1. I-T Department to Quiz VK Sasikala in Disproportionate Assets Case
The Income Tax (I-T) Department is all set to quiz former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's close aide VK Sasikala, in disproportionate assets (DA) case. Sasikala is currently lodged in Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara jail. The latest development comes a few days after a special Enforcement Directorate (ED) court issued a warrant to produce Sasikala before it in a Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) violation case.
ED had earlier booked Sasikala and her relative V Bhaskaran for allegedly purchasing equipment for a TV channel in 1996 from a foreign country where they apparently routed payments via illegal means.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
2. Panel Summons TN Dy CM Panneerselvam to Quiz on Jaya's Death
A panel probing the circumstances leading to former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's death on Thursday said it has summoned Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to appear before it on December 20. Panneerselvam, who had held the portfolios of late Jayalalithaa during her hospitalisation in 2016, will appear after Health Minister C Vijayabaskar who has been directed to be present on 18 December before the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry.
Senior AIADMK leader C Ponnaiyan and police officer Sudhakar, who was part of Jayalalithaa's security team, have also been summoned to appear on 18 December and 20 respectively, commission sources told.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
3. City to Get Rain This Weekend
A well-marked low pressure area that has a probability of becoming a cyclonic storm could bring rain to northern parts of the state, including Chennai, this weekend. Officials of the India Meteorological Department said coastal regions would begin to get rainfall from Friday and there would be an increase in rainfall during the weekend.
The well-marked low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean is likely to become a deep depression by Friday and move towards south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coast by Saturday. The department has warned fishermen not to venture out to sea till 16 December as squally weather with winds gusting up to 65 km per hour may prevail along and off north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra coasts.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. TTV Dhinakaran Party Leader Senthil Balaji Set to Defect to DMK, Confirm Sources
Former Tamil Nadu Transport Minister and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief TTV Dhinakaran's close aide Senthil Balaji is all set to join the state’s main opposition party, the DMK. TTV Dhinakaran has put out a press release claiming to be unconcerned by those who leave the party. TTV said that the those who leave his party are ‘fake’, and said that the departure of people who join other parties for their own self interest will not be a source of concern for the AMMK.
Speculation has been rife for over a week about Senthil Balaji's possible defection from the AMMK. According to sources, suspicions arose on 5 December when he failed to join the AMMK in their silent procession to former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's memorial.
(Source: The News Minute)
5. Man in Chennai Police Net for Possession of Illegal Country-Made Gun
A bag shop owner has been arrested by the city police on charges of possessing a country-made gun, in Sowcarpet on Tuesday night. Based on a tip-off, a special team was formed and on Tuesday night, the team raided one Naren alias Narender Singh’s house, situated in Sowcarpet and found an old country-made gun and Rs 5,000 in cash.
During investigation, it was found that Naren, a native of Rajasthan, ran a bag shop in Govindappa Naicken Street and hired the staff from his native place and accommodated them in a lodge in the city. “Naren would later hand over a gun to the staff and they would loot shops in the night and pay the former a commission,” said a police officer.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
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