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Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Mid-term polls in four Chennai wards by month-end
Cleared - mani Chennai: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is set to conduct midterm elections to four wards that have remained without elected representatives for more than two years. The wards — 165 (Adambakkam), 146 (Alapakkam and Maduravoyal), 122 (Alwarpet and Nandanam), and 59 (Island Grounds)— have been vacant following the deaths of their respective councillors. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Deputy mayor M Mahesh Kumar said the by-elections will be held by the end of the month. "The election process will begin once nominations are filed, and candidates are shortlisted. Campaigns will follow accordingly," he said. The earliest vacancy occurred in Nov 2022, while the most recent was in Ward 59, where Councillor Saraswathy passed away a year ago. As per election regulations, midterm elections must be conducted within six months of a ward falling vacant. However, the delays have left residents without local representation for an extended period. Residents of Maduravoyal, where DMK councillor Shanmugam died in August 2023, said they were struggling to sort out garbage issues and segregation of garbage for almost a year. "Garbage collection has been a menace and improper in Bharathi Nagar. The waste is only collected once every two or three days. It would have been easier for us to raise complaints with the help of a councillor," said R Kavitha, a resident. Residents across the affected wards had anticipated that the elections would be held alongside the recent parliamentary elections. The prolonged absence of elected councillors has also impacted ward-level development activities. "In Ganapathy Colony and the interior lanes of Cenotaph Road, roads damaged during last December's monsoon are yet to be repaired. With a councillor, funds from the ward development scheme could have been used immediately. Now, the Corporation has to follow the tendering process, which takes time," said T Kamesh, a resident of Alwarpet. Ward development funds amounting to approximately Rs 55 lakh per ward have remained unutilised due to the absence of elected representatives. MSID:: 120904310 413 |
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Time of India
Four held day after 23cr diamond theft at city hotel
Chennai: A group of robbers who made away with a 23-crore diamond couldn't hold on to it for even a day. On Monday, Chennai police arrested four robbers as they fled to Tuticorin. The stolen diamond was also recovered from the gang. The four were identified as John Lloyd, 34, of Iyyappanthangal, S Vijay, 24, of Valasaravakkam, R Ratheesh, 28, of Thiruverkadu, and G Arun Pandiarajan, 32, of Paramakudi. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai The robbers, masquerading as potential buyers had on Sunday met up with Chandrashekar, 69, an antique jewellery dealer from Anna Nagar at the Green Park Hotel at Vadapalani, promising to buy the diamond. The day before they had gone to his home to 'check the authenticity' of the gemstone, flaunting their expertise, which they had picked up from YouTube. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo They asked him to visit their hotel to close the deal. Chandrashekar went to the hotel with his adopted daughter Janaki, friend Subramani, and his driver. While Janaki and the driver waited outside, Chandrashekar and Subramani entered the hotel room. Between 12.30pm and 3.30pm, Chandrashekar remained in touch with Janaki via phone, but she lost touch soon after. It turned out that the robbers asked Subramani to leave the room on the pretext of paying Chandrashekar a token advance. The robbers then overpowered the dealer and tied him to a chair. Janaki rushed to the hotel room when she couldn't contact her father and found him tied up. She immediately alerted the hotel management and the police. Deputy commissioner of police (T Nagar) S Kuthalingam formed four special teams under assistant commissioner V Gauthaman and inspector Srinivasan. The teams scrutinised CCTV camera footage from the hotel and traffic junctions, analysed cell tower data, and monitored toll booths for the suspects' movement. Initial leads indicated the involvement of a Sivakasi-based mastermind and a special team was dispatched to Sivakasi, while another team coordinated with Tuticorin district police. The Tuticorin police, led by superintendent of police Albert John, intercepted the suspects at Pandiyapuram check-post in Pudur. Police said the four men were involved in the used automobile business, and conspired to steal the diamond after shadowing Chandrashekar for a month. The suspects purchased testing kits and gadgets through an online portal before carrying out the crime. They used two middlemen to gain access to the dealer. Police are probing the role of the owner of the getaway car. "We will question Chandrashekar on how he came into possession of the stone," a senior officer said.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
CM Stalin awards students, felicitates govt fine arts colleges at Tamil week finale
Chennai: Chief minister M K Stalin on Sunday gave away prizes to students and felicitated govt music and fine arts colleges during the valedictory of the Tamil Week Celebrations held at Kalaivanar Arangam. Stalin had earlier announced in the state assembly that Tamil Week would be celebrated from April 29 to May 5, marking Bharathidasan's birth anniversary, with poetry sessions, literary seminars, competitions for students, and cultural performances organised across Tamil Nadu to promote Tamil language pride. A 50 lakh fund was allocated for the celebrations, coordinated by the Tamil Development and Information Department. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai On Sunday, he handed over 10 lakh cheques to five Tamil writers — Kavikko Abdul Rahman, Mervin, A Pazhani, Ko Ma Kodhandam, and Ilama Tamilnavan — whose works were nationalised during the event. Officials said these nationalisations reflect the govt's commitment to bringing Tamil literary works into public ownership. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In Sankt-peterburg - Watch What Happens Happy in Shape Undo A series of cultural performances marked the ceremony. A debate moderated by Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation Chairman Dindigul I Leoni explored whether Bharathidasan's songs highlighted linguistic pride or social consciousness. Notably, in the past four years, the govt nationalised 1,442 works of 32 Tamil scholars to make their writings accessible to the public and preserve Tamil literary heritage.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
GCC to hire 141 PE Teachers
Status: cleared Chennai: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will hire 141 physical education (PE) teachers for its schools on a temporary basis for the upcoming 2025–2026 academic year. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran said the recruitment aims to improve students' sports skills and help them perform better in competitions. A total of Rs 2.34 crore has been allocated for this purpose. PE teachers in middle schools will be paid Rs 15,000 per month, while those in high and higher secondary schools will receive Rs 18,000 per month. Deputy Mayor M Mahesh Kumar told TOI that the corporation will also build courts for football, tennis, badminton, volleyball, and basketball. Each zone will have dedicated staff to maintain playgrounds. Secure storage facilities will be set up so that children can safely borrow and return sports equipment, he added. The corporation has set aside Rs 1.25 crore to buy sports equipment for 105 corporation schools. Students who take part in track events at least three times will receive branded shoes worth Rs 2,500. Additionally, Rs 500 per student has been allocated to cover travel and food costs for those representing their schools at zonal, district, and state-level competitions. To improve security, 171 temporary security guards will be appointed at a cost of Rs 5 crore. The GCC has also allocated Rs 2 crore to set up reading zones in 70 parks and Rs 43 crore to renovate 300 parks across the core city. These include Anna Park in Royapuram, Dr Natesan Park in T Nagar, and MMDA Park in Manali. Moreover, 10 special parks for children with disabilities will be built at a cost of Rs 3 crore. MSID:: 120852461 413 |
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Admitting an appeal is judicial duty, not administrative: HC
Chennai: Madras high court has held again that only judges, not the court registry officials, have the authority to decide whether an appeal should be admitted or rejected for hearing since it is a judicial function and not administrative in nature. "It is well settled that a judicial function of the court cannot be delegated. The court may delegate its ministerial functions to its officers, which it has done through the Appellate Side Rules," observed Judge N Sathish Kumar while issuing an interim stay on the final judgment of the principal district court, Perambalur, in a civil suit. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Last month, Justice GR Swaminathan had observed that he disagreed with the views of Justice Sathish Kumar expressed while hearing another case in March. He cited inconsistencies between the rules of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) and the Appellate Side Rules of the Madras high court to disagree with Justice Sathish Kumar. However, Justice Sathish Kumar delved deeper into Order 41 Rules 9 and 11 of CPC and Order II Rules 1 to 3 of the Appellate Side Rules and observed there is no inconsistency between the rules as perceived by the division bench. "Only Rule 3(1)(a) of the Appellate Side Rules deals with appeals against original decrees of subordinate courts in which the Registrar shall issue notices forthwith," the judge observed. Saying that the Supreme Court had consistently held that an admission hearing under Order 41 Rule 11 must be before the first appellate court, the judge said it would be impermissible to delegate such judicial functions to the Deputy Registrar. "In such view of the matter, the Registry shall continue to list first appeals for admission before the Court under Order 41 Rule 11 of CPC," the judge said.
