QChennai: Actor Vishal Clears Rumours of Raids, Monsoon Sets Foot

Read the top news stories from Chennai.

1. Actor Vishal Says No Raids, Just an Enquiry by Income Tax Dept

News of raids being conducted at actor Vishal’s office in Chennai on Monday, 23 October, spread like wildfire, and after over four hours, the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence stepped in to state that the news was false.

Actor Vishal who had been away from the city on a shoot, clarified that there were no raids at Vishal Film Factory, the production house he owns. He added that a few income tax officials had come to seek details on non payment of TDS. Income tax sources say Vishal hasn't paid around Rs 50 lakh collected as TDS and will have to visit the IT Office on Friday.

Read the full story here.

2. EC to hear AIADMK symbol case on 30 October

The fight over the “Two Leaves” symbol between rival factions of the AIADMK continued in the Election Commission on Monday, with the TTV Dinakaran faction securing a further adjournment till next Monday. Lawyers arguing for the Dinakaran faction sought permission from the Commission for cross examination of some persons who they contended had given “fake” documents swearing allegiance to the faction headed by O Panneerselvam, Thangatamil Selvan, a disqualified MLA and a supporter of Dinakaran, told reporters outside the Commission.

He said the Commission has adjourned hearing in the case till 30 October, a day before the deadline for deciding the symbol case set by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court expires.

Source: Hindustan Times

Also Read: ‘Two Leaves’ Case: AIADMK Delegation Meets EC Officials

3. Govt Given 4 Weeks to Dispose of Deepa's Plea

The Tamil Nadu government today agreed to “consider and dispose of” within four weeks a representation made by Jayalalithaa’s niece J Deepa against the decision to convert the former chief minister’s Poes Garden residence here into a memorial. Advocate-General Vijay Narayan made a submission to this effect before Justice K Ravichandrabaabu, when Deepa’s petition came up for hearing.

Deepa had submitted that her paternal grandmother Vedavalli alias Sandhya had purchased several properties in and around Chennai. She died in 1971, leaving behind her son Jayakumar and daughter Jayalalithaa as successors, she said.

Source: Hindu Business Line

Also Read: Deepa Jayakumar Approaches Madras HC Over Jayalalithaa’s Residence

4. Northeast Monsoon Expected to Set in by 26 October

Rainfall over the state is likely to steadily increase from Tuesday. With the weather conditions turning favourable, the northeast monsoon is expected to arrive by 26 October, according to the Meteorological Department.

SB Thampi, Deputy Director-General of Meteorology, Chennai, said, “We are expecting the seasonal wind reversal to occur on Tuesday and Wednesday. Westerly winds are already weakening and giving way to easterly winds that would usher in the northeast monsoon. Scattered rainfall over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is expected from Wednesday where 25-50 % of the weather stations would record rainfall.”

Source: The Hindu

5. Disqualified MLAs Are Not Allowed to Return: CM

AIADMK co-coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday reiterated that any attempt to destroy the ruling party will not succeed. “The AIADMK has a history of having weathered several storms and threats in the past and those who had predicted its end have lost their political identity,” he said at the MGR birth centenary public meeting organised here.

In a veiled attack against the party’s sidelined leader TTV Dhinakaran, Palaniswami said that “some people have been making statements that they would pull down the AIADMK government. The AIADMK is not a weak party like a mushroom but a strong banyan that has been ably supported by over 1.5 crore cadre,” he said.

Source: The Hindu

Also Read: Next Hearing on Petitions By Disqualified AIADMK MLAs on 2 Nov

6. Govt, Navy Silent on Search for Sailors

Family and friends of the 10 sailors missing from MV Emerald Star which sank off Philippines 10 days ago are still hopeful that the sailors would be safe even as the Indian government and the Navy have gone silent and have not provided an update in the past week. The Indian Navy had sent a Boeing P-8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine warfare aircraft to help in the search and rescue operations on 15 October.

The last information provided by the Navy and the Indian government on the status of the search operations was on 16 October. A week later, families of the missing sailors are still in the dark. On Monday, when an update was sought on the search operations, a Navy spokesperson deflected the issue to the MEA. At the time of writing the report, the MEA had not responded.

Source: The Hindu

7. Nathella Jewellery Shuts Shop Due to Financial Crunch

The closure of 7 branches of Nathella Jewellery across the State has sent shock waves among the customers. Many of them have been gathering outside the shops seeking repayment of their deposits for a few days now.

However, the management has clarified that steps are being taken to clear the dues. Two days ago, some customers had lodged a complaint against the Tambaram branch for defrauding them of their deposits against gold saving schemes. Though monthly installments were paid, they could not purchase jewellery. Customers note that they had been having an issue regarding sale of gold ornaments at the store a few months ago.

Source: The Hindu

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