The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

Counsel to appear for CM

By Our Staff Reporter

Coimbatore Jan. 6. R. Sadayandi, additional district sessions judge and the judge of the fast track court-I today exempted the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, from appearing before the court personally in a case of defamation against two Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam functionaries and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam propaganda secretary, Nanjil Sampath.

The case was filed against Mr.Sampath, Singai Cheralaadhan and A. Natarajan of Perur, who were accused of delivering defamatory speeches against the Chief Minister at a public meeting in the city in 2002.

The prosecution filed two petitions praying for conduct of the trial in camera and for dispensing with the appearance of the Chief Minister, and for permitting her counsel to appear instead.

The court dismissed the plea for in-camera trial and allowed counsel to appear on her behalf.

AIADMK man done to death

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE Jan. 6. An All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) functionary, C. Pakkirisamy (30), who was also a member of the erstwhile Tamilar Viduthalai Iyakkam, was done to death on his doorstep at Anna Nagar in the Kurinjipadi area near here last night.

The police have arrested seven persons, including R. Annadurai, who is said to be leading a rival group. They are on the lookout for two more persons.

The police said Pakkirisamy was woken up by a knock on the door and the assailants dragged him out and attacked him with weapons. When his wife Banu (23) and brother Suresh (20) came to his rescue, they too suffered minor injuries.

The police said both Pakkirisamy and Annadurai were members of the erstwhile Tamil National Liberation Army and later of the Tamilar Viduthalai Iyakkam.

After these organisations were proscribed, Pakkirisamy joined the AIADMK and Annadurai, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

The police said that after their parting of ways, enmity existed between them and their supporters. Moreover, the Annadurai group suspected Pakkirisamy of being a police informer.

Accused bangs head against wall

By Our Staff Reporter

DINDIGUL JAN. 6. Manigandan, (22), an accused, who was produced before the Judicial Magistrate Court-I from the Tiruchi prison, dashed his head against a wall in the court as he was allegedly ill-treated by escort police today.

Two escort policemen brought Manigandan and three other accused for being produced in the court. Sources said the escorts restricted his movements during travel between Tiruchi and Dindigul for security reasons.

An injured Manigandan was taken to a government hospital. Later, the accused were taken back to the Tiruchi prison. Manigandan had been arrested on the charge of attempt to murder and other cases.

3 devotees drowned in Bhavani

By Our Staff Reporter

ERODE JAN. 6. Three Ayyappa devotees were drowned in the Bhavani this morning. According to the police, a group of devotees, working in the Ambattur Industrial Estate, Chennai, was going to Sabarimala in a van.

When the devotees were taking a dip at the (Kooduthurai) confluence of three rivers — Bhavani, Cauvery and Amudha— Balaji (20), Srinivasan (20) and Raja (21) were drowned. The police recovered the bodies.

Accident toll rises to 6

By Our Special Correspondent

VILLUPURAM Jan. 6. The toll in last night's collision between a share-auto and a truck at Mundiampakkam near here rose to six. In the impact of the collision, the auto got under the truck and was smashed.

The victims included three of a family, Arumugham (55), his wife Kalamani (50) and daughter Nitya (21), hailing from Panayapuram, the driver, Kumar (32) and his substitute, Tamil (20) from Kuchipalayam. Another elderly woman, who died in the Villupuram Government Hospital is yet to be identified.

The share-auto was proceeding from Panayapuram to Villupuram.

Youth seeks CM help again

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI JAN. 6. A Tamil Nadu youth has addressed a second letter to the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, seeking her intervention to secure his release and that of another person from Maldives prison, where were detained in connection with a case of rape and murder.

S. Rajan (26) of Kanyakumari district said that he and, Kamal of Thanjavur district, had been languishing in jail since April last year.

They claimed to be innocent. But they had been arrested and were being ``tortured in prison.''

A copy of the letter, which was received by the Peace Trust, a Dindigul-based non-governmental organisation, on January 1, was released at a press conference organised by the trust here today.

Its chairman, J. Paul Baskar, said the letter would be handed over to the Chief Minister.

Mr. Rajan had already written to the Chief Minister, using a piece of newspaper.

The trust had taken up the matter with the State Human Rights Commission.

Australian owl found

By Our Staff Reporter

KANCHEEPURAM JAN. 6. An Australian owl was found near the taluk office here today.

It was caught by police and fire service personnel. They later handed it over to the forest officials.

Two Australian owls were caught here recently.

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