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Special trains to Madurai

CHENNAI: Southern Railway is to run special trains on the Chennai Egmore-Madurai section to clear the extra rush of passengers.

Train 0685 will leave Chennai Egmore at 8 p.m. on December 4 and reach Madurai at 5 a.m. the next day. In the return direction, train 0686 will leave Madurai at 10 p.m. on December 5 and arrive here at 7 a.m. the next day.

The composition of the train will be 12 general second class, including six reserved coaches, and two luggage-cum-brake vans. Reservation will commence on December 4, says a press release.

Chief Commercial Manager M.S.Jayanth said as an experimental measure, the specials would have six unreserved compartments for last minute passengers. RPF personnel would regulate the passengers at Egmore. There would be only sitting accommodation even in the reserved compartments where passengers had to pay Rs 10 as reservation charge, he added. — Special Correspondent

Train services restored

CHENNAI: From Sunday (December 4), all metre gauge services running via Villupuram, Mayiladuturai and Karaikudi will be restored in both directions, according to a railway release. The services had been suspended due to breaches on the section.

Meanwhile, all trains from the south to Chennai Egmore via Madurai, Tiruchi and Vriddhachalam arrived one-and-a-half hours to two hours behind schedule on Saturday due to heavy rain. — Special Correspondent

Three pilgrims die in accident

PALAKKAD: Three pilgrims, who were returning after darshan at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, died on the spot when their car collided with a tipper lorry near Kuzhalmannam police station on the National Highway near here on Saturday.

According to the police, the three — Purushothaman (48), Madhu (40) and Ramesh (45) — were working in Bangalore.

Purushothaman belonged to Puduppariyaram, Palakkad, Madhu to Thirumamgode, Thalassery, and Ramesh to Nedumgottor, Thalassery.

Another person, Praveen, was admitted to a private hospital in Palakkad in a serious condition. — Staff Reporter

Sandalwood smuggling: four held

PALANI: Forest officials arrested four persons — Kubendran (20), Kumar (21), Chinnandi (21), Theerthan (18) — belonging to Kalasapadi in Dharmapuri district on the charge of smuggling sandalwood, during a surprise check on the Neikarapatti-Kavalaipatti main road near here on Saturday.

They were allegedly smuggling the sandalwood to Palani from Maraiyur in Idukki district in Kerala. About 20 kg of sandalwood worth Rs.60,000 were seized. The accused were remanded to 15 days judicial custody. — Staff Reporter

Officials dismissed

Udhagamandalam: The Nilgiris district administration has dismissed eight officials who allegedly indulged in irregularities while handling government funds.

It was stated that during 1999, there were complaints of misappropriation of government funds at the Gudalur taluk office.

An inquiry revealed that Rs. 16.52 lakhs had been misappropriated.

While the then Tahsildar, Grievances Redressal, Easwaran Kutty, was suspended in August 1999, an inquiry had been initiated against two revenue inspectors and five Village Administrative Officers. — Special Correspondent

House burgled

Tuticorin: Some unidentified persons broke open a house at Sankaralingampuram in the wee hours of Saturday and decamped with jewels and cash.

Police said an investigation was launched into the incident based on a complaint lodged by Vellapandian (51), who is residing at the house.

According to the complainant, the burglars entered the house while he was fast asleep and escaped with 13 sovereigns of jewellery and Rs.16,000 in cash kept inside a cupboard.

Lorry driver dies

Tuticorin: Thomas (36), a lorry driver, was killed when a log fell on him while standing near a timber yard here on Friday.

Police said the incident occurred when the log, which was loaded into the lorry from the yard by a crane, fell on Thomas, who was standing beneath it.

Thomas, a native of Thrissur in Kerala, died on the spot.

The Thermal Nagar police have arrested Wellington (23), the crane operator, for handling the log in a negligent manner.

Blackout at Palayamkottai

TIRUNELVELI: Residents under the Palayamkottai sub-station of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board went without power for more than eight hours since 10.30 a.m. on Saturday after a wire carrying high voltage power Paaraikulam near Vasavappapuram on the Tirunelveli-Tuticorin highway "snapped accidentally".

TNEB sources said a cable carrying 210 KV electricity cut off and fell on the wire carrying 110 KV power to the Palayamkottai sub-station.

Killed in accident

Tuticorin: A 70-year-old man died after he was hit by a motorcycle here on Friday.

According to police sources, Anathappan was hit from behind by the motorcycle driven by one Manikantan whiel he walking at Satya Nagar.

He was rushed to a hospital, but died on the way.

Held on assault charge

Tuticorin: The police arrested Palaih and Sakthivel on charges of assaulting Murugesan here on Friday.

Police said the accused attacked the complainant with a sickle, owing to some land dispute.

Murugesan was admitted to the Tuticorin Government Hospital with chin injuries.

PMK plea

ERODE: The Dharapuram unit of Pattali Makkal Katchi on Friday urged the State Government to raise the bridge at Karaiyur village across Nallathangal Odai. Since the bridge was at the ground level, during flood, water flowed over the bridge affect the flow of traffic.

Another resolution appealed to the district administration to conduct a survey of all the flood victims in Amaravathy river bank and grant them sufficient relief aid. The meeting wanted the Upputhurai Opalayam - Kongur Road to be repaired immediately, as it was badly affected by the

recent rain. The PMK Town president, Manickkam, presided. - Staff Reporter

Arrested

ERODE: The Commercial Crime Investigation Wing (CCIW) sleuths on Saturday arrested five defaulters of Elavamalai Primary Agricultural Cooperative Bank. Some days back, the CCIW police had arrested 33 persons for misappropriating Rs. 6.50 crores of the bank fund by producing false documents. On Saturday, five more were arrested in connection with the fraud. They were remanded to custody. - Staff Reporter

Widespread rain

NAGAPATTINAM: Several places in the Cauvery delta region of the district experienced moderate rains on Friday night and Saturday morning after a gap of three days.

An average rainfall of 20 mm to 30 mm was recorded in the district.

Two commit suicide

ARIYALUR: Two persons, G. Thanga Murugaiyan (22) and S. Parimala (20) of Venganur village near here, allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison on Friday. The bodies were found at an isolated place in the village. The pair, said to be in love with each other, were reported to have taken the extreme step following their parents' objection to their marriage, police said. Police have registered a case and are investigating.

Mettur level

Tiruchi: The water level in the Mettur dam stood at 120.20 feet on Saturday. The inflow was 10,871 cusecs and the outflow, 10,023 cusecs. — Staff Reporter

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