Shaju Philip

“My son was very attached to the family. Eight months back, he began to drift away. He used to watch horror movies and developed a habit of spending night hours by the sea. We want to ascertain what led my son to end his life,’’ said the youth’s mother.

A woman from Thiruvananthapuram has filed a police complaint, stating that her 16-year-old son, who hanged himself last month, could be a victim of the Blue Whale Challenge.

Stating that they had “received information that representatives of a certain organisation” would hoist the flag at the school, the district administration told the headmaster that the “above direction should be strictly adhered to.’’

The woman being “guarded” by the State machinery is Akhila alias Hadiya, the 24-year-old whose marriage to a Muslim man, Shefin Jahan, was annulled by the Kerala High Court on May 24. Hadiya’s father said, “I am fighting for the custody of my only daughter."

This dip in enrollment numbers, attributed to the state's declining birth rate, coincided with the rise of English-medium private schooling. In 2006-07, the state had 587 CBSE schools, which rose to 1,360 in 2016-17.

Tardy investigation by police and long delays in the trial process, an investigation by The Indian Express has found, is marked by a range of irregularities.

Records show that of the 96 political killings recorded here since January 1995, 42 were victims affiliated to the BJP-RSS and 40 were from the CPI(M). Kannur accounts for just over half of the political killings linked to the rivalry between CPI(M) and BJP-RSS in Kerala since 2006 — 41 of 80.

Kollam City Police Commissioner S Ajeetha Bhegum said, “Prima facie our probe has shown that these hospitals denied treatment to the accident victim without any genuine reason. They refused to admit him saying the ventilator facility was not free, or citing absence of a bystander.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the CM should take immediate steps to end the violence. Opposition members walked out after the Speaker rejected their notice for adjournment motion to discuss the political violence.

The court passed the verdict while allowing a writ filed by S Sreesanth challenging the BCCI disciplinary committee’s decision. Back in 2015, a Delhi court had acquitted Sreesanth of all charges, but the BCCI had slapped a life term on him.

Finance minister visits home of RSS worker killed last week, assures help to family

Sudarshan, however, seemed certain why his son was attacked: “The only crime he had committed was he worked for the BJP. After several youths in the area joined BJP, Rajesh had faced threat from the CPI(M).”

The violent incidents in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday come on the heels of stray incidents of attacks by both camps on activists of the other at Kattakkada in Thiruvananthapuram district over the last two days

Usha Narayanan was buried at the cemetery in 2005. The marble tombstone, with the national emblem on top, carries both her names — Usha Narayanan and her Christian name Ma Tint Tint — “First Lady of India: 1997 to 2002”, along with her husband, described as “a gentle colossus” and “loving husband of Usha Narayanan”.

The woman has alleged that Vishnudas had abused her inside his car and in office lift, apart from engaging “in phone sex” during night shifts. Vishnudas had also taken money from her, said the complaint. Their relationship had strained recently after the woman asked him to marry her.

On July 17 evening, Vinayak was allowed to go home with his father. Krishnankutty sent his son to the salon that day to get a haircut. The next day, Krishnankutty and his wife, Oman, went out for work. In the afternoon, when Krishnankutty returned home, he found his son hanging.

The post-mortem report, which was handed over to the police on Monday, indicated torture.

After Faisal’s death, the local Muslim community provided protection for his wife and three minor children, all of whom converted last August. The community has also mobilised funds for the construction of a new house for Faisal’s family, the police said.

A CONGRESS MLA in Kerala was arrested on Saturday on charges of allegedly raping a 51-year-old on the basis of the woman’s complaint. The accused, M Vincent, a first-time MLA from Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram district, was remanded in judicial custody for two weeks by a magistrate court. He alleged that it is a politically motivated […]

In a different case, a woman college professor who had spoken favourably about M F Husain’s Saraswati painting has been attacked on social media and threatened with acid attack. Police on Friday registered cases and began investigation.

A probe from within the BJP had concluded that Vinod had taken a bribe of Rs 5.6 crore from the owner of a medical college and promised it recognition from MCI

The committee report, which has recommended action against the party leader, is expected to be discussed at the next state committee meeting of the BJP. Vinod, who is the state convener of BJP’s cooperative cell, according to the report, paid this money to a Delhi-based middleman through a hawala dealer near Kochi.

Fr Saji Joseph, 40, was produced in a POCSO court at Kalpetta in Wayanad and remanded in judicial custody for two weeks

When a village in Kerala’s Kasaragod district got a new road, it picked a new name, earning it media frenzy, a visit by intelligence sleuths and terror tag. Nobody noticed Thuruthi’s bridge called Kargil.

Senkumar, who retired last month, was booked under Section 153 (A) of IPC (promoting communal enmity between religious groups), a non-bailable offence.

If this person has committed a crime, it should be exposed at the earliest. Also, if he is innocent as he has claimed, that also should come out at the earliest, said the actress.

While the investigation is still on, there are reports of how the attack on the actress was an alleged act of vengeance because Dileep held her responsible for his marital discord that led to his divorce in 2015 from actress Manju Warrier.

Early on Tuesday morning, the police produced Dileep at the residence of a magistrate at Ankamali, near Kochi. The magistrate ordered his judicial custody. A large number of people gathered there greeted Dileep with derisive hoots.

Leading actor Dileep, who ranks only behind Kerala’s two “superstars” Mohanlal and Mammootty in terms of popularity and box-office draw, was arrested in Kochi for his alleged role in the conspiracy behind the abduction and assault of a well-known actress in February.

During the probe into the conspiracy, Dileep had maintained that he was not linked to the attack on the actress. The Association of Malayalam Movies Artists (AMMA) had rally behind the beleaguered actor, who is a leading actor in the film industry.

“If religious conversions happen over love, such things would have taken place in all religions. But such conversions happen only in the Muslim community,” Senkumar alleged.

The next round of meeting is scheduled for Monday. Another nurses’ organisation, the Indian Nurses Association (INA), is continuing its sit-in in front of the Secretariat.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that in order to make the state women-friendly, the government would eliminate injustice towards women at workplace and take steps to improve facilities at Nirbhaya centres, destitute homes, care homes and orphanages.

It is learnt that the World Bank officials have taken a serious note of the controversial remark of the Kerala Minister. Several times in the past, the officials of the World Bank had expressed displeasure over the delay in implementing various road improvement schemes under the KSTP.

Police identified the deceased as Vazhayil Syed, who had been working as a khateeb in the district. The man had died two-and-a-half months back, said police. According to police, his wife and children were seen praying next to the body. A case of unnatural death has been registered.