damages and people have been told not to park cars under trees. Travel to high ranges is being discouraged for the next few days.

Control rooms will be opened in all taluk offices with deputy tahsildars. Irrigation department officials have been asked to monitor water levels in rivers, dams and reservoirs.

Bees settle on aircraft at Kolkata airport, flights delayed

Tamaghna Banerjee & Subhro Niyogi TNN

Kolkata:01.12.2020

A swarm of bees settled in on two Vistara Airlines aircraft parked in the same bay at Kolkata airport 16 hours apart, forcing an hour’s delay in the flights and deployment of fire-fighting water bowsers on both occasions to drive them away.

This is the third instance of bees taking a fancy to planes in Kolkata. Last September, bees had swarmed an Air India aircraft. The incidents on Sunday evening and Monday morning occurred at bay 25, leading to the airline requesting the airport operator to allocate another bay for the time being. The problem first occurred around 4pm on Sunday, just before boarding was to commence for the Delhi-bound flight. As the swarm settled on the plane’s exterior, boarding was put on hold and the fire services department alerted.

“Within minutes, lakhs of bees had settled on the plane as though ready to build a hive. Water jets had to be sprayed for a good 30 minutes to dislodge them. The flight ultimately took off at 6.30pm instead of 5.30pm,” said an airline official.

Vistara ground staff were in for a shock on Monday morning as well when they found the bees back on another aircraft. Though there were other planes in adjoining bays, the bees chose the Vistara aircraft scheduled to leave for Port Blair at 10.30am.

Full report on www.toi.in

Surappa probe: HC wants govt to produce all files

Surappa probe: HC wants govt to produce all files

Kaushik.Kannan@timesgroup.com

Madurai:01.12.2020

The Madras high court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu government to produce all the files relating to complaints against Anna University vice-chancellor (VC) M K Surappa and a GO to constitute a probe panel.

A division bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi sought to produce the files in a public interest litigation filed by Manithanigai Kumar, a resident of Kanyakumari district who challenged the GO passed by the state government to initiate a probe against VC Surappa.

During the course of hearing, advocate general Vijay Narayan submitted that retired Madras high court Justice P Kalaiyarasan was appointed to probe into the complaints. He also argued on the maintainability of the petition.

The petitioner stated that A Suresh from Trichy district had sent a complaint to the chief minister's special cell making baseless allegations that the VC and the deputy director of the centre for constituent colleges had received money for recruiting temporary teaching staff at the university and constituent colleges.

He stated that the nature of such serious allegations could be ascertained only after conducting a preliminary inquiry. However, without even conducting a preliminary inquiry, the GO was passed.

The petitioner stated that Surappa had improved the quality of technical education in the state by taking various revolutionary and reformatory steps for the functioning of the university. Manithanigai stated that by making financial reforms, the VC had cut down the expenditures.

Depression may intensify into cyclone, bring heavy rainfall

Depression may intensify into cyclone, bring heavy rainfall

Southern Districts To Get Drenched

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:01.12.2020

A week after Cyclone Nivar made landfall near Marakkanam, another cyclonic storm may cross Tamil Nadu bringing widespread rainfall in the state, including heavy rainfall in southern districts from December 1.

Weathermen have forecast that the a depression which has formed over Bay of Bengal on Monday, may intensify into a cyclonic storm in 24 hours crossing north Sri Lanka, Comorin area and south Kerala. If it strengthens into a cyclone, it would be called Cyclone Burevi, a name given by Maldives used to refer black mangroves. The system may bring heavy rainfall in parts of southern districts of Tamil Nadu like Kanykumari, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli, which have deficit rainfall so far this northeast monsoon season, and light to moderate rains in Chennai and its suburbs from December 1.

As on 8pm on Monday, IMD said the depression over southeast Bay of Bengal has moved westwards at 7kmph speed in six hours and centered over southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, about 640km east-southeast of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, and 1,040km east of Kanyakumari. It is likely to intensify into a deep depression in the next 12 hours and a cyclonic storm in the subsequent 12 hours. “It is very likely to move west-northwest and cross Sri lanka coast close to Trincomalee during December 2 evening/night and westwards thereafter emerging into the Comorin area on December 3 morning,” said IMD’s evening bulletin.

Starting from December 1, the system is likely to bring heavy rain at isolated places over Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts, and Karaikal. The intensity of rainfall is likely to increase on December 2 and 3 to extremely heavy rain at isolated places over Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari and Ramanathapuram districts and heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Pudukottai, Sivagangai, Virudhunagar, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts and Karaikal area. Parts of Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts are likely to get heavy spells. Chennai and suburbs are likely to receive thunderstorms with light to moderate rain with sky conditions generally cloudy for the next 48 hours. Temperatures are likely to hover around a maximum of 30 deg C and a minimum of 24 deg C. M Rajeevan, secretary, ministry of earth sciences under which IMD functions tweeted, “As per present model forecasts, it (the system) may not be severe like Nivar.”

Squally winds could reach 45-55kmph, gusting to 65kmph over Comorin area, Gulf of Mannar and south Tamil Nadu-Kerala coast from December 2 noon and gradually increase to 55-65kmph gusting to 75kmph over these regions from December 3 morning.

Weather blogger Pradeep John said the system, while crossing the TN coast could pull the easterlies into the land bringing rainfall to Chennai and its neighbouring districts. “We will have rain from December 2 to 6. Historically, any weather system crossing the Gulf of Mannar has brought widespread rainfall including in Chennai. We have seen it in Cyclone Nisha in 2008 and during a low pressure in November 2017,” he said.

IMD PROJECTION: Expected path of the depression, according to the India Meteorological Department