Latest news with #Parvathy
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu: Jai Bhim Rajakannu's custodial death in 1993 and striking parallels to Sivaganga Ajith Kumar case
A chilling custodial death that occurred 32 years ago at the Kammapuram police station in Vridhachalam, South Arcot District (present-day Cuddalore), has disturbing parallels with the recent illegal detention and murder of Ajith Kumar, a temple security guard, in Sivaganga district. In March 1993, Kadirvel Padayachi, a locally influential man, lodged a complaint at the Kammapuram station alleging theft of 43 sovereigns of jewellery from his house. He claimed some members of the Kuravar community from a nearby village were spotted in the area the previous night. Acting on the complaint, Sub Inspector Anthonisami and five policemen visited the house of Rajakannu, an agricultural labourer from the Kuravar community on March 20. Rajakannu was not at home, so they detained his wife Parvathy, two of their children — Mariappan (25) and Ravi (13)—and his brother-in-law Rathnam (55), and brought them to the station. All four were beaten with lathis. Also Read | The custodial death case behind Jai Bhim When Rajakannu learnt of their detention, he rushed to the station around noon on March 21. The police detained him and released the others. The next day, when Parvathy returned with food, she found her husband stripped, tied to a window bar and being beaten. He collapsed during the assault, but the police continued caning him. 'When I questioned them, I was again beaten and couldn't even breathe,' she later recalled in court. As his condition deteriorated, a homeopathy doctor was summoned. He administered an injection and applied ointment to Rajakannu's wounds. After the doctor left, the police resumed the torture. They later instructed Parvathy to leave. Also Read | Meet Justice K Chandru, the inspiration behind Suriya's 'Jai Bhim' Around 6 p.m., Parvathy returned to her village, only to hear from locals that police had come by earlier and claimed Rajakannu had escaped from custody. Fearing the worst, Parvathy, with the help of local activists, sent telegrams (used in the pre-email days) to the Chief Minister and the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. She alleged that the police had killed her husband and disposed of his body to cover up the crime. For a month, Rajakannu remained missing. DATA | Custodial deaths: Police convictions remain zero in Tamil Nadu and beyond With the help of her lawyer K. Chandru — who later became a judge of the Madras High Court — Parvathy filed a habeas corpus petition seeking Rajakannu's production in court. The police maintained that he had escaped, and a 'man missing' case was registered. But the court chose to probe further. During CB-CID's probe, IPS officer B. Perumalsamy who was heading the agency, stumbled upon a case at the Meensurutty police station in neighbouring Tiruchi district — around 40 km away — where an unidentified male body had been found near a temple some weeks earlier. The body had been photographed before a post-mortem was conducted. The autopsy revealed multiple injuries including fractured ribs. The doctor concluded that the death was caused by shock and haemorrhage, and that all injuries were ante-mortem. 'External injuries 1 to 4 could have been caused by beating with lathi. The fracture of ribs may be due to fisting and kicking on the chest. External injuries 1 to 4 are simple while the fracture of the ribs is grievous. Death would have occurred 24 to 36 hours prior to autopsy,' the doctor noted. WATCH | Sivaganga custodial death - The chilling murder of Ajith Kumar Photographs confirmed the body was Rajakannu's. The Kammapuram police had fabricated the escape story, taken Rajakannu's naked body and dumped it far from the crime scene to evade scrutiny. 'The identification of the dead body and the cause of death, the time of death and other circumstances together with the report submitted before us disclose offences punishable on various counts including under Section 302, I.P.C. and 302 read with Section 34, Sections 218 and 220, I.P.C. establish the place of occurrences as the Kammapuram Police Station and identify the offenders including the fourth respondent,' the High Court noted. The acclaimed Tamil film Jai Bhim (2021) was based on Rajakannu's life. While the film ends on a hopeful note, in reality, Rajakannu never returned. DATA POINT | Police convicted for recent custodial deaths in India: zero As the High Court observed in 1994: 'This case is only one such example where indifference after the complaint was lodged, of the men in power and senior police officers and casual approach of the courts... cause severe blow to the truth... If such people... rise to the occasion and act promptly, real danger to the system and the polity can be avoided.' Eventually, the policemen involved were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment. In an ironic parallel to the Ajith Kumar case, the missing jewels in Rajakannu's case were never traced.
New Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kerala HC recommends govt pleader's promotion
KOCHI: In an unusual move, the Kerala High Court has recommended the state government to promote a government pleader, during the hearing of a case in which she appeared. The HC made the recommendation to promote Parvathy as the senior government pleader while it was considering a petition filed by the wife of an educational officer and their daughter seeking to disburse Death-Cum-Retirement Gratuity (DCRG) to them. In the interim order issued on June 11, Justice D K Singh said, 'Parvathy Kottol, the government pleader, who may be designated as senior government pleader as she has completed more than 12 years of practice, and the government has not yet designated her as senior government pleader, for which the necessary decision is to be taken by the government.' The petition was filed on March 22, and in the last hearing, which was on June 11, Parvathy had sought time to file an objection to the petition. The court granted three weeks and made the recommendation. The petitioner had sought a directive to the deputy director of general education, Alappuzha, to issue the non-liability certificate (NLC) of the petitioners to the treasury officer so as to release the DCRG due to them.
New Indian Express
06-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Collective action can bring change: Assistant collector launches TNIE-SIB initiative
KOCHI: Highlighting the power of community participation, Ernakulam Assistant Collector Parvathy Gopakumar on Thursday launched ExSeed Green, a World Environment Day initiative by The New Indian Express in collaboration with South Indian Bank (SIB), aimed at encouraging readers across Kerala to take up farming. Speaking at the event, she said the initiative, though simple in its approach by distributing a packet of seeds with the newspaper, carries the potential for meaningful impact when embraced collectively. 'It is a good initiative that The New Indian Express and South Indian Bank are joining as part of a CSR activity. When an action is taken collectively, it can bring a change,' Parvathy said.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Vidhu Vincent counters Parvathy's criticism on Hema Committee Report: 'Don't shoot wildly just because you're a star'
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Filmmaker Vidhu Vincent has responded strongly to actress Parvathy Thiruvothu 's recent criticism of the Kerala government over the delay in implementing the Hema Committee recommendations. In a lengthy social media post titled 'Hema Committee Report and Government Action: Facts', Vidhu urged for a fact-based discussion and stated that 'sensible women like Parvathy should not pass judgments without understanding the truth. ' Stand Up gets off to a grand start Parvathy questions delay in action Parvathy, in a post tagging Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, questioned the lack of progress in implementing the committee's recommendations, stating, 'Now can we focus on the ACTUAL reason this committee was formed? Putting policies in place to help make regulations in the industry? What is happening with that? No rush? It's only been five and a half years since the report was submitted.' Her post triggered widespread debate, prompting Vidhu to lay out the steps taken by the state since the report's submission. Vidhu reacts - None of them were willing to proceed with police cases afterward In her post, Vidhu noted that even those who had testified before the Hema Committee—including Parvathy—were unwilling to take legal action later. 'It is a fact that even though actors like Parvathy and others gave testimonies... none of them were willing to proceed with police cases afterward,' she wrote, adding that both the Special Investigation Team and the Crime Branch confirmed that statements were later withdrawn. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3BHK Transformation Possible for ₹4.5 Lakh? HomeLane Get Quote Undo She stressed that, 'Legal action requires the full cooperation and testimony of the victims/survivors—without that, it's impossible to pursue cases effectively.' 'Criticism is always healthy. But don't shoot wildly…' Vidhu further emphasized that the Hema Committee was not meant solely to register cases but to act as a foundation for a broader film policy. She detailed government efforts such as: over 20 rounds of consultations, discussions with over 400 stakeholders, and initiatives to empower women in film. Concluding, Vidhu added, 'Criticism is always healthy. But don't shoot wildly just because you're a star… That's what Kerala expects from aware and thoughtful voices like Parvathy and others.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Parvathy Thiruvothu slams Kerala Government over delay in acting on Hema committee report
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu has publicly criticised the Kerala government for its continued delay in implementing the recommendations of the Hema Committee report — a document submitted over five years ago to address systemic issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. In a strongly worded Instagram story, the acclaimed actor expressed frustration at the lack of progress and directly questioned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the current status of the report's implementation. 'It's ONLY been 5 and a half years': Parvathy's sarcasm hits hard Highlighting the prolonged inaction, Parvathy wrote, 'Now can we focus on the ACTUAL reason this committee was formed? Putting policies in place to help make regulations in the industry?' She followed it with a sarcastic jab, stating, 'No need to rush as it's ONLY been 5 and a half years since the report was submitted.' Her remarks come amid reports that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was probing matters linked to the committee's findings, may be preparing to close some of the cases — though no official confirmation has been made. Parvathy feels like her mom after getting her nose pierced Hema Committee's relevance beyond individual cases Parvathy's comments echo the sentiment of many in the film fraternity who believe the core purpose of the Hema Committee has been sidelined. Film editor and Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) member Bina Paul also criticised the government's inaction, emphasising that the report highlights deeper structural issues and not just individual complaints. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The committee, led by veteran actor Hema, was formed to assess the working conditions of women in the Malayalam film industry after a series of serious allegations surfaced. 'Not easy to read, but necessary': Parvathy on report's impact In an earlier interview with NDTV, Parvathy described the report as difficult but essential reading. 'I am not okay with the findings,' she said, calling it a beginning rather than a conclusion. She stressed that it's time for more people to speak up and ensure the findings don't gather dust. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
