The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Briefly

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Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

Driver identifies `arsonists'

By Our Staff Reporter

SALEM APRIL 5. Kandasamy, driver of the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU) bus, which was set afire in the riots in Dharmapuri in the wake of conviction of All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Jayalalithaa in the Kodaikanal Pleasant Stay hotel case on February 2, 2000, today identified two of the three men who rode a two-wheeler and poured petrol into his vehicle.

Kandasamy said Nedu alias Nedumaran poured petrol through an open window into the bus. Muniappan drove the two-wheeler and parked it in front of the bus. He also identified the two-wheeler used by the trio.

The driver was deposing before the Salem First Additional District Sessions Court here, where the bus burning case trial resumed after a two-week break. Three girl students of the TNAU, Coimbatore, were burnt alive. A TNAU assistant engineer was also examined. Defence counsel, S. Parthasarathy and M.S. Kandasamy cross-examined the witnesses. The next hearing will be held on April 8.

Earlier in the day, on a request from the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) R. Srinivasan, the judge asked newsmen not to report the proceedings in detail and not to mention the names of witnesses. He said the SPP had received requests from the witnesses. In the interest of their safety, the media could just present a summary of the proceedings, the judge said.

Six held for theft

By Our Staff Reporter

ERODE APRIL 5. The Perundurai police secured six persons today in connection with a case of theft.

On Monday, six persons, posing as religious persons, came to the house of Velusamy at Sellanna Goundenpudur near Perundurai. They told him that they came from Tiruvannamalai and gave him `vibuthi'. After Velusamy swooned, they made away with Rs. 17,000 kept in the house. On a complaint, the police located the car in which the six came and arrested them.

Award for Balamuralikrishna

NEW DELHI APRIL 5 . Carnatic musician M. Balamuralikrishna has been selected for the Swaralaya Puraskaram 2004 for his contribution to the classical music.

The award will be given away during the two-day Swaralaya festival of dance and music starting here on April 16, the Swaralaya president, Justice (Retd) Balakrishna Eradi, told reporters. The award carries a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh and a sculpture by renowned artiste Soman Dev. — PTI

Academic Fellow

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI APRIL 5 . K. Thiagarajan, founder and secretary-general, United Writers' Association, has been honoured with the Academic Fellow of London College of Applied Science, U.K., in recognition of his distinguished standing in the profession. Dr. Thiagarajan will also be conferred with the Seva Ratna Gourav award for his contribution to diversified fields of human endeavour.

Buddha statue washed ashore

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE APRIL 5 . A Buddha statue was washed ashore at Sonankuppam here last evening. The fishermen kept it in Sri Venkatesa Perumal temple for worship for the past two days.

The Tahsildar, K. Marimuthu, directed the police to seize the statue, which was brought to the taluk office today. He said that after an order from the Collector, it would be handed over to the Government Museum here.

The 118-cm tall statue on a 20-cm pedestal, weighing 50 kg, is painted in maroon colour. Both the hands (from the wrist) were missing. The wooden statue is without any intricate or ornamental patterns.

It is believed that the December 26, 2004 tsunami could have brought the statue here, either from Sri Lanka or Indonesia. Since it remained in the sea all these days, seawater entered into it. Water was still dribbling out of the neck portion.

SPs, DIGs shifted

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI APRIL 5. The State Government yesterday made some major changes in the police set-up, with the focus on a shuffle of Superintendents of Police in several districts. Two Inspectors-General and two Deputy Inspectors General were also shifted.

J.K. Tripathy, Inspector-General, Administration, Chennai, takes over as IG, South Zone, in the place of T.K. Rajendran, who has been posted as Additional Commissioner, Greater Chennai, following its restructuring.

Anoop Jaiswal, Joint Director, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Chennai, has been posted as IG, Administration, Chennai.

P. Bhaskar, DIG/Chief Vigilance Officer, Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers, Kagithapuram, has been transferred and posted as IG, Human Rights/Social Justice, CID, Chennai. He swaps places with M. Chidambarasamy.

N.K. Senthamaraikannan, SP, Special Task Force, Erode, has been transferred and posted as SP, Tiruchi district, replacing P. Thamaraikannan.

J. Rajendar, SP, Thanjavur district, is for Ramanathapuram district.

K. Shankar, SP, Economic Offences Wing (EOW)-II, Chennai, will now be SP, Karur, replacing Abhin Dinesh Modak, who takes over as SP, EOW-II.

M.T. Ganesamoorthy, Deputy Commissioner, Secretariat Security, Greater Chennai, will take over as SP, Tiruvannamalai.

Sandeep Mittal, Deputy Commissioner, St. Thomas Mount, Greater Chennai (formerly SP, Chengai East) has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Madurai City.

`A person of great love'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI APRIL 5 . The Governor, Surjit Singh Barnala, has condoled the death of Pope John Paul II and described him as a person of great love and compassion for people without any religious discrimination.

"Pope John Paul II was righteous in his words and deeds and a Father to all, though he had a broken heart having lost his mother at the age of nine, suffered the cruelties of society and underwent the pains of sickness in his body. He never gave up imparting the breath of life from his Master to revive every broken-hearted person in the world until he breathed his life away to God. He lived Christ and imparted Christ to the world," he said.

Demonstration

By Our Staff Reporter

ERODE APRIL 5. Urging the management of the Erode Arts College to revoke the suspension orders issued against a Selection Grade Computer Science professor of the college by the college Management and concede all the demands of the teachers, the members of Association of University Teachers (AUT) conducted a demonstration last evening before the Government Headquarters Hospital, led by the Chairman of the Zone IV AUT. Aided College teachers from Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Erode, Salem and Namakkal districts belonging to AUT participated in the demo.

Target surpassed

By Our Special Correspondent

SALEM APRIL 5. Salem East Postal Division has surpassed the target of Rs 50 cores by achieving a total business of Rs 59.23 crores in the Rural Postal Life Insurance scheme for the year 2004-2005.

According to the Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Salem East Division P. P. Arumugam, the Postal Life Insurance established long back was primarily intended to cover government employees. Later this was extended to rural people in 1995 under the Rural Postal Life Insurance scheme. The permanent residents of rural areas, within the age group of 19 to 55, could enrol in this scheme. The minimum sum assured was Rs 10,000 and the maximum was Rs 1 lakh.

Under this scheme, the Salem East Postal Division had been given a target of Rs 50 crores for 2004-2005. By adopting various innovative measures, the postal employees achieved the target.

Mr. Arumugam further said that in Yercaud alone Rs 7 crores could be achieved against the last year procurement of Rs. 1.29 crores. The number of transactions in the Salem East Division till April 30, 2004 had remained a mere 30. But due to increased awareness among the people, the scheme became popular and the number of transactions till March 2005 rose to 100.

BSNL ECS for Karur

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI APRIL 5 . The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has introduced an electronic clearing system (ECS) in Karur from April 1 to enable its mobile phone subscribers to pay their bills through banks. The facility, which was already available in Tiruchi, has now been extended to Karur, according to a BSNL release.

Takes charge

By Our Staff Reporter

KARUR APRIL 5 . K. Shankar today took over as the Superintendent of Police, Karur. He swaps places with Abhin D.Modak, who has been moved to Chennai as SP, Economic Offences Wing II.

Mettur level

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI ARIL 5 . The level in the Mettur reservoir stood at 51.71 feet today. The inflow was 1088 cusecs and the discharge 900 cusecs.

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