The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Briefly

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Thursday, Jun 10, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

By Our Staff Reporter

Kangeyam MLA undergoes test

BANGALORE, June 9. The Kangeyam All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MLA, Selvi Murugesan; her husband, Murugesan, and the Erode district party general secretary, Govindarajan, underwent a brain-mapping test here yesterday.

They are accused in the kidnap and murder of Sivakumar, son-in-law of the Murugesans, whose body was found in a field in the Attibele police station limits in the Bangalore Rural district on April 18.

He had been kidnapped from the Koramangala police station limits here on April 17.

The test — a study of brainwave responses to questions or other stimuli — conducted on the MLA lasted about two and a half hours and on the other two, two hours each, said Nagaraj, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Madivala sub-division.

The Assistant Director of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), S. Malini, conducted the tests.

Mr. Nagaraj said the police would soon apply to VI Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court for permission to conduct a narco-analysis test on them.

MP's plea on Madurai Bench

MADURAI JUNE 9. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP, P. Mohan, has appealed to the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, to initiate steps to open the Madras High Court bench here.

In a statement here today, Mr. Mohan said he called on the President on Tuesday and informed him that the Bench buildings constructed at Ulaganeri was awaiting the President's notification for inauguration.

The Bench represented the 30-year dream of the people of southern districts and this should materialise soon. Mr. Mohan informed the President that the people of 16 southern districts would benefit if the Bench came into existence.

But for it, they would have to traverse to Chennai for legal remedy.

Lost bag found in train coach

CHENNAI JUNE 9. The police found the bag, lost by Sheik Dawood of Rameswaram, in a coach of the West Coast Express which arrived at Chennai Central at 3.45 p.m. yesterday. The contents in the bag matched the description given by Mr. Dawood, nephew of the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

A letter addressed to Mr. Dawood was also found. The thief identified himself as Yusuf, (70), who lived in Mumbai. He said he was suffering from acute jaundice and apologised to Mr. Dawood. He had come to Chennai Central to take the Brindavan Express on Thursday.

He asked Yusuf to take care of his bag when he went to the toilet.

Lawyers protest against assault

DINDIGUL JUNE 9. Over 500 lawyers including 21 women today boycotted courts at Nilakottai, Kodaikanal, Vedasanthur and Dindigul demanding arrest of a State Transport Corporation bus conductor on the charges of assaulting a lawyer.

In Dindigul town, 100 lawyers staged a demonstration before the district court.

The lawyer, Nagendran, and the conductor, Padmanaban, had clashed with each other on June 7.

Banyan tree uprooted, 2 killed

VELLORE June 9. Two persons — Janaki (55) of Koratti and a 45-year-old man — who were standing under a 100-year-old banyan tree at Veerapalli were crushed to death when the tree got uprooted and fell on them this morning.

According to the police, the two were among a crowd which had come for a village festival. Jothilingam (40) of Tirupattur and Sonia (7) of Kovilur, who too were standing under the tree, sustained injuries.

`Reduce sales tax on tea'

Udhagamandalam June 9. The Nilgiris District Small Tea Growers Association has urged the State Government to reduce the sales tax on tea. In a letter to the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today the president, M. Bhojarajan, said compared to other tea growing States like Assam and West Bengal the sales tax in Tamil Nadu was ``very high.''

This led to a significant quantity of tea produced here going to up country auction centres.

While the tax was one per cent in West Bengal, recently the Assam Government brought down the sales tax to one per cent.

To help thousands of small growers, it was imperative that the Tamil Nadu Government reduce the tax to one from eight per cent.

Music festival from tomorrow

Thanjavur June 9. Sri Thyagabrahma Sabha here is organising a music festival from June 11 to June 20.

B.M. Sundaram, president, told presspersons here today that the festival will be inaugurated by Nalli Kuppusamy Chettiar on June 11 at Sri Besant Lodge. J. Radhakrishnan, District collector and K. Phanindra Reddy, Director, South Zone Cultural centre will participate.

Besides Carnatic vocal, Kathak performances, Hindustani bhajans and ghazals will form part of the festival. Devaram and Divyaprabantham programmes, Hari Katha kalashebams are the other highlights.

Kathak recital will be given on June 13 by T. Puja and T. Prarthana while Hindustani ghazals will be presented by Sowmiya Madhanagopal and party. Devaram music programme will be performed by N. Swaminathan and Divyaprabantha isai by Sumitra Vasudev.

Harikatha Kalashebam will be done by T.N. Seshagopalan.

A souvenir containing articles on Carnatic music will be released.

Mass contact programme

Thanjavur June 9 . Government officials should visit all villages, find out the shortcomings, provide all facilities and make them self-reliant, said the Collector, J. Radhakrishnan.

Participating in the mass contact programme organised at Karupur in Thirupanandal panchayat union today, he distributed old-age pension to 20 persons, financial assistance to 15 widows and house site pattas to 25 persons at the camp.

In Thirupanandal panchayat union, there are 10,200 members of women self-help groups with a savings of Rs.1.5 crores. They were provided with Rs.15 lakhs revolving fund and Rs.20 lakhs as bank loans.

Pon. Tha. Manoharan, Chairman, Thirupanandal panchayat union; K.Thavamani, MLA; and P. Rajendran, Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency, participated in the camp.

Vice-Chancellor assumes office

TIRUCHI JUNE 9 The Head of the Department of Economics, Bharathidasan University, C. Thangamuthu, assumed office as Vice-Chancellor of the university today.

Previously, he served as the registrar of the university.

Inclusion in poll rolls

PUDUKOTTAI JUNE 9 . Voters, whose names have been omitted from the poll rolls, could send in their representations to the special cell set up at the Collectorate before June 21, the Collector, Jatindranath Swain, has said.

The representations would be forwarded to the electoral officer concerned for inquiry and inclusion.

Representations would not be accepted from political parties or associations in bulk. Eligible voters should submit their representations either in person or through post, he said.

Mettur level

Tiruchi June 9 Water level at the Mettur reservoir stood at 38.40feet today. The inflow was 1643 cusecs and the discharge nil.

Derailment disrupts traffic

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE JUNE 9. Two wagons of a goods train derailed near Malur in the wee hours today. Vijay Agarwal, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Bangalore division and other officers supervised the restoration work.

Trains terminated at Bangarpet: Train 2657 Chennai-Bangalore Mail, Train 6222 Chennai-Bangalore-Mysore Cauvery Express, Train 214 Tirupathi-Bangalore-Mysore Fast Passenger and Train 6731 Tuticorin-Bangalore Express.

Diverted: Train 2608 Bangalore-Chennai Lalbagh Express will run via Dharmapuri, Omalur, Toppur and Jolarpettai. Train 8003 Howrah-Yesvantpur Express will run via Toppur, Omalur and Dharmapuri.

Discussion

ERODE JUNE 9. On an invitation from the Chief Minister's office to the Lower Bhavani Project farmers for discussing water sharing among the four ayacuts, a team of farmers led by the president of the LBP Ryots Association, C. Nallasamy, left for Chennai today to meet the Chief Minister, J. Jayalalithaa, tomorrow.

Free bus pass

ERODE JUNE 9. This academic year, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Erode, will issue 1,10,000 free bus passes to students studying up to 12th standard, the Collector, D. Karthikeyan, said today.

Application forms are available at the TNSTC office at the Central Bus Stand here.

Drowned

Dharmapuri June 9. A three-year-old boy was drowned in a 150-ft-deep well at Kollahalli here on Tuesday. The police said Udayan, son of Venkatesh and Madammal, was playing near the well when he slipped into it. The Fire and Rescue Services personnel retrieved the body.

Two killed in accidents

Tirunelveli June 9. Two persons, including a farmer, were killed in separate road accidents.

N. Arumugam (26), a loadman from Peththanadarpatti under the Paavoorchathram police station limits, was fatally knocked down by an unidentified two-wheeler when he was walking along the Tenkasi-Kadayam road last night.

In another accident, E. Esakki (46), a farmer of Lalakuidiyiruppu near Puliyarai, was returning home on a two-wheeler last evening after admitting his daughter in a school at Shencottai. When he reached Puliyarai, he was hit by an unidentified lorry and died on the spot.

11 injured as van hits mini-lorry

Tirunelveli June 9. Eleven persons were injured when a van, carrying a marriage party, dashed against a mini-lorry near Panagudi today.

Traffic on the Tirunelveli-Nagercoil National Highway was affected for about 30 minutes following the accident.

The police said the van was going to Nambi Nagar near Nanguneri from Veerapandian near Panagudi. When the van reached Muthusamypuram, it collided with a paddy-laden mini-lorry, injuring 11 persons including the van driver.

All victims were rushed to a private hospital at Nagercoil, where nine of them were treated as outpatients.

Three burglars held

THENI JUNE 9. The police today arrested three persons on the charge of burgling a house, and recovered 35 sovereigns of gold jewels and Rs.4,000 in cash.

The police are on the look-out for Karuppiah, brother of Singam.

The gang struck at a house at T. Kallupatti and made away with 35 sovereigns of jewels and Rs. 15,000 in cash on May 29.

Road blockade

RAMANATHAPURAM JUNE 9. The police have registered a case against 150 people, blocked traffic on Ramanathapuram-Rameswaram highway this evening.

The police said villagers of Pampan near Rameswaram blocked traffic on Pampam bridge, protesting the disconnection of gas supply for non-payment of dues. On information, the police rushed to the spot and cleared the agitators. The traffic was affected for more than half an hour.

JD(U) workers stage demo

NAGERCOIL June 9. Activists of the Janata Dal (United) staged a demonstration, holding black flags at Tower Junction near here to protest the induction of `tainted' persons as Ministers in the Manmohan Singh Government.

The district president of the party, Periyavan, led the agitation.

Power shutdown

THENI June 9. There will be no power supply between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on

Thursday in the following areas owing to maintenance work at the Kadamalaigundu sub-station: Kadamalaigundu, Athangaraipatti, Paluthu, Kumananthozhu, Duraisamipuram, Kombaithozhu, Gandamanur, Varushanadu, Mayiladumparai, Arugeveli and nearby areas.

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