‘Gap between rescue and prosecution a hurdle in tackling crimes against children'
The discussion took centre stage at the State-level consultation 'Human Trafficking in India: Strengthening Convergence and Prevention Mechanisms', held in Chennai. It was organised by Just Rights for Children in collaboration with the Department of Children Welfare and Special Services.
S. Santhana Kumar, Senior Civil Judge and Deputy Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority, M. Casimir Raj, member, Tamil Nadu State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, M. Ragavendran, Assistant Security Commissioner, Southern Railway, G. Vanitha, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Against Women and Children, were among those present at the event.
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The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Madras High Court judges to visit Coimbatore forests where steel wire rope fences are proposed for human-elephant conflict prevention
Two judges of the Madras High Court have decided to conduct a personal inspection of the 10-kilometre long stretch, at Thondamuthur in Coimbatore district, where the Tamil Nadu government had proposed to erect a steel wire rope fencing to prevent Human-Elephant Conflicts (HEC). Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy would be visiting the stretch, and other places where elephant movement could be spotted in Mettupalayam region, along with amici curiae T. Mohan, Chevanan Mohan, Rahul Balaji and M. Santhanaraman on September 5 and 6, 2025. The judges have asked Special Government Pleader (forests) T. Seenivasan too to join them in the inspection besides making arrangements for it in coordination with the district forest officials. Activist S. Muralidharan had objected to the erection of the steel wire rope fencing near the forests. However, defending the government's decision to erect the fencing, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-cum-Chief Wildlife Warden (PCCF-cum-CWC) Rakesh Kumar Dogra told the court that that though it was proposed to put up the fence for a distance of 30 km, financial sanction was accorded only for 10 km. Deaths and compensation 'Coimbatore forest division was spread over 693.48 sqkm and shared a boundary with habitations for a length of about 350 km where it was vulnerable to HEC. Elephants had strayed out 9,710 times in this division in the past three years and 147 deaths had occurred during 2011-2022,' the officer said. He also stated that the government had to pay a compensation of ₹11.35 crore to the families of the dead. He added traditional methods of digging elephant proof trenches and erecting solar fences had proved to be ineffective with the pachyderms that indulge in crop raiding and house breaking in the area. 'Hence, it was decided that elephant proof steel wire rope fencing could be done on a pilot basis in Thondamuthur. Accordingly, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin made the announcement on November 6, 2024 and a Government Order sanctioning ₹5 crore was issued on February 4, 2025,' he said. Amici curiae's objection On their part, the amici curiae filed a note before the Division Bench objecting to the proposal to erect the steel wire rope fencing since the area marked an abrupt shift from forest to private lands. They said, the terrain was slopy and there was no buffer zone for elephants to navigate. 'The steep slopes and the fence together will lock the area with no other solution for the elephants but to circumnavigate the hills or try to force themselves through the fence. In both cases, the risk of mortality will be increased,' the amici curiae said by relying upon certain studies undertaken in the area. 'As the fence covers 10 km, elephants coming into the private from the adjacent forests will be prevented from accessing the forests on the other side and it may lead to more conflict. Closing forests completely will solve problems locally but shift the conflict elsewhere,' they added. The lawyers also said: 'A scientific study must be undertaken to understand the impacts before fencing... The Forest Department is in the process of notifying elephant corridors across Tamil Nadu. Until the corridors in Coimbatore region are consolidated and notified, the fencing may be held off.' After perusing the PCCF-cum-CWC's counter affidavit as well as the note submitted by the amici curiae, the judges wrote: 'We are of the view that personal inspection is required in the matter. Accordingly, we propose to visit Mettupalayam and other places where the proposed fencing is to be erected along with the learned Special Government Pleader and learned amici curiae.'
India.com
6 days ago
- India.com
PM Modi To Visit US For High-Level UNGA Session In September
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to participate in the high-level United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session and address it on September 26, according to the preliminary programme. This will be a milestone meeting for the UN, which turns 80 this year and the General Assembly's theme is "Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights". A high-level meeting will be held on September 22 to commemorate the 80th anniversary. The next day, the regular high-level sessions will start with the first address, as per tradition, by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He will be followed by US President Donald Trump. Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China will not be attending the high-level session. Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, and Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran are on the list of speakers. In the September 26 morning session that starts at 9 a.m. (6:30 p.m. in India), PM Modi will be preceded by Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Li Qiang of China, and Keir Starmer of Britain. Prime Ministers Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, K.P. Sharma Oli of Nepal, and Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan are pencilled in later that session. Bangladesh's "prime minister" is listed as the morning session's last speaker, and it will likely be Muhammad Yunus, who styles himself as the Chief Advisor to the caretaker government set up after the overthrow of the democratically elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. PM Modi's address this year will be his seventh to the General Assembly's high-level session.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
HC quashes PIL against ex-judges with 10,000 fine
Chennai: Calling it frivolous and publicity-seeking, Madras high court has dismissed a PIL seeking action against seven former judges of the high court for 'interfering' with the judicial process by addressing a letter to Justice G R Swaminathan. The letter asked him to refrain from initiating contempt action against an advocate. The court also imposed 10,000 as fine on petitioner Varaaki. "This plea is nothing but a publicity-seeking litigation. The issue will be dealt within the administrative side of the court. We do not want people like you to poke your nose into such matters," the first bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Sunder Mohan said on Wednesday. "Irrespective of the merits of the pending cases before the court, we are not convinced with the submission made by the petitioner that such letters or communication, if any, sent by any person, including the former judge as named in the petition and impleaded as respondent, are intended to influence judicial proceedings," the court said. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Gold Rates Today in Chennai | Silver Rates Today in Chennai The judges added that the attempt to malign certain individuals is evident from the petitioner's conduct. In the result, the writ petition is liable to be dismissed and is, accordingly, dismissed with cost of 10,000 payable to the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority within two weeks, the bench said. The issue pertains to a complaint lodged by Madurai-based advocate S Vanchinathan, alleging 'caste-based bias' against Justice Swaminathan to the CJI. On the presumption that the bench headed by Justice Swaminathan was likely to initiate contempt of court action against Vanchinathan, seven former judges of the court led by Justice K Chandru addressed a communication to Justice Swaminathan, asking him to refrain from initiating any such action, as it is for the chief justice of India to take a call on the complaint. Alleging that the appeal made by the seven retired judges to Justice Swaminathan amounts to interference in judicial proceedings, a petitioner, Varaaki, filed the present plea seeking to forbid the retired judges from issuing such letters. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
