Chennai Hyderabad February 10, 11, 12 Highlights: Nine killed, over 20 feared injured in a blast in fireworks factory

Tamil Nadu Telangana Coronavirus Assembly Elections 2021 February 10, 11, 12 Highlights: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora added that the polling stations in the state have been increased to 93,000 polling stations in the state for the upcoming assembly elections due to the pandemic.

By: Express Web Desk
Chennai, Hyderabad | Updated: February 15, 2021 09:08 AM IST
Sunil Arora, Election Commission, Assembly electionsChief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora. (File)

Tamil Nadu Telangana Assembly Elections February 10, 11, 12 Highlights: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora Thursday said the polling time for the upcoming assembly election in Tamil Nadu would be extended by an hour to adhere to the social distancing guidelines issued by the centre in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Addressing the reporters in Chennai to brief upon the Election Commission’s (EC) preparedness for the general election, Arora said apart from the normal election observers, they have decided to send two special expenditure observers. This initiative is taken by the EC to prevent the rampant money distribution which the state had witnessed in the past elections.

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“Due to Covid-19, the polling stations in the state have been increased. With the additional 25,000, there will be a total of 93,000 polling stations in the state for the upcoming assembly elections,” Arora said.

The Tamil Nadu assembly tenure is due to expire on May 24, 2021. The elections are due for 234 constituencies — General – 188, SC – 44, and ST – 02.

The EC added that the bypoll for the Kanyakumari parliamentary constituency would be held along with 2021 assembly polls. The seat fell vacant following the demise of Congress MP H Vasanthakumar.

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19:33 (IST)12 Feb 2021
PM Modi to visit Chennai on February 14

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Chennai on February 14 to lay foundation stones for several projects and inaugurate many other completed projects. A grand event has been organised at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. PM Modi will be arriving at the Chennai airport at 10:35 am and will be reaching the stadium in a helicopter at 11:15 am. He will be leaving for Cochin after the programme. The police have tightened the security across the city.

18:45 (IST)12 Feb 2021
Explosion at firecracker factory in Tamil Nadu, 11 dead

At least 11 people, including one woman, are feared dead and more than 20 injured in a blast Friday at a private fireworks factory at Achankulam village near Sattur in Virudhunagar district. Local reports said many people are still trapped inside the factory.

The ‘Sree Maariyamman fireworks’ factory which belongs to one Santhanamari had been manufacturing firecrackers for a couple of years. As per local reports, firecrackers that were stored in close to six rooms at the factory caught fire one after another leading to a huge blast.

17:08 (IST)12 Feb 2021
Chennai has a new Miyawaki forest, near Secretariat

The Greater Chennai Corporation Wednesday inaugurated a new Miyawaki forest near the Secretariat in the city. This is part of the civic body’s initiative to set up 1,000 urban forests across the city. The Miyawaki forest has been developed by the Inner Wheel Club of Madras, out of barren land spread across 3,000 square feet. The club had started planting the saplings on September 16, 2020. The area has a total of 837 trees of 30 indigenous trees. The functionaries of Inner Wheel Club participated in the event alongside the corporation officials.

16:48 (IST)12 Feb 2021
Telangana rifle shooters offering to cull wild pigs for farmers free of cost: Forest dept

The Telangana Forest department on Thursday said it has identified and empanelled 30 rifle shooters for culling wild pigs in the state, who have agreed to do the job as a voluntary service to farmers. The government had recently issued orders empowering over 12,700 Gram Sarpanches as Honorary Wildlife Wardens who can order culling on receipt of a written complaint and due inquiry. The latest order was dubbed by many as an open invitation to indiscriminate hunting that could impact the local wildlife adversely.

15:03 (IST)12 Feb 2021
Five killed in blast at firecracker unit near Virudhunagar

At least five people, including a woman, were killed in a blast at a private fireworks factory at Achankulam village near Sattur in Virudunagar district. As per the reports, at least 10 of them have been critically injured and they have been admitted to Sivakasi Government Hospital for treatment.

14:42 (IST)12 Feb 2021
English and Foreign Languages University students demand hostels to reopen

The students of English and Foreign Languages University, a central university in Hyderabad, sit on a protest demonstration at gate no: 2 Friday demanding reopening of hostels for willing students.  This sit in protest began around 11 am.

14:09 (IST)12 Feb 2021
Captain Vijayakanth makes public apperance after a long time

DMDK founder and actor Captain Vijayakanth made a public appearance after a long time in Chennai. Vijayakanth alongside his wife and DMDK treasurer Premalatha paid a visit to their party headquarters at Koyambedu to take part in their party's flag day celebrations. The ailing politician spoke a couple of words amid the hundreds of cadres gathered at the venue.

13:38 (IST)12 Feb 2021
COVID-19 tracker: Telangana recorded 143 new cases

Telangana on Thursday recorded 143 new cases of COVID-19,  taking the cumulative number of affected persons to 2,96,277. Of the new cases, Greater Hyderabad topped the list with 27 new infections. The state also recorded one death due to the virus. As many as 1614 persons have succumbed to the viral infection in the state so far. The case fatality rate in Telangana stands at 0.54 percent and the recovery rate is 98.84 percent, said the daily medical bulletin from the office of director of public health and family welfare, released Friday morning. The number of active cases in the state stands at 1815 as on Thursday. Of them,  838 persons are in institutional or home quarantine. 

12:27 (IST)12 Feb 2021
Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan paid tributes to the martyrs of 1971 war on the occasion of 50th year celebrations

Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday paid rich tributes to the martyrs of 1971 war on the occasion of 50th year celebrations and commemoration of our country’s decisive victory over Pakistan.
Participating as the chief guest at the Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations organised by the Telangana and Andhra Sub-Area military unit at Parade Grounds, here, she said that our war heroes showed the bravery, valour, courage and sacrifice of highest form during the 1971 war.

“We have registered an iconic victory over the enemy. We could register a decisive victory in just 13 days. The 1971 war witnessed the surrender of more than 90,000 enemy soldiers. It was a landmark victory in the history of Indian armed forces. I salute our war heroes valour and sacrifices,” she added.

11:08 (IST)12 Feb 2021
IT Hyderabad-Incubated startup 'Pure EV' set to launch first e bike

IIT Hyderabad incubated startup Pure EV Thursday said it will be deploying 50 demo vehicles of its flagship electric motorcycle ETRYST 350 by end of March 21 across the country to make them available for test drives at specific outlets. Pure EV will be hitting the roads in metropolitan cities Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune by August 15. As per the startup,  ETRYST 350 has been designed and developed at PURE EV’s technical and manufacturing centre in Hyderabad. It boasts of a top speed of 85 KMPH, delivering on par ride experience with most Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) motorbikes. A single full charge will provide a range of 120 KM, till the battery has to be charged again. 

09:54 (IST)12 Feb 2021
COVID-19 tracker: 481 cases reported in TN on Thursday, total recovery reaches 8.26 lakh

A total of 481 fresh Covid-19 cases reported on Thursday in Tamil Nadu. The overall tally reached 8,43,690. Six deaths were reported taking the toll to 12,402. The total number of recovered people increased to 8,26,994 including today’s tally of 490. There are 4,294 active cases in the state.

09:33 (IST)12 Feb 2021
BJP State executive member detained under Goondas Act

Bharatiya Janata Party State executive committee member R Kalyanaraman who was arrested by the Mettupalayam police for making derogatory remarks on Prophet Muhammad and Islam at a public meeting has been booked under Gundas Act. Coimbatore District Collector passed the orders on Thursday based on the recommendation of SP Ara. Arularasu. Kalyanaraman who has been lodged at Gobichettipalayam sub-jail will now be shifted to Coimbatore Central Prison.

18:29 (IST)11 Feb 2021
IN PICS | Weapons display organised at Secunderabad as a part of Swarnim Vijay Varsh

As part of 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh', a weapon display was organised by Telangana and Andhra Sub Area at Gen KV Krishna Rao Parade ground in Secunderabad today.

18:18 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao likens protesters to ‘dogs’, Oppn hits back

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Wednesday kicked up a storm after he asked a section of people, including women, to leave his public meeting and likened them to “dogs”. Rao was in Nalgonda district to lay the foundation stone for several irrigation schemes.

The incident occurred during a meeting in the Nagarjunasagar Assembly segment, which is due for a bypoll after the death of TRS legislator Nomula Narsimhaiah in December. The CM reportedly lost his cool when he was interrupted by a group of people who wanted to submit a representation and asked the police personnel present to take them out of the venue.

“Take the papers from them. Now that you have given the memo, please leave,” Rao said.

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18:02 (IST)11 Feb 2021

IIT Hyderabad-incubated startup PURE EV will to launch its first electric motorcycle - ETRYST 350 on August 15. The bike has been completely designed, developed and manufactured in India and represents a major leap in the Indian Electric Vehicles sector. According to a release, the company will deploy 50 demo vehicles by the end of March across the country for test drivesto make them available for test drives at specific outlets. 
 
ETRYST 350 is scheduled to hit the roads on August 15 at a price that would be economical in comparison with conventional motorcycles in Indian markets with similar pickup and power, the release stated. PURE EV will first launch the product in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune before expanding to other outlets by the end of the year.
 
The release said that ETRYST 350, which has been designed and developed at PURE EV’s technical and manufacturing centre in Hyderabad boasts of a top speed of 85 KMPH, delivering on par ride experience with most Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) motorbikes. A single full charge will provide a range of 120 KM, till the battery has to be charged again. The vehicle is powered by a 3.5 KWH patented battery, developed by PURE EV.

The release further added that the product engineering has been done to provide a very stable ride experience even at speed of 85 kmph and to deliver a high pickup at par with premium ICE motorcycles.

17:22 (IST)11 Feb 2021
EC to extend polling time in TN by an hour to maintain social distancing norms

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora Thursday said the polling time for the upcoming assembly election in Tamil Nadu would be extended by an hour to adhere to the social distancing guidelines issued by the centre in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Addressing the reporters in Chennai to brief upon the Election Commission’s (EC) preparedness for the general election, Arora said apart from the normal election observers, they have decided to send two special expenditure observers. This initiative is taken by the EC to prevent the rampant money distribution which the state had witnessed in the past elections.

“Due to Covid-19, the polling stations in the state have been increased. With the additional 25,000, there will be a total of 93,000 polling stations in the state for the upcoming assembly elections,” Arora said.

Read more

16:36 (IST)11 Feb 2021
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi extends wishes new GHMC Mayor, Deputy Mayor

AIMIM President Asauddin Owaisi extended his wishes to the newly-elected GHMC Mayor and Deputy Mayor. G Vijayalakshmi, the TRS corporator of Ward 93 (Banjara Hills) was elected the GHMC Mayor today, while Mothe Srilatha, the corporator of Ward 143 (Tarnaka) was elected the Deputy Mayor.

"Hope that, under their leadership, Hyderabad will be taken to new heights and public works will be actively taken up in areas that need them the most, including Old City of Hyderabad", he tweeted. (sic)

15:54 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Stand vindicated on our accusations that TRS and AIMIM have a secret alliance, says BJP

After TRS corporators G Vijayalakshmi and Mothe Srilatha were elected the GHMC Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively, the BJP Thursday said that the party "stands vindicated over their accusations during the GHMC campaigns that TRS and AIMIM have a secret alliance". 

"Today with AIMIM openly supporting TRS Mayoral bid, 'the cat is out of the bag'. They have unravelled their seven year old secret alliance publicly, as TRS was left with no option. TRS would not have won half the seats, if it would have announced this alliance prior to GHMC elections", the BJP said in a statement.

The BJP said that Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao should apologize to GHMC voters for his statements which had been made during the campaign denying TRS' "secret arrangements" with AIMIM and that the party will not a have a formal alliance.

"With BJP in the house, GHMC now has a strong opposition voice.TRS and MIM alliance Mayor can no more take unilateral decisions and the interest of GHMC citizens will be protected", the BJP added.

14:41 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Kamal Haasan’s party meets to decide on prospective alliance partners

The general body meeting of actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) commenced on Thursday to decide on the party’s prospective alliance partners and other party developments. The meeting, presided over by party president Kamal Haasan, is taking place at a marriage hall in the outskirts of the city.

On several occasions, Kamal Haasan has said he will form an alliance with honest people. He has also categorically ruled out an alliance with Dravidian parties, alleging they are “corrupt”.

Haasan had claimed his party was the third largest player in the state and the upcoming assembly election will decide where they stand among the big political parties.

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14:40 (IST)11 Feb 2021
GHIAL launches direct flight service between Hyderabad and Male

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), today launched GoAir’s maiden direct flight service from Hyderabad to Malé, Maldives. The GoAir aircraft took off from Hyderabad to Malé around 11.40 am amid fanfare. The airlines has started touch-less e-boarding facility for international passengers with this service. 

Senior officials from GMR Hyderabad International Airport along with GoAir officials, other airport stakeholders were at the terminal to see off the passengers and crew.

GoAir’s Flight G8 1533 will depart from GMR Hyderabad International Airport at 11.30 am and arrive at the Maldive’s Velana International Airport at 1.30 pm. The return flight G8 4033 will depart from Malé at 2.30 pm and will arrive at Hyderabad at 5.30 pm. 
Flights will be operated between GMR Hyderabad International Airport and Malé four times a week - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, said a press release from GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL).

13:33 (IST)11 Feb 2021
TRS corporator G Vijayalakshmi elected GHMC mayor

G Vijayalakshmi, the TRS corporator of Ward 93 (Banjara Hills) was elected the GHMC Mayor today, while Mothe Srilatha, the corporator of Ward 143 (Tarnaka) was elected the Deputy Mayor.

12:49 (IST)11 Feb 2021
WATCH | TRS corporators sing songs enroute the Mayoral election
12:45 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Tamil Nadu minister’s ‘unity’ call sparks talks of AMMK merger with AIADMK

With expelled AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala back from jail and announcing her return to “active politics”, speculation is rife of a possible merger of AIADMK and TTV Dhinakaran-founded AMMK ahead of the Assembly polls.

While AIADMK’s top brass, including Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, have raised strong objections against allowing Sasikala and her nephew Dhinakaran back, a comment by Local Administration Minister SP Velumani has set tongues wagging.

Addressing the AIADMK cadre as part of a meeting Tuesday, Velumani said in the upcoming elections, efforts should be towards keeping out the common enemy, DMK. “Our enemy is DMK. Whatever problem we might have, those are among brothers. In a family, all kinds of problems will come. If a problem comes from an enemy, we will join together. DMK is nowhere equal to us, Stalin is thriving on fake promises. If you all work together, we will definitely win the polls and retain the government,” he said.

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12:23 (IST)11 Feb 2021
307 fever clinics conducted in Chennai Wednesday

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted 307 fever clinics in Chennai on Sunday. A total of 20,139 people attended the clinics, with swabs collected from 122 people who were identified with ILI symptoms, while others were provided with medication for minor ailments.

The most number of camps were held in Tondiarpet (Zone 4) where 39 camps had been set up, while Manali (Zone 2) had the least with three camps.

11:38 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Tamil Nadu: 46 new cyber crime cells to be set up across the state

In a first, the Tamil Nadu government will set up 46 new cyber crime cells across the state. This comes a couple of months after the city police started 12 cyber crime cells at the police station of the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

As per a government order issued on Tuesday, the cyber crime police stations would be located in all district police offices. In major districts such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, and Tiruchirapalli, a dedicated police station will be started to quickly address the complaints related to cyber crime. Apart from this, cyber police stations for Economic Offences Wing, Narcotics Intelligence Bureau CID, and Intellectual property rights enforcement cell and crime against women and children will be set up.

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11:13 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Husband missing in Bahrain, wife writes to S Jaishankar and requests asssistance in tracing him

For the last one year, 35-year-old Boddupalli Bheemaiah has been missing in Bahrain.

His wife Sara has appealed Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs, Govt of India, to help the family trace and bring back her husband. 

In a letter to the minister, she wrote that he husband went to work as a Mason with Ewan AlBahrain Construction & Renovation Company Ltd in Bahrain during October 2017 and was in touch with her till March 2019. He used to send her money once in three months. 

"Since lockdown he has not called me or any family members. There is no one to take care of me and my two children. Kindly ask the India Embassy in Bahrain to search my husband and send him back to India as soon as possible," she wrote.

10:46 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Kannada outfit stages demo demanding annexing Thalavadi in Tamil Nadu with Karnataka

Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader and Kannada activist Vattal Nagaraj along with several members of Vatal Paksha on Wednesday staged a demonstration demanding that Thalavadi in Erode district and parts of Nilgiris district bordering Karnataka be annexed with Karnataka.

The members of the pro-Kannada outfit held a protest on the Karnataka side about 200 meters from the Tamil Nadu border. 

Last month, Vattal Nagaraj along with members of his outfit, had damaged display boards of the state highways department in areas situated close to the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border, claiming that Thalavadi 'belonged' to Karnataka.

10:38 (IST)11 Feb 2021
236 flights to fly between Chennai and major cities today

A total of 236 flights will be operated between Chennai and major cities today, with 119 arrivals and 117 departures scheduled at the Chennai International Airport.

10:04 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Power to be suspended in parts of Chennai today

Tangedco has announced a powercut in parts of Chennai today from 9 am to 2 pm to carry out maintenance work.

Here are the affected areas:

  • Thervoykandigai: Thervoykandigai, Karadipputhur, GR Kandigai, Kannakottai, Chinna Puliyur and Periyapuliyur.
09:22 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Newly-elected corporators of GHMC to take oath today

The newly elected Corporators of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will take oath of office on Thursday and the Council will hold its first meeting to elect the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the city. 

Election to 150 wards of GHMC was held on December 1, 2020, and results were announced on December 4. The TRS was reduced to 56 wards from 99, whereas BJP rose from four to 48 wards. The AIMIM managed to hold on to its 44 wards. The TRS has 32 ex-officio members including MPs, MLAs, and MLCs, who are eligible to cast vote in the election. The AIMIM and BJP have 10 and 2 ex-officio members, respectively. 

The term of the previous council ended on February 10, 2021.

All three parties have not revealed their strategies for the election today or named any candidates yet.  

The new corporators are expected to reach the GHMC council hall by 10.30 am and oath taking ceremony is scheduled to start at 11 am. The election to the post of Mayor will be held at 12.30 pm. The election to the post of Deputy Mayor will be held only after completion of Mayoral election. Hyderabad district collector Swetha Mohanty will oversee the elections today as Presiding Officer.  

The special meeting will take place only with a quorum of 50 percent attendance. The election will be held by show of hands. Members can take oath in Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, or English. They are directed to carry their ID cards as well as certificates of victory handed over to them by returning officers on the day of results.

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad police have deployed a three-tier security arrangement for the Mayoral elections today.

09:20 (IST)11 Feb 2021
One more passenger who returned from UK tests positive, tally now at 31

A total of 31 passengers who had returned to Tamil Nadu from UK and 20 of their primary contacts have tested positive for COVID-19 till date. Among the 31 primary cases, nine cases were reported in Chennai, three each in Thanjavur, Madurai, Nilgiris, four each in Chengalpattu and Trichy and one each in Theni, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore, Karur and Virudhunagar. Among the 20 contact cases, six were reported in Chennai, three in Thanjavur, two each in Nilgiris and Theni, four in Chengalpattu and three in Nagapattinam.

A total of 2300 passengers had travelled to Tamil Nadu from UK between November 25 and December 23, of which 2146 have been tested. Among these, 24 have tested positive, 2122 have tested negative and the tracing of more passengers is underway. Additionally, 3977 close contacts of the 2122 passengers who had tested negative were also tested for COVID-19 and were found to be negative.

A total of 1764 passengers had travelled to Tamil Nadu from UK between January 8 and February 10, of which 1494 have been tested. Among these, seven have tested positive, 1461 have tested negative and the results of 26 passengers are awaited. Tracing of further passengers is underway.

All the UK returnees and their contacts have been kept in isolation wards, according to the Tamil Nadu Health Department.

Of the 31 primary cases, 26 of them who tested negative in their follow up RT-PCR test have been discharged and kept under home quarantine. Similarly, all 20 contact cases who tested negative in their follow up RT-PCR test have been discharged and kept under home quarantine. Five of the primary cases are under hospital isolation.

09:16 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Tamil Nadu reports 479 fresh cases, 5 deaths

Tamil Nadu recorded 479 positive cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the state tally to 8,43,209. Among these, Chennai reported 149 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,32,765. The state recorded five deaths on Wednesday, putting the state toll at 12,396. All five of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. A total of 493 patients were discharged following treatment, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,26,504.

As of Wednesday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 4309. Till date, 5,09,583 males, 3,33,591 females and 35 transgenders have tested positive for the virus in the state.

According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 1,65,44,106 samples from the state have been tested till date, with 53,076 samples having been sent yesterday. There are 254 COVID-19 testing facilities in the state, out of which 68 are government and 186 are private facilities.

09:14 (IST)11 Feb 2021
Welcome to today's live blog

Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai and Hyderabad where we bring to you the latest updates on Tamil Nadu elections 2021, COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, UK COVID-19 virus in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and more across Chennai and Hyderabad throughout the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the states in real time.

18:08 (IST)10 Feb 2021
Tamil Nadu Congress expresses displeasure over Sivaji Ganesan's son joining the BJP

The Tamil Nadu Congress has expressed displeasure over the late Tamil actor Sivaji Ganesan's son, Ramkumar joining the BJP. Party spokesperson K Chandrasekaran said that with the late actor having been loyal to the party, his son joining the BJP was an insult to the actor's legacy.

17:43 (IST)10 Feb 2021
One detained for making hoax bomb call to EPS' house

A youth was on Wednesday detained in Tiruppur for making a hoax bomb threat call to the residence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in Salem district on Wednesday.

According to police, the CM's house received a call claiming that a bomb was planted there, early this morning. Immediately, a bomb squad along with sniffer dogs carried out searches for nearly two hours, which proved that the call was a hoax, they said.

The call was traced to a youth, whose identity is yet to be revealed, in Tirupur and interrogation was on, they added. (PTI)

17:19 (IST)10 Feb 2021
Madras HC quashes fresh notices issued to DMK MLAs in gutka row

The Madras High Court on Wednesday quashed the fresh notices issued by the Tamil Nadu Assembly Privileges Committee to 18 DMK MLAs including party president M K Stalin for displaying sachets of banned gutka in the House in 2017.

Senior advocate R Shanmugasundaram, who represented the opposition MLAs, said Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana quashed the notices issued by the Assembly committee.

In August last year, a bench of then Chief Justice A P Sahi and Justice Senthil Kumar Ramamoorthy, while setting aside the earlier notices issued to the DMK legislators, had however, granted liberty to authorities for initiation of the privilege proceedings afresh.
Subsequently, notices were issued for a second time in September 2020, on the eve of the then Assembly session. (PTI)

15:55 (IST)10 Feb 2021
Chennai man arrested for ‘sexually assaulting’ daughter’s classmate

A 44-year-old man was arrested in Chennai on Tuesday for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl who is a classmate of his daughter.

The police said the girl studying class VI had been visiting the man’s house for tuition and also to spend time with his daughter, her classmate.

A week ago, the girl had come home crying from the tuition class with bleeding injuries on her private parts. The parents had then taken her to a private hospital where sexual assault was confirmed. The parents had been hesitant to lodge a complaint, but based on the insistence from the doctors who informed the authorities of the child helpline about the incident, they lodged a complaint and a case was registered.

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14:35 (IST)10 Feb 2021
Hyderabad court awards death penalty to man for raping and killing 5-year-old

A local court in Hyderabad awarded death penalty to a man convicted of rape and murder of a five-year-old girl in December 2017.

Pronouncing the judgment on Tuesday, Judge B Suresh Babu of the MSJ court in LB Nagar sentenced the accused, D Dinesh Kumar (23), to capital punishment and a fine of Rs 1,000. He was prosecuted on charges of kidnap, rape and murder apart from section 5 r/w 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act–2012.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Cyberabad police commissioner V C Sajjanar said the police collected all available physical and scientific evidence to nail the accused in the case. Key witnesses were examined and a detailed charge sheet was filed in the court, the commissioner said, adding that it was a heinous rape and murder case.

He said that steps were taken to conduct a speedy trial.

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13:53 (IST)10 Feb 2021
157 new coronavirus cases, 1 death recorded in Telangana

Telangana recorded 157 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total positives to nearly 2.96 lakh while one related fatality pushed the toll to 1,613.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 27, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy with 11 and 10 respectively, a government bulletin said on Wednesday.

The total number of cases stood at 2,95,988 while recoveries were at 2,92,578. As many as 1,797 patients are under treatment and 29,666 samples were tested on Tuesday. Cumulatively, over 81.84 lakh samples have been tested. The samples tested per million population was over 2.19 lakh, the bulletin said.

The case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 per cent while the recovery rate in Telangana was 98.84 per cent. (PTI)

13:11 (IST)10 Feb 2021
MANUU students urge administration to reopen campus

Students at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) have urged the administration to reopen the campus as per the SOP laid down by the government at the earliest. In a release, Umar Faruq Quadri, the former president of the students union at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) said that students want to return to academic activities on campus since they have already enrolled for various programs and are currently attending online classes.

Echoing the concerns of the students on the effect of COVID-19 and online classes on the physical and mental health of students, Faruq said that online classes are not a permanent substitute for offline classes. Citing that the UGC has approved the reopening of universities and colleges and various institutions having resumed offline classes, Faruq urged authorities at MANUU to reopen the campus and resume offline classes by the end of this month to minimise loss to students. 

"We have requested the university reopen campus for students and resume offline classes by the end of this February so as to minimize loss to the students. If university administration fails to reopen the university with due arrangements and precautions, we students will be left with no other option but to enter the university, and occupy hostels", he said.

12:32 (IST)10 Feb 2021
296 fever clinics conducted in Chennai Tuesday

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted 296 fever clinics in Chennai on Tuesday. A total of 18,499 people attended the clinics, with swabs collected from 147 people who were identified with ILI symptoms, while others were provided with medication for minor ailments.

The most number of camps were held in Tondiarpet (Zone 4) where 39 camps had been set up, while Manali (Zone 2) had the least with five camps.

11:56 (IST)10 Feb 2021
Telangana TS SSC exam time table 2021 released

The Telangana School Education Department has released the time table for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations in Telangana. The exam will start with language paper on May 17 from 9:30 am to 12:45 pm, and to conclude with vocational course on May 26.

Due to pandemic, the paper pattern has been changed this year. The students will now appear for six papers for six subjects instead of 11 papers earlier. As part of the new paper pattern. the paper 1 and 2 of first language, English, mathematics, general science (physics and biology) and social studies shall be merged into a single paper instead of two papers for each subject. There shall be no change in the second language paper.

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11:30 (IST)10 Feb 2021
Hyderabad: Four held for trafficking women to Gulf countries

In a crackdown on trafficking of women to Gulf countries, Rachakonda police in Telangana raided a travel agency Tuesday and arrested four of its employees for trying to illegally send a woman to Muscat on a visiting visa instead of a work visa.

The woman was promised a job as a domestic help in Muscat and was scheduled to travel there on February 7, but decided against boarding the flight at the last minute and in turn complained to the police.

A case is registered at Medipally police station against travel agents Shaik Md Imtiyaz (35), Nune Subbamma (27), driver Gundugala Subba Rayudu (38), and office assistant Md Haroon (52). Three of the accused are absconding and include Md Naseer, the director of Al Hayath Tours and Travels manpower recruiting agency, his daughter and owner of the agency Sumaiya Fathima (23), and one Sayed (45). They are charged under sections 420 (cheating), 509 (intuition to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code, and also under section 25 of the Emigration Act.

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11:04 (IST)10 Feb 2021
1 in 4 persons in Telangana have antibodies against COVID-19: ICMR sero survey

An ICMR sero survey conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition in districts of Jangaon, Nalgonda, and Kamareddy in December 2020 has found that one in every four persons in Telangana have antibodies against Covid-19 virus.

10:34 (IST)10 Feb 2021
Cyberabad police uncover fraudulent investment scheme floated by Chinese nationals; three arrested

The Cyberabad police arrested three men from Delhi on Monday in connection with a massive fraudulent investment scheme floated by two Chinese nationals. The accused have, as per initial estimates, collected Rs 50 crore from 20,000 investors from across the country by promising them a return of 4.5 times their investment in 90 days, at a daily interest rate of 11 percent, said police.

Uday Pratap (41) of Gurgaon, Nitesh Kumar Kothari (36) of Dwarka, and Rajesh Sharma (36) of Gurgaon were arrested by Cyberabad police for enticing the public with huge returns on investments through www.ciciseo.com in the name of ‘Shared Bike (BK)’/ ‘Sharing Economy’. In the market, it is popularly known as Shared BK App. The three accused, police said, were working for Zhang Hongwei alias Peter and Peng Guowei alias Javie, both Chinese nationals who are currently absconding. According to police, Peng Guowei alias Javie left India in January 2020 and did not return due to international travel restrictions whereas Zhang Hongwei never visited India.

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09:51 (IST)10 Feb 2021
253 flights to fly between Chennai and major cities today

A total of 253 flights will be operated between Chennai and major cities today, with 126 arrivals and 127 departures scheduled at the Chennai International Airport.

09:33 (IST)10 Feb 2021
Power to be suspended in parts of Chennai today

Tangedco has announced a powercut in parts of Chennai today from 9 am to 2 pm to carry out maintenance work.

Here are the affected areas:

  • Kodungaiyur: Andal Nagar, Iswarya Nagar, Thendral Nagar - 1st to 8th Streets; Vedantha Murugappan Street, SR nagar, Raghavendra Nagar, Suganthammal Nagar, Parts of KMA Garden, KKD Nagar - Blocks 1 to 9; Sidco Nagar, Vyasarpadi Pudunagar, Pumping Station, North Avenue Road and nearby areas.
  • Pallavaram: Old Pallavaram, Zamin Pallavaram, Thirusulam, Rajaji Nagar, Bharathi Nagar, GST Road Pallavaram, Muthamil Nagar, Moongil Eri, Bhavani Nagar, Vaithiyalingam Road, Officer's Lane and nearby areas.
09:15 (IST)10 Feb 2021
TN records 469 fresh cases, 4 deaths

Tamil Nadu recorded 469 positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the state tally to 8,42,730. Among these, Chennai reported 139 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,32,603. The state recorded four deaths on Tuesday, putting the state toll at 12,391. All four of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. A total of 491 patients were discharged following treatment, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,26,011.

As of Tuesday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 4328. Till date, 5,09,299 males, 3,33,397 females and 34 transgenders have tested positive for the virus in the state.

According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 1,64,91,030 samples from the state have been tested till date, with 51,174 samples having been sent yesterday. There are 254 COVID-19 testing facilities in the state, out of which 68 are government and 186 are private facilities.

09:11 (IST)10 Feb 2021
Welcome to today's live blog

Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai and Hyderabad where we bring to you the latest updates on Tamil Nadu elections 2021, COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, UK COVID-19 virus in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and more across Chennai and Hyderabad throughout the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the states in real time.

In a shot in the arm for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, late screen legend and Rajya Sabha MP Sivaji Ganesan’s son Ramkumar and former Chennai mayor Karate R Thiagarajan joined the saffron party on Thursday.

They were ushered into the saffron fold in the presence of top state BJP leader L Murugan and party national secretary CT Ravi.

READ | Sivaji Ganesan's son, former Chennai Mayor join BJP ahead of TN polls, Congress hits out

The general body meeting of actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) commenced on Thursday to decide on the party’s prospective alliance partners and other party developments. The meeting, presided over by party president Kamal Haasan, is taking place at a marriage hall in the outskirts of the city.

On several occasions, Kamal Haasan has said he will form an alliance with honest people. He has also categorically ruled out an alliance with Dravidian parties, alleging they are “corrupt”.

READ | Kamal Haasan's party meets to decide on prospective alliance partners

For assistance on COVID-19-related queries and mental health support in Chennai, citizens can contact the Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) COVID-19 helpline 044 46122300 | Citizens can find the nearest GCC-facilitated COVID-19 fever clinic here | For lodging rain-related complaints and assistance during the monsoon, citizens can contact the GCC's monsoon helplines 044 25384530 or 044 25384540 or the control room 1913 (available 24x7)

Chennai Hyderabad February 9, 10 Highlights

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