1. Madras HC Seeks Details of Crimes Against Women
The Madras High Court on Wednesday, 18 April, directed the police to file a comprehensive report by 6 June listing out the number of criminal cases booked across the state with respect to crimes against women, including murder, stalking and chain-snatching in recent years, and the status of the cases.
Justices Huluvadi G Ramesh and M Dhandapani issued the direction to government counsel on a public interest litigation petition filed by advocate AP Suryaprakasam. The petitioner wanted special teams of women officers in every police station to protect women who were stalked, eve-teased and subjected to mental and physical violence.
(Source: The Hindu)
2. Voices Differ in Film Industry over Strike
Although the Tamil film industry strike was formally called off on Tuesday night, some prominent names in the industry have called for the continuation of the strike until 3 May when the Centre is set to submit draft ‘scheme’ on Cauvery water sharing to the Supreme Court. Some social media users appeared to endorse the call.
Actor Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of DMK working president MK Stalin, tweeted on Wednesday, 18 April, that it was only fair to postpone the release of new Tamil films after a few in the film industry, supporting the call by Tamil nationalist parties, successfully protested against the holding of the IPL matches in Chennai.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Greater Chennai Corporation Signs MoU With Brussels-Capital region
The Greater Chennai Corporation on Wednesday, 18 April, entered into an agreement with Brussels-Capital region for cooperation in several areas, which include Smart City Mission, Urban Development and Shelter for Urban Homeless. A release quoted Minister of Municipal Administration SP Velumani as saying the agreement aimed at promoting common values of democracy, human dignity, human rights, solidarity and environmental protection.
“I am also happy to note that the Brussels Capital Region, has already provided sufficient budgetary provision for projects, for civil society organizations, in partnership regions, including Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai,” he said. Velumani added that the Greater Chennai Corporation had already entered into a memorandum of understanding, with Ulsan Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea, for promoting friendly relations between the two cities.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
4. Neighbour Held for Nurse-Trainee’s Murder
In the season of growing crimes against women in the city, a 25-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday, 18 April, for the murder of a 19-year-old nursing student in Choolaimedu. He had dumped her body behind the Koyambedu vegetable market on 6 April.
According to the police, on 9 April, Rajendran, 60, from Vriddhachalam, lodged a complaint in the Choolaimedu police station stating that his 19-year-old daughter was missing from 6 April.
Along with six of her friends, the young woman was staying on the second floor of a house on Veerapandi Street, Choolaimedu. A friend of hers, stayed with her husband Ajith Kumar in the adjacent house, said a police officer.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Nobel Laureates, National Science Academies Rally for Neutrino Lab in Tamil Nadu
Several senior scientists, including Nobel laureates and Padma awardees, besides national science academies, have appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu to support the setting up of India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) proposed to come up in Theni district in south Tamil Nadu, assuring that all environmental regulations will be adhered to and there was no need for residents to be relocated for the project.
“It is absolutely safe and would not affect either the environment or the water table,” they said. The appeal comes in the wake of protests by local residents, activists and political parties after the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests gave its nod for the project recently. Incidentally, MDMK chief Vaiko is on a padayatra against setting up of the lab in Theni.
(Source: The Times of India)
6. TN to Eradicate Hearing Impairment
The Tamil Nadu government will set up 162 centres across the state to identify hearing problems in newborns using Oto Acoustic Emission (OAE), Health Minister C Vijayabaskar has said.
The OAE is used to identify hearing impairment in newborns. The state was aiming to eradicate hearing impairment, the minister said, adding that under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Medical Insurance Scheme, cochlear implants were being provided to children below the age of 6.
“Till now, 2,968 children have been provided with cochlear implants,” he said.
Separately, at a review meeting held by Labour Minister Nilofer Kafeel, the Minister asked officials to quickly resolve issues raised under various labour laws.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. Advance Bail for Wife of B Ramasamy Who ‘Married’ Sasikala Pushpa
The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday, 19 April, granted interim advance bail to R Sathiyapriya, wife of B Ramasamy who married Rajya Sabha member Sasikala Pushpa on 26 March in New Delhi defying a family court’s stay on his marriage with any other woman.
Sathyapriya filed the anticipatory bail plea apprehending arrest by North Avenue Police, New Delhi, in a case registered recently against her under the IPC, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Pocso Act on the basis of a complaint lodged by Ramasamy.
The petitioner said she had been falsely implicated in the case registered the day after the illegal marriage of her husband to Sasikala Pushpa, through a statement from her step-daughter Anjalai Ramasamy. The step-daughter had claimed before the police that Sathyapriya had not taken care of her properly, used abusive words against her and behaved indecently.
(Source: The Times of India)
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