Rajiv Gandhi convicts Nalini Sriharan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas and Murugan after being released from Tamil Nadu's jail on Saturday (PTI)Chennai News Highlights, November 12, 2022: A day after the Supreme Court ordered the release of the six remaining convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Nalini Sriharan, who was the only one to have witnessed the bombing on May 21, 1991, was released from Vellore jail on Saturday. Along with Nalini, the SC on Friday had freed T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, V Sriharan alias Murugan (her husband), Robert Payas, Jayakumar, and Ravichandran alias Ravi. In May this year, the court ordered the release of A G Perarivalan while exercising its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.
In her first reaction after walking out of Vellore jail on Saturday, Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict Nalini Sriharan thanked the people of Tamil Nadu for supporting her for 32 years, news agency ANI reported. Speaking to the media after her release, Nalini said, “I am thankful to the people of Tamil Nadu who supported me for 32 years. I thank both the State and Union Government.”
Close to 12 districts including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Tiruvallur, Mayiladuthurai, and Villupuram have declared a rain holiday on Saturday to schools and colleges due to heavy rains in parts of Tamil Nadu. An average of 64.5mm of rainfall was recorded in Chennai in the past 24 hours till 8:30am on Friday, Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru said even as a Regional Meteorological Centre official said most parts of the state, neighbouring Puducherry and its Karaikal area would likely receive rain on three more days.
In her first reaction after walking out of Vellore jail on Saturday, Rajiv Gandhi assassination convict Nalini Sriharan said that the belief in her innocence is what had kept her alive for three decades. “It was a hellish experience in prison during these 32 years. My conviction that I am innocent has kept me alive all these years,” she told reporters, news agency PTI reported.
“Otherwise, I would have ended my life. Do you think I have murdered the former Prime Minister? Seventeen murder cases have been framed against me,” Nalini said, one day after the Supreme Court ordered the release of six convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Read more
The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Health Department to consider plea from doctors who had rendered their services during Covid-19, for regular appointment as Assistant Surgeons. Justice Abdul Quddhose gave the direction while disposing of a writ petition from Dr Venkattaraman and 10 others on November 9.
The petition prayed for a direction to the authorities concerned to grant regular appointment as Assistant Surgeon considering the Covid-19 duty rendered by them in all waves and their eligibility in the Medical Recruitment Board Examination 2018, in the existing vacancies within a time limit to be fixed by this Court. (PTI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday urged the Tamil Nadu government to impart technical education in Tamil and listed out the various initiatives from the Centre towards the state over the years, including on the funds front. Prime Minister Narenda Modi had shown special focus on the growth of the southern state, he added.
Under Modi's leadership, the country has witnessed fast-paced economic growth and would achieve the USD 5-trillion economy goal by 2025, Shah said in his address at the 75th platinum jubilee celebrations of N Srinivasan-helmed The India Cements Ltd here. 'I appeal to the Tamil Nadu government to introduce Tamil as the medium of instruction in medical and technical education. A number of state governments have made this effort and students have started deriving educational benefits out of it,' he said. (PTI)
Of the seven individuals whose convictions in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case were upheld by the Supreme Court in 1999, only Nalini Sriharan had witnessed the bombing of May 21, 1991. More than three decades on, all seven are free — after ordering the release of A G Perarivalan in May this year, the Supreme Court on Friday freed Nalini, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, V Sriharan alias Murugan, Robert Payas, Jayakumar, and Ravichandran alias Ravi.
In 1998, a TADA court had sentenced 26 of the 41 accused to death, including 12 who had died in the blast or during the investigation. In May 1999, the SC freed 19 of them, while upholding the death sentences of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, and Nalini, and commuting the death sentences of Payas, Ravichandran, and Jayakumar to life. Arun Janardhanan explains
In her first reaction after walking out of jail nearly three decades after being convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Nalini Sriharan said Saturday that she was thankful to the people of Tamil Nadu for supporting her for 32 years.
A day after the Supreme Court ordered the release of the six remaining convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Nalini Sriharan, who was the only one to have witnessed the bombing on May 21, 1991, was released from Vellore jail on Saturday.
Along with Nalini, the SC on Friday had freed T Suthendraraja alias Santhan, V Sriharan alias Murugan (her husband), Robert Payas, Jayakumar, and Ravichandran alias Ravi. In May this year, the court ordered the release of A G Perarivalan while exercising its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution. Read more
A day after Supreme Court ordered the release of six convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Nalini Sriharan on Saturday was released from Vellore jail in Tamil Nadu.
The Chennai police have arrested a man who allegedly harassed a woman sexually and physically assaulted her as she was heading to a yoga class in the city last month.
The assailant tried to grope the 40-year-old woman as she fell on the road after his motorcycle hit her two-wheeler, according to police. When the woman pushed the man back, he punched on her face and banged her head against the gate of a nearby apartment before fleeing from the spot. Read here
The India Meteorological Department predicts light to moderate rain across Tamil Nadu, with isolated thunderstorm and lightning likely to occur in Puducherry and Karaikal areas.
Union minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that medical education and other technical education should bring in Tamil as a medium of instruction. 'This will benefit countless Tamil medium students who don’t lose their original creativity!'
An all Legislative party meeting chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday said it “rejected” the 103rd Constitutional Amendment providing 10 per cent EWS quota by the Centre, saying it created “caste-discrimination” among the poor.
The meeting, boycotted by Principal opposition AIADMK and its ally BJP, urged the state government to “strongly” register its opinions when a review petition is filed.
The ruling DMK has already announced it will file a review petition against the November 8 five-judge Supreme Court bench upholding the 10 per cent reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). The quota was upheld 3-2 by the bench. Read more.
A meeting with all party leaders was held in Tamil Nadu on Saturday to decide on the next steps to be taken after the SC's judgment on EWS quote.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which rules Tamil Nadu, received over Rs 308 crore in contributions in the 2021-22 fiscal, including Rs 306 crore through electoral bonds, according to its latest filing before the Election Commission.
According to the party's contribution report for 2021-22 put in the public domain by EC on Friday, the DMK received Rs 306 crore from electoral bonds purchased by corporates. It got another Rs 60 lakh from the corporate sector as donations.
The party received nearly Rs 1.55 crore from non-corporate donors.
The party said nearly Rs 5.84 lakh was received from volunteers and party functionaries through donations which were less than Rs 2,000.
Several DMK members of Parliament also contributed to the party's kitty. PTI
The Supreme Court on Friday (November 11) ordered the premature release of all six remaining convicts – including Nalini Sriharan – who were serving life sentences in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Convicts R P Ravichandran, Santhan, Murugan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar were also ordered to be released. The bench in its order took note of the case of A G Perarivalan, the seventh convict, who was released in May.
Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally. know more.
Following his visit to Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: Vanakkam Tamil Nadu! Glimpses from a very special welcome in Dindigul.
The Congress and its Tamil Nadu ally DMK came up with sharply differing reactions to the Supreme Court order for the release of all six convicts serving life terms in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
While the Congress described the judgment as “highly problematic”, “completely erroneous” and “totally unacceptable”, DMK leader and Chief Minister M K Stalin termed the ruling as “a historic foreword to democratic principles”. Read more.
THE SUPREME Court on Thursday allowed the Centre more time to submit its written response to a plea to declare the Ram Setu a national heritage monument even as it questioned the delay.
“Why are you dragging your feet?” Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud asked the Centre’s counsel as he sought time, saying the affidavit is ready but was awaiting the sanction from the relevant ministry. Know more.
The Supreme Court Friday ordered the release of the remaining convicts serving life imprisonment in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The bench, while taking into consideration the case of A G Perarivalan who was released in May, ordered authorities to free Nalini Sriharan, R P Ravichandran, Santhan, Murugan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar.
Perarivalan was released in May, 24 years after he was sentenced to death in the case and two months after he was granted bail by the apex court.
Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed by an LTTE suicide bomber at an election meeting in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991. Read more.
THE NATIONAL Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a charge sheet against three LTTE supporters who were allegedly planning terrorist acts to revive the proscribed group in Tamil Nadu.
“The charge sheet was filed against the arrested accused from Tamil Nadu – Naveen alias Chakaravarthy M, Sanjay Prakash J and A Kabilar alias Kabilan,” a spokesperson for the NIA said.
The NIA said the case was related to the recovery of two country-made pistols, ammunition and gunpowder during a vehicle check near Puliyampatti division in the Omalur police station area of Salem district in Tamil Nadu on May 19. The spokesperson said the accused “were inspired by LTTE, a proscribed terrorist organisation, and wanted to create an organisation similar to the LTTE with the aim to wage an armed struggle against the government”. Read more.
Chennai and its neighbouring districts; Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Karaikal received heavy to very heavy rainfall today, predicts IMD
A BJP youth wing functionary was arrested here on Friday for selling Kerala lottery tickets that are banned in Tamil Nadu.
During their morning patrol, police noticed a person, who was later identified as Sabar Palan, the district youth wing secretary of BJP, selling the banned tickets in Ramnagar area of the city, and arrested him.
After a thorough search, 10 Kerala lottery tickets were seized from his possession along with Rs 6,400 cash, police said.
He was later produced before a local court and remanded in custody.
Palan was lodged in the central prison in the city, they said.
The sale of all lotteries, both in paper and online, was banned by the Tamil Nadu government in 2003. PTI
Tamil Nadu reported 84 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, pushing the statewide tally to 35,93,291, the health department said.
There were no fresh virus-related fatalities and the overall death toll remained unchanged at 38,048, according to a medical bulletin here.
Recoveries eclipsed new cases with 121 people recovering in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 35,54,454 that left 789 active infections.
Chennai added 18 new COVID-19 cases, while the remaining cases were spread across other districts. Fifteen of the 38 districts reported zero new cases, each.
The state capital leads among districts with 180 active infections and overall 7,92,962 coronavirus cases.
A total of 8,855 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of tests so far to 6,98,66,482, the bulletin said. PTI
#WATCH | Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrives at the Chennai airport, is welcomed by TN BJP chief Annamalai and other leaders
Tamil Nadu Chief minister MK Stalin visited and inspected the discharge of water from Velachery Inner Ring Road Kalki Nagar drain to Veerangal Stream by 75 horse power pump.
The India Meteorological Department on Friday predicted heavy rainfall with thunderstorms in parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal in the next three hours.
"What about justice for those killed and injured survivors in the 1991 suicide bombing that assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi?" asked Anusuya Daisy Ernest, a retired woman police officer. Ernest, then police sub inspector was regulating crowd when people jostled to move forward at the venue of a Congress public meeting at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991 to garland Rajiv Gandhi.
Asked on her reaction to the Supreme Court ruling that set free the 6 Rajiv case convicts, she told PTI: "I am still undergoing treatment for pellet injuries. This is the plight of the injured people. Where is justice ? I am talking about justice for those killed and injured people like me who survived the dastardly terrorist attack." Terrorists should be treated as per terror laws and not as ordinary criminals, she said. Ernest retired as additional police superintendent in 2018. Now, she is 62. (PTI)
Close to 12 districts including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Tiruvallur, Mayiladuthurai, and Villupuram have declared a rain holiday on Saturday to schools and colleges due to heavy rains in parts of Tamil Nadu.
The Supreme Court judgment in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case demonstrated that Governors should not put the decisions of elected governments on the back burner, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Friday.
Welcoming the release of the six convicts in the Rajiv case, the Chief Minister said: “This judgment as well of the Supreme Court forms the basis that Governors should not put the decisions and resolutions of elected governments in the back burner.” Stalin said the ruling is historic as it reinforced the cornerstone of democratic principles. Read more
A division bench of the Madras High Court on Friday directed IPS officer G Sampath Kumar to appear on December 9 in connection with a contempt petition filed by cricketer M S Dhoni. The bench of Justices P N Prakash and R M T Teeka Raman issued the statutory notice when the contempt application came up today.
Dhoni has moved the High Court with a prayer to initiate contempt proceedings and issue summons against Sampath Kumar, for his alleged statements against the Supreme Court and certain senior counsels in the matter regarding fixing of cricket matches. Read more
An average of 64.5mm of rainfall was recorded in Chennai in the past 24 hours till 8:30am on Friday, Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru said even as a Regional Meteorological Centre official said most parts of the state, neighbouring Puducherry and its Karaikal area would likely receive rain on three more days.
Explaining the high rainfall, S Balachandran, deputy director general of meteorology, said, Thursday’s low-pressure area over the southwest Bay of Bengal off the Sri Lanka coast became a well-marked low-pressure area over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of northeast Sri Lanka with associated upper air circulation extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level.
He said the low-pressure area was very likely to move northwestwards towards the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts till Saturday and later to west-northwestwards across Tamil Nadu-Puducherry and Kerala on Saturday and Sunday and emerge into southeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea as a low-pressure area or upper air circulation on Sunday.
In the next three days, rainfall is likely to occur in most places in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area. In the next 24 hours, some of the areas in Cuddalore and the Delta districts are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall. (PTI)
An average of 64.5mm of rainfall was recorded in Chennai in the past 24 hours till 8:30am on Friday, Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru said even as a Regional Meteorological Centre official said most parts of the state, neighbouring Puducherry and its Karaikal area would likely receive rain on three more days.
“In the next three days, rainfall is likely to occur in most places in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area. In the next 24 hours, some of the areas in Cuddalore and the Delta districts are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall. Some of the areas in Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Chengalpet, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirupathur, Krishnagiri, Salem, Dharmapuri districts are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. In districts close to the Western Ghats, heavy rainfall is likely to occur in some areas,” S Balachandran, deputy director general of meteorology, said.
Speaking at the 36th convocation at Gandhigram Rural Institute on Friday, PM Narendra Modi said, "Gandhigram was inaugurated by Mahatama Gandhi himself. One can see the spirit of his ideas of rural development here."
The Supreme Court's order releasing six Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts has overwhelmed Nalini Sriharan's family, which said the long awaited freedom is nothing but ecstasy. "The feeling of happiness cannot be explained in words. It is boundless joy and nothing but ecstasy. The suffering, grief and pain that Nalini and the rest of the family endured for over three decades cannot be put in words," Nalini's mother S Padma told PTI.
She said their family's faith in judiciary has again been strengthened manifold with the top court releasing Nalini and others. Nalini declined to comment on her release citing parole norms. "I would love to say that truth has triumphed," Padma said. Nalini is Sriharan's (aka Murugan) wife and the couple has a daughter who lives in London. (PTI)
The Supreme Court on Friday (November 11) ordered the premature release of all six remaining convicts – including Nalini Sriharan – who were serving life sentences in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Convicts R P Ravichandran, Santhan, Murugan, Robert Payas and Jayakumar were also ordered to be released. The bench in its order took note of the case of A G Perarivalan, the seventh convict, who was released in May.
Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally. Read more
The Supreme Court Friday ordered the release of Nalini Sriharan and R P Ravichandran who are serving life imprisonment in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, reported news agency PTI.
Nalini, who is currently out on parole, had moved the apex court seeking early release from prison after the Madras High Court had turned down her plea. Read more here
The Supreme Court suspended the sentence imposed by the Madras High Court for contempt of court on Savukku Shankar.
The Court further directed that he should not make any videos or comments on the present proceedings or proceedings before the High Court.
Kollidam in Mayiladuthurai district received the highest amount of rainfall (11 cm) followed by Parangipettai in Cuddalore district (10 cm) and Chidambaram Aws (9 cm).
Kollidam in Mayiladuthurai district received the highest amount of rainfall (11 cm) followed by Parangipettai in Cuddalore district (10 cm) and Chidambaram Aws (9 cm).
The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for the four districts of Tiruvallur, Ranipet and Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu on Friday and forecast very heavy rainfall in Chennai and several other districts in the coming days.
The Tamil Nadu government has also declared a holiday for educational institutions in several districts on Friday on account of the rain. Know more here
The ‘Vande Bharat’ train from Mysuru to Chennai via Bengaluru was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The train is the first semi-high speed train in the South and fifth in the country. Know more here
Rains which began overnight lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu on Friday.
Several parts of Chennai and neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpet have been receiving heavy rains under the influence of the low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal off the Sri Lanka coast.
The rainfall activity also led to waterlogging in some places in the city. Rainfall was reported in Ramanathapuram, Cuddalore, Villupuram and several coastal areas of the state too. (PTI)
A 48-year-old man died after falling into an under-construction storm-water drain in the Mangadu municipality in Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram district on Thursday.
According to police, Lakshmipathi, who was a mechanic, tripped and fell into a pit on the Mangadu-Malayambakkam route around 5.30 am. As per the initial investigation, they said, the man was drunk when he fell into the pit. Read more...
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to visit Tamil Nadu Friday to take part in the 36th convocation ceremony of the Gandhigram Rural Institute (GRI) in Dindigul, elaborate security arrangements have been put in place.
More than 4,000 police personnel have been deployed around Dindigul and other neighbouring districts. The police said surveillance has been increased and they are carrying out checks at major public gathering points, including railway stations, bus stands as well as in lodges, ahead of the prime minister’s visit.
The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) has announced that power will be suspended in parts of Chennai today in Tambaram, Guindy and Ambattur for carrying out maintenance work in the city.
Parts of Chennai will face a power shutdown from 9 am to 2 pm, with supply expected to resume before 2 pm if the work is completed. See the list here