The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 08, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

Two die in building collapse

By Our Staff Reporter

Udhagamandalam Feb.7. Two girls were killed when their house at Coonoor collapsed today. According to the police, Suguna (45) wife of a driver, Shankar, was sleeping with daughters, Saranya (17), Vanitha (15) and Sukanya (11) in their house on V.P. Street when it collapsed suddenly. Shankar was out of station. After hearing a loud noise, neighbours rescued Suguna and Vanitha and sent them to the Government hospital in Coonoor. However, Saranya and Sukanya died on the spot.

Their bodies were taken for post mortem. Investigations by Revenue officials revealed that the foundation of the decades-old structure was very weak.

Another man succumbs to burns

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUCHI FEB. 7. The toll in the January 23 Srirangam marriage hall fire has risen to 64 with V. Ramesh (37) of Chennai dying in a private hospital here yesterday. Several others who suffered burns are still undergoing treatment in hospitals.

Azhagiri's assurance

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI FEB. 7. M. K. Azhagiri, elder son of the former Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, will not leave the country without informing the third additional district and sessions court here trying the Kiruttinan murder case.

Counsel gave this written assurance when a petition seeking impounding of Mr. Azhagiri's passport came up for hearing yesterday. The judge, Mohammed Zarafullah Khan, dismissed the petition after the public prosecutor accepted counsel's assurance. Mr. Azhagiri is one of the 13 accused in the case of murder of the former DMK Minister, T. Kiruttinan.

Efforts to save bison fail

By Our Staff Reporter

Udhagamandalam Feb.7. Efforts by forest officials in Gudalur to save an emaciated old bison, which was in distress, have failed. It died on Friday. After a post mortem, the carcass was buried. The male bison, about 20 years, was malnourished, had no teeth and suffered a dislocated hip.

According to the District Forest Officer, Gudalur Division, Sewa Singh, tribals near the Sambakoli reserve forest near the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary noticed the bison moving from place to place. A Veterinarian treated the animal on Thursday but in vain.

Ganja plants destroyed

By Our Staff Reporter

Sivaganga Feb. 7. The police yesterday destroyed ganja plants at V Pudukulam, near Manamadurai. They are on the lookout for four persons, including the landowner. According to police sources, some persons from Theni district, who took on lease land from Murugan, raised ganja plants and, to prevent the aroma spreading, cultivated maize as inter-crop. However, on a tip-off, a team led by Ganesamurthy, Superintendent of Police, raided the village and set the plants ablaze.

2 killed, road roko by villagers

By Our Staff Reporter

PUDUKOTTAI Feb.7. Two persons were killed after the moped they were riding was knocked down by a lorry at Erichi on the Pudukottai-Aranthangi highway. The accident provoked a road roko from irate villagers who demanded steps to check overspeeding by sand lorries.

The police said K. Velayudham (35) of Thanthani and P. Duraisamy (70) of Silattur, were proceeding to Silattur when the accident killing Velayudham on the spot. Duraisamy died on way to hospital. Meanwhile, residents of Erichi and neighbouring villages resorted to a road roko on the highway demanding steps to check overspeeding and a speed breaker near the accident spot. Police persuaded the villagers to disperse after about 30 minutes.

Two die in accident

By Our Staff Reporter

Ramanathapuram Feb. 7. Two persons were killed on the spot and another person sustained injuries in an accident at M. Karisalkulam near Kadaladi on Saturday.

According to the police, Kilavan (30), Karunan (25) and Nathan (28) of M. Karisalkulam were travelling in a motorcycle when a bus dashed against their two-wheeler near Appanur junction. Kilavan and Karunan were killed on the spot. Nathan, who was seriously injured, was taken to Government hospital.

Tension in Batlagundu village

By Our Staff Reporter

DINDIGUL Feb.7. Tension gripped Venkatasthrikottai near Batlagundu town today following a clash between two communities over a temple issue. A group of persons belonging to a community attacked a group of another community with stick, stone and other lethal weapons.

The injured, Kaattan Servai, Selvi, Raja and Vellaisamy, were admitted to Batlagundu Government hospital.

Two grievously injured persons were referred to Madurai GRH. Heavy police pickets were deployed in the village to bring the situation under control.

Special assistance ordered

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI FEB. 7. The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, has ordered payment of Rs. five lakhs as special assistance to the family of G. Venkatesan of the Rashtriya Rifles, who died in an encounter with terrorists in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. Venkatesan hailed from Chengalnatham in Vellore district. The Chief Minister conveyed her condolences to the bereaved family.

The Government has ordered payment of Rs.one lakh from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to the family of Gnanaprakasam, a police Head Constable attached to Highway Patrol-III, who died in an accident while on duty on the Tiruchirappalli-Madurai Road on January 23.

90 p.c. of works completed

By Our Staff Reporter

Kumbakonam Feb. 7 . The Minister for Environment and Forests, R. Vaidyalingam, today said that 90 per cent of works taken up for the Mahamaham festival to be held at Kumbakonam on March 6 have been completed.

He told presspersons at Kumbakonam that the rest of work would be completed by February 20. The Minister visited some of the work spots. He saw the temporary bus stand being put up at Ammapettai near Darasuram on Thanjavur road, construction of a bridge across Arasalar as part of the eight-km by-pass road, and auditorium being constructed in the town. Later, he held discussions with officials.

S.Kosalaraman, Collector, accompanied the Minister.

Saraswathi Mahal Library courses

By Our Staff Reporter

THANJAVUR Feb. 7. The Saraswathi Mahal Library here has planned to conduct short-term courses in languages and scripts to train the future generation in manuscript reading.

According to a release issued here by S. Kosalaraman, Collector, who is also the director of the library, short-term courses in Telugu and Maratti languages, Grantha Script, refresher course in Modi script and Tamil manuscriptology would be conducted from February to May.

Those interested may apply with bio-data to the Collector and Director, Saraswathi Mahal Library, Thanjavur-613 009 on or before February 20. A sum of Rs.100 has to be paid as registration fee.

The date of starting each course will be intimated to the selected trainees personally.

Mettur level

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI FEB. 7 . The level in the Mettur reservoir stood at 30.84 feet today. The inflow was 220 cusecs and discharge nil.

Electrocuted

By Our Staff Reporter

Ramanathapuram Feb.7. Bhaskaran of Madurai was electrocuted when he came in contact with a live wire at Rameswaram today.

According to the police, Bhaskaran was working as a salesman in a milk booth there.

He was electrocuted when he touched a live wire in the booth.

One killed

By Our Staff Reporter

THENI Feb.7. One person was killed and 10 others were injured when a Corporation bus proceeding to Bodi from Madurai and another bus going to Madurai from Theni dashed against each other and fell in to a gorge adjacent to the Kunoor bridge near here today.

According to sources, the deceased was identified as V. Rajendran (42), of Murugamalai Nagar near Periyakulam. The injured were rushed to the Theni Government Hospital.

However, 40 passengers escaped without injury.

Cheating case

By Our Staff Reporter

THENI Feb.7. A case has been registered against two administrators of the Bharath Niketan Engineering College near Andipatti in the district on a charge of cheating, as the college had allegedly failed to conduct classes regularly.

A third-year electronics and communication engineering student of the college, M. Rajesh, in a complaint lodged with the police, said he had so far paid Rs.1.5 lakhs as fees. But the administration did not conduct classes. Hence, he and other students could not continue studies, he alleged.

The police said that the administrators were absconding.

Goondas Act

By Our Staff Reporter

DINDIGUL Feb.7. Four notorious criminals, including a bootlegger, were detained under the Goondas Act today, as per instructions from the Collector, P. Senthil Kumar.

Dharma Raja alias Dharma (26), of Mettupatti, Babu (31), of Muthazhagupatti, and Zahir Hussain (23), of Dindigul, were detained on charges of attempt to murder, waylaid and chain snatching and Antony (28) was detained on a charge of illicit distillation of arrack.

A total of 30 cases were pending against Antony.

They were lodged in the Madurai Central Prison.

Six injured

By Our Staff Reporter

Ramanathapuram Feb.7. Six persons, including a tahsildar, were injured when their vehicle turned upside down at Nemmeni near Pottithatti in Paramakudi taluk on Saturday.

According to the police, a revenue team led by the Paramakudi thasildar, Muthu, was returning to their office after conducting an inspection at sand quarries in and around Paramakudi.

The jeep over turned while the driver tried to negotiate a curve. The injured were rushed to the Government Hospital here.

Quack nabbed

By Our Staff Reporter

Tirunelveli Feb.7. A quack has been nabbed in the district on a charge of wrongly administering injection to a woman patient.

The police said C. Sankaralingam (42) had been running a homeopathy clinic at Pallakkaal Pothukkudi under the Pappakudi police station limits for the past three years.

After he administered an injection to D. Lakshmi (38) of the same area for severe pain in her hand, it reportedly became anaesthetised, prompting her to submit a petition to the Collector, who forwarded it to the Deputy Director, Health Services, Tenkasi, Andiappan.

Based on a complaint from Dr. Andiappan, the Pappakudi police have arrested Sankaralingam.

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