1. ‘How Many Litres of Blood Before Crackdown on Hoardings?’ Asks HC
The Madras High Court has directed TN government to pay an interim compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of Subhasri, who died in a road accident due to an illegal flex board in Chennai, on Thursday, 12 September. It further stated the amount should be recovered from the officials who had failed to prevent the illegal putting up of hoardings.
It directed the TN government and the Chennai Corporation to take disciplinary action against the officials whose notice the illegal flex board which caused the accident slipped. The court has slammed the AIADMK government and bureaucrats over the illegal hoardings. This comes in light of 23-year-old IT professional Subhasri’s death, who succumbed to her head injuries and severe internal trauma after a flex board fell on her scooter and she was subsequently hit by a water tanker.
2. NHRC Panel May Reopen Thoothukudi Firing Case
The full bench of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday said it would consider a review petition seeking to reopen its suo motu proceedings into the police firing incident in Thoothukudi on May 22, 2018 in which 13 persons were killed. They were protesting against the Sterlite copper smelting plant in the district.
NHRC chairperson Justice HL Dattu said he would see that the case is taken up at the earliest. The Commission had in October last year closed the suo motu proceedings. Soon after the full bench convened the open hearing on Friday, Madurai-based human rights activist Henri Tiphagne, executive director of People’s Watch, rose to make a mention of the case and pointed out that such a sensitive case was not listed for hearing in Friday’s cause list.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Nataraja Idol Brought Back
After bringing back the Nataraja idol from Australia, Idol Wing special officer Pon Manickavel said they were trying to retrieve 20 other idols from various countries. He and his team brought the bronze Nataraja idol to Chennai by train from Delhi to a rousing welcome at the Central Railway Station on Friday.
A large number of ‘Sivachariyars’, priests, passengers and public thronged the station to have a glimpse of the idol. The idol was taken out in a procession on the platform. At the entrance of the railway station, a special puja was performed by a priest from the Kallidaikurichi temple, to which the idol belonged.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. Chennai's Wait for Krishna River Water Gets Longer
Krishna’s water supply to Chennai remains as elusive as ever, as it will take 10-15 days for the city to start receiving its share, said officials from the Water Resource Department (WRD).Though the two main reservoirs across Krishna river in Andhra Pradesh, Srisailam and Somasila, have crossed the mark of transferrable water levels, the third reservoir, Kandaleru is still not full. As on Wednesday, Kandaleru had stored 3.6 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water while 6.4 tmcft is needed to transfer water to the city.
Officials said 6,000 cusecs of water is currently being routed from Somasila to Kandaleru reservoir.”With this flow, it will take 10 days for Kandelaru to receive five tmcft. Only after that, water will be released to reach the zero point at Uthukottai. We are in constant touch with our counterparts in the Andhra Pradesh government. They have promised to give us water at least by October first week,” said a senior WRD official.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
5. 91 Prisoners With Broken Bones in Chennai Prison
A total of 91 prisoners had broken bones when the National Human Rights Commission had conducted a spot inquiry at Puzhal Jail. Jyotika Kalra, a member of the NHRC, said this when she was heading a bench of the commission in an open hearing camp in Chennai on Thursday on atrocities against Schedule Castes and Schedules Tribes.
Majority of them had grievous injuries resulting from custodial torture. Kalra said that such violation of human rights by police is equal to "State-funded terrorism." The time period during which the inquiry was conducted is however unclear.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
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