Tamil Nadu

Law

The court also ordered the government to issue a fresh order for the transfer of the case to CBI, since the earlier order revealed the identity of the survivor.

Megha Kaveri

A day after the Coimbatore district police issued a statement requesting people to not circulate the videos related to Pollachi sexual assault case, the Madras High Court ordered that all the videos be removed from the internet. The order came from the Madurai bench of the High Court, on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one Ilamugil from Trichy in which he stated that social media plays an important role in our daily lives. Explaining that though social media has many benefits, it has a lot of disadvantages too, Ilamugil submitted that videos, pictures and audio files related to sexual offences are being circulated on social media. His petition also stated that the Supreme Court has ordered that the identity of the victim in sexual crimes shall not be revealed in the FIR, court documents or in the media. Violation of this rule shall invite punishment under section 228A of the IPC which indicates an imprisonment for a period of 6 months to 2 years. Adding that the SP had recently revealed the identity of the survivor in the Pollachi sexual assault case, Ilamugil asked the court to order a swift completion of the investigation and form separate teams in every district to investigate sexual offences. He also sought an order directing the investigating teams to follow the guidelines set by the Supreme Court in probing sexual crimes. He further wanted the court to ban the publishing of videos, photos and audio related to violent and sexual crimes on social media. This petition was heard by Justices N Kirubakaran and SS Sundar on Friday and the bench ordered the central government to ban videos related to the Pollachi sexual assault case on the internet. Since the government order issued for transfer of the case to CBI revealed the identity of the survivor and it was revoked, the court also ordered the state government to issue a fresh GO to effect the same. Expressing hope that suitable departmental action will be taken on those who disclosed the identity of the survivor, including the SP, the court advocated for proper awareness to be created amidst people regarding videos and internet services in sexual crimes. The judges also ordered that the school textbooks must include content on the pros and cons of internet, and transferred the case to the principal bench of the Madras High Court in Chennai.

Body 2:

Controversy

“At a time when the Model Code of Conduct is in place...please immediately probe into how permission was granted for such an event,” the director wrote in an urgent notice.

Anjana Shekar

Facebook/Rahul Gandhi

A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed a gathering of young college students in Chennai, the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department is probing into how permission was granted for an interaction of a political leader with students at a government aided college. Citing the Model Code of Conduct that came into place on March 10 Director of Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department wrote to her Joint Director to immediately look into how permission was granted. Rahul Gandhi addressed students at the Stella Maris College of Arts and Science in Chennai on Wednesday as part of his campaign ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. On Thursday, in a notice marked ‘Very Urgent’, Higher Education Director Charumathi wrote to her joint director regarding the event, specifying that the college where it was held is a government aided institution. Citing media reports, she wrote, “There are several media reports that a political leader participated in an interaction with students at Stella Maris College, Chennai-86, on 13.3.2019. At a time when the Model Code of Conduct is in place for the 2019 Parliamentary Elections, please immediately probe into how permission was granted for such an event and revert to this office.” The morning college at Stella Maris is government aided, whereas the evening college is autonomous. The notice comes a day after Rahul Gandhi’s speech at the college, which was televised live, and where hundreds of students had participated. Rahul Gandhi took questions from the students at the institute, and announced that if his party comes to power, they will bring in reservation for women in government jobs at all levels. To the all women audience, Rahul also remarked that Congress would pass the Women’s Reservation Bill to ensure more women are represented in the state legislatures and the Parliament. Rahul’s visit to Chennai came ahead of the party’s public rally in Nagercoil. Flanked by key TNCC leaders including P Chidambaram, Khushbu, CR Kesavan, and KS Alagiri, Rahul addressed media later that day in the state’s capital before flying to Nagercoil for his public rally.

Body 2:

Crime

Five minor girls of a hostel have accused the correspondent, identified as Dharmaraju, of sexual assault and misbehaviour.

Megha Kaveri

Image for representation

The Trichy police have filed an FIR against Dharmaraju, a 65-year-old correspondent of a school, for sexually assaulting minor girls at a hostel which is affiliated to the school. According to the police, the incident came to light when the parents of one of the girls living in the hostel filed a complaint with the Lalgudi All Womens’ Police Station in Trichy district. Speaking to TNM, a police officer in the station said that on February 27, the girl called her mother and told that Dharmaraju had sexually assaulted her. “The parents, who were shocked to hear this, had come to the hostel to meet their daughter in person. However, since the girl had gone to school by then, they couldn’t meet her. Then they came here and filed an official complaint against the correspondent,” she said. Dharmaraju has been in charge of the hostel for the past 10-15 years, the police said. “We went to the hostel and conducted an inquiry with the children there. Four other girls, aged between 10 and 14, also spoke up at that time, saying that Dharmaraju had behaved in a similar manner with them as well. Based on this, we registered an FIR against him the same day,” she said. Dharmaraju absconded and the police could not arrest him immediately. On March 1, he surrendered in the Musiri court and the police took him into custody. He complained of chest pain and was taken to a hospital by the police. “He has been admitted at the hospital since that day. Once he is discharged, we will proceed with the formalities and inquiry in this case,” the officer said. An FIR was registered against Dharmaraju under Sections 9 (l) [sexual assault on a child more than once], 9 (d) [sexual assault on a child in a home by the staff or member of management of such home] and 10 [Punishment for aggravated sexual assault] of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Body 2:

Court

The petition filed in SC comes on the same day as the Madras HC order for videos and photos related to the Pollachi sexual assault case to be removed from the internet.

TNM Staff

File Image/PTI

With investigation by the CB-CID in the Pollachi sexual assault racket ongoing, Public Interest Litigations (PIL) are being filed in courts in Tamil Nadu and New Delhi related to the case. On Friday, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court asking for action to be taken against Coimbatore SP R Pandiarajan, who compromised the identity of the 19-year-old survivor who filed the complaint. The petition also asked for the court to ‘provide necessary safeguard to the victims and their immediate family members and to keep their identity under secrecy’. The PIL requested the court to instruct the Director General of Police of Tamil Nadu to initiate departmental inquiry against Pandiarajan, who revealed the survivor’s identity in a televised press conference on March 1. Apart from the SP’s erroneous conduct, a government order issued on Wednesday to transfer the case to the CBI also insensitively revealed details such as the name and college of the survivor. Further, the petition also pled for the apex court to order the CBI for a fair, free and impartial probe in the matter and submit reports from time to time. Coincidentally, this petition was filed on the same day as the order by the Madurai bench of Madras High Court ordering the central government to take down all the videos and photos related to the Pollachi sexual assault case online. The High Court also expressed hope that suitable departmental action be taken against all the officials involved in revealing the identity of the survivor who had filed the complaint. The police have so far arrested four men in relation to the case namely, Sabarirajan, Sathish, Thirunavakkarasu and Vasanthakumar; and investigation is underway. The four men have allegedly been using the same modus operandi and trapping women for years – they would befriend them on social media, engage in sexual acts with them or sexually assault them when they met in person and record videos of the same. They would then use these videos to blackmail the women for sexual or monetary favours.

Body 2:

Pollachi sexual assault case

The summons was issued based on a complaint by Pollachi MLA and TN Deputy Speaker Pollachi Jayaraman, who accused Nakkeeran Gopal of defamation.

TNM Staff

Chennai Cyber Crime Police summoned Gopal, the editor of the Tamil bi-weekly Nakkeeran on Friday. The summons was based on a complaint by Pollachi MLA and Tamil Nadu Deputy Speaker Pollachi Jayaraman who alleged that Gopal was defaming him. This after the journalist released a 24-minute-long video allegedly linking him (Pollachi Jayaraman) and his sons to the sexual assault and extortion of a 19-year-old college student from Tamil Nadu’s Pollachi town. Sivakumar, Gopal’s legal counsel, appeared before the Cyber Crime Police on Friday in his stead, explaining that the editor was out of town. Speaking to media persons outside the Old Commissioner’s office, he stated that the summons to Gopal would not stand legal scrutiny. “The complaint states that Nakkeeran Gopal spreads defamatory messages about him (MLA Pollachi Jayaraman) and his family. If it is really defamatory, he can only seek legal recourse by filing a case of defamation or seeking compensation,” said Sivakumar, pointing out that the case had first been transferred to the CB-CID and the government had subsequently transferred it to the CBI. “At a time when they are both investigating, it raises suspicion when a case is filed in Chennai (on Nakkeeran Gopal). We have told them to withdraw the summons since it will not stand legal scrutiny,” he said. The lawyer also informed the press that the CCB had taken their submission to withdraw the summons and that they would inform them of the next course of action. However, he added, “They (the CCB) have informed us that no FIR has been filed. I was not given the complaint copy. They are saying that there is a complaint. We have not seen it.” On March 11, Nakkeeran Gopal, in a video, alleged the involvement of Tamil Nadu Deputy Speaker Pollachi Jayaraman’s sons in the sexual assault and extortion network. While MLA Pollachi Jayaraman has repeatedly denied any link to the crime, ‘Bar’ Nagaraj, an AIADMK functionary at the time of the crime is connected to the gang. He assaulted the survivor’s brother following which he was arrested and subsequently let out on bail. On Monday, the AIADMK had sacked him. In addition to Nakkeeran Gopal, Pollachi Jayaraman has also filed a complaint against businessman Sabareesan, the son-in-law of DMK President MK Stalin. Calling it a DMK conspiracy, Jayaraman had alleged on Monday that Sabareesan had instigated the controversy that linked his sons to the crime. In response, Sabareesan sent a legal notice to the lawmaker, seeking a public apology and a retraction of the claims in addition to a donation of Rs 50,000 to a charity of the businessman’s choosing.

Body 2:

Crime

One of the criticisms levelled against the district police was that they had not conducted thorough questioning of the accused on arrest.

Megha Kaveri

Following a request from the CB-CID police, the Coimbatore judicial magistrate granted four days police custody for the main accused in the Pollachi sexual assault case, Thirunavukkarasu. However, the request for custody was given by the CB-CID before the case was handed over by the government to the CBI. A senior police officer told TNM that whatever evidence or statement CB-CID collects if Thirunavakkarasu is in their custody will anyway have to be handed over the CBI. "The CBI may file another petition saying they should get custody," the officer said. Meanwhile, the magistrate passed the order after Thirunavukkarasu appeared through video conferencing. The Coimbatore district police had earlier on Friday, informed magistrate Nagaraj that there were difficulties in bringing Thirunavukkarasu to the court. The police had also submitted that they cannot provide sufficient security to the accused since hordes of general public were present within the court complex and more would gather if the news leaked. Hence the magistrate permitted the accused to be presented before him via video conferencing. Thirunavukkarasu, the main accused in the Pollachi sexual assault case, was the survivor Priya’s* friend. He and another accused, Sabarirajan (a) Rishwandh, lured Priya inside a car and assaulted her along with two of their friends -- Vasanthakumar and Sathish. The four men had also allegedly videographed Priya while inside the car and tried to extort money from her. Priya approached Pollachi police on February 24, and filed a complaint naming the four men and accusing them of sexually assaulting her. Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered and the police arrested Sabarirajan (a) Rishwandh, Vasanthakumar and Sathish on February 25, while Thirunavukkarasu went missing. Thirunavukkarasu also released video while he was absconding claiming the involvement of many political leaders in the incident. He was then arrested from near his house on March 5. Severe criticism had cropped up related to the manner in which the Coimbatore police had handled the case. One of the criticisms was that the police did not keep any of the four accused in police custody and they had been remanded to judicial custody. In a press meet, when the reporters asked this question to Coimbatore SP Pandiarajan, he replied that the accused had confessed to the crime upon first round of questioning itself and that was the reason why they were lodged in Coimbatore central prison. He also added that if need arises, the police will request for custody of the accused in the future. Following immense pressure from the public and politicians, the case was recently transferred to the CB-CID and then was transferred to the CBI on Wednesday. *Name changed to protect identity

Body 2:

Education

Security of the school and the nutrition needs of students were some of the key concerns against delivery-based food apps.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

Image for representation only

Unhappy with a rising number of delivery executives of food-based apps bringing lunch for students during school hours, a Chennai school has asked parents not to order lunch for their wards through apps like Swiggy and Uber Eats. The letter, sent by the principal of the school, and mailed to all parents of students from Classes 2 to 12 read: "It has been brought to our notice that parents order through Swiggy and Uber Eats for food to be delivered in school for their children, for various reasons, during lunch breaks. This will not be entertained and the ordered food will be sent back. The receptionist has been instructed not to accept these deliveries. Kindly note that the above is with immediate effect. Request compliance." Speaking to TNM, the principal, who asked for the name of the school not to be disclosed, stated that the management and faculty had several concerns regarding the security of the school as well as the nutrition needs of the students."This is not a regular affair here. But we noticed this happening once or twice, which is why I decided to put a stop to it. Since children cannot bring phones to school, it is either their parents or other friends ordering food for them. This is why we decided to address the circular to the parents," the principal added. The faculty members of the school first noticed that a large group of high school students had order food through these apps some days ago. Apart from this, multiple instances of delivery executives landing up at the school also prompted the management to take action."There is the question of security. I cannot let random people come to the school and deliver food as it poses an element of risk to both students, who are our responsibility, as well as teaching and the non-teaching staff," she said. Another key concern was that of uniformity in school practices and to ensure equality at school."We have uniforms and other rules to ensure that every student if equal and there is parity. If we allow food delivery apps, there will be some students whose parents will not allow them to eat this food, there will be some who cannot afford every day and there will be students who will have easier access to app-based foods. This may create discrepancies which we want to avoid," she said. The principal added that even during birthdays and special occasions, the school does not permit cutting of cakes or any kind of 'treating' inside the school and during classes. In addition to this, meeting the nutrition needs of students was also an important criterion behind asking parents to refrain from ordering via food-based apps."We generally discourage bringing junk food for lunch or snacks. Although we don't check lunch boxes, if we notice that children are bringing unhealthy food for lunch, we tell them not to do so. This is also why we want to avoid an influx of unhealthy food, which is facilitated by delivery apps," she added. Food delivery apps cater to individual orders and do not track data of the delivery locations of each order. The information lies with the delivery executives who receive the location of the delivery directly. Swiggy and Uber Eats were not available for comment.

Body 2:

Controversy

A disability rights group has alleged that the State Commissioner for the Differently Abled used public funds worth Rs 10 lakh to remodel her office when the Model Code of Conduct is in place.

TNM Staff

The Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) has complained to the state's Chief Electoral Officer against a bureaucrat who allegedly spent Rs 10 lakh of public funds to remodel her office according to vaastu. The disability rights group alleged on Thursday that B Maheswari, the State Commissioner for the Differently Abled, had done this at a time when the Model Conduct of Conduct is in place. In a letter to the CEO, the group alleged that priests had arrived at the Commissionerate for the Welfare of the Differently Abled in Chennai on Wednesday and conducted a puja. “We have come to know that a homam was conducted along with rituals in order to redesign the office for the Commissioner for the Differently Abled according to vastu rules. Specifically, it has not even been two years since this Commissoner's office has been built. Under such a circumstance, there is information that up to Rs 10 lakh in government money has been wasted to redesign the office of the Commissioner,” stated the letter. The group further alleged that there was information that even the snacks provided after the puja was using taxpayers’ money. TARATDAC also said that the Constitution had provided for secular principles and that it was condemnable for an officer of the Indian Administrative Service to act in a selfish way in a government office by conducting rituals of a particular religion. “At a time when the Election Commission's Model Code of Conduct is in place, the usage of a government office for conducting the rituals of a particular religion by the State Commissioner for the Differently Abled should be duly investigated and acted upon,” wrote P Jansirani and S Namburajan, State President and State General Secretary of TARATDAC.

Body 2:

Law

The compensation shall be paid by the state government for violating the dignity and privacy of the survivor by revealing her identity.

Megha Kaveri

Screengrab

In an attempt to prevent future incidents where government authorities reveal the identity of a sexual assault survivor, the Madras High Court ordered the government of Tamil Nadu to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the Pollachi survivor for ‘violation of her privacy, dignity and image’. Justices N Kirubakaran and SS Sundar came down heavily on the Coimbatore Superintendent of Police R Pandiarajan for revealing the total number of videos he received and the number of accused in the first stage of investigation itself. “The irresponsible conduct of the police office is highly condemnable by this Court and it is appropriate to issue direction to the State Government to take disciplinary action against the said police officer,” read the order. It is not just the SP who revealed the survivor's name but the government in its order handing over the probe to the CBI had not only named the young woman but also disclosed the identity of her brother and even where she studied. The order came from the Madurai bench of the High Court earlier on Friday, on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one Ilamugil from Trichy in which he stated that social media plays an important role in our daily lives. Explaining that though social media has many benefits, it has a lot of disadvantages too, Ilamugil submitted that videos, pictures and audio files related to sexual offences are being circulated on social media. His petition had also stated that the Supreme Court had ordered that the identity of the victim in sexual crimes shall not be revealed in the FIR, court documents or in the media. Violation of this rule shall invite punishment under section 228A of the IPC including imprisonment for a period of 6 months to 2 years. Adding that the Coimbatore SP had recently revealed the identity of the survivor in the Pollachi sexual assault case, Ilamugil asked the court to order swift completion of the investigation and form separate teams in every district to investigate sexual offences. He also sought an order directing the investigating teams to follow the guidelines set by the Supreme Court in probing sexual crimes. He further wanted the court to ban the publishing of videos, photos and audio related to violent and sexual crimes on social media. The order Hearing the petition, the court ordered the central government to first provide psychological counselling to all the affected women in any town or place other than Pollachi to safeguard their privacy. The judges also directed the state government to withdraw the government order transferring the case to CBI which had details of the survivor and issue a fresh order in its place. Ordering the central and the state governments to respond on the Supreme Court order to set up One Stop Centres to deal with rape cases across the country, the court directed the state government to advertise that circulating the videos of the assault is also an offence. Apart from paying the compensation, the judges also ordered the Internet Service Providers Association of India to remove all videos related to the Pollachi sexual assault case from the internet. The court also advocated for proper awareness to be created amidst people regarding videos of sexual crimes and the advantages and disadvantages of internet services through school textbooks and college syllabi.

Body 2:

Court

The archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, who led the Keezhadi excavations in Tamil Nadu, was transferred to Assam in March 2017 – a move that had kicked up a storm.

TNM Staff

The Madras High Court has directed the central government to transfer Amarnath Ramakrishna, the Archeological Survey of India officer who led the Keezhadi excavations, back to Tamil Nadu. The Centre has been granted 15 days to bring the officer's transfer into effect. The officer was shunted out to Assam in 2017. The order came on a petition filed against the officer’s transfer. A bench consisting of Justices R Mahadevan and PD Audikesavalu emphasised that the central government should show more interest in proceeding with the excavations carried out on the Vaigai river bed. These excavations have given evidence of an ancient civilisation that had thrived on the banks of river Vaigai, the court said. "When the excavations get completed, the pride of Tamil people would get recognised worldwide but we wonder why the Central government is so adamant on this issue,” the court said. The transfer of Amarnath Ramakrishna in 2017 invited sharp criticism and protests across the state since it was he who began excavations at Keezhadi, in Sivagangai district in south Tamil Nadu, which provided substantial evidence of an ancient civilisation dating back to 200 BC on the banks of river Vaigai. More than 8,000 artefacts, including gold coins, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, iron tools and jewellery indicated the presence of urban civilisation in the region during the Sangam era, which is considered the golden period for Tamil language and literature. The project has been mired in controversy since 2016 when the central government reportedly delayed fund allocation for the continuation of the excavation. It has been alleged that since the discoveries in Keezhadi showed signs of a secular culture, there were delays in fund allocation and other obstacles in the project continuing. In March 2017, the archaeologist who was leading the excavations, Amarnath Ramakrishna, was transferred to Assam. In 2018 June, Amarnath Ramakrishna was denied permission to deliver a lecture series in the United States of America on the Keezhadi findings. In October 2018, he was not allowed to file a final report on the Keezhadi findings. The project has completed four phases resulting in the unearthing of around 15,000 artefacts.

Body 2:

Politics

The ‘Pressure cooker’ symbol is considered important for TTV Dhinakaran since he had contested and won the RK Nagar bypolls in that symbol.

TNM Staff

File Image/PTI

The Supreme Court (SC) issued notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on a plea filed by TTV Dhinakaran seeking the ‘pressure cooker’ symbol to be allotted for his party. The ECI is bound to file a response in the SC by March 25. The case was heard on Friday in the apex court after the Madras high court in February, upheld the ECI’s decision to allot the ‘AIADMK’ name and the ‘two leaves’ symbol to the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led faction. Reports state that after this order, TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala urged the ECI to not allot the ‘pressure cooker’ symbol to anybody else for the next 15 days so that they can file an appeal in the Supreme Court. The ECI had also agreed not to allot the symbol for any other party for 15 days. The issue is seen as a battle for the legacy of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa since the symbol is historically associated with both Jayalalithaa and former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran. Soon after the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016, the AIADMK split into two factions -- one led by VK Sasikala, the long-time aide of Jayalalithaa and another faction led by the then-Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. Edappadi K Palaniswami was a part of the VK Sasikala faction back then. In 2017, both the factions approached the ECI, claiming right over the ‘two leaves’ symbol. By that time, Edappadi Palaniswami’s faction and O Panneerselvam’s faction had merged, ousting VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran. Thus the battle for the legacy continued between Edappadi Palaniswami and TTV Dhinakaran. Meanwhile, TTV Dhinakaran formed a new political party named Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and contested in the RK Nagar bye-elections, a seat which fell vacant due to the death of Jayalalithaa. He had contested under the ‘pressure cooker’ symbol then as the ECI had not ruled on the matter. In that election, TTV Dhinakaran won by a huge margin, defeating senior AIADMK leader Madhusudanan.

Body 2:

Animal abuse

When contacted by TNM, police officials said that they were seeking legal opinion to figure out relevant sections to register FIR.

Manasa Rao

A resident of Chennai’s Madhavaram has filed a police complaint against a man for allegedly sexually assaulting the puppies in her area. Ilavarasi, the complainant, has been feeding the 15-day-old puppies in her area. She alleges that a man sexually asaulted the puppies on Thursday. Speaking to TNM, she says, “There is an empty plot of land next to my house and the stray dog has given birth to new puppies. I give them food every day. I was watching a man walk towards them and pick them up. I was immediately happy as I thought he would adopt them. Then I saw him unzip his pants. I assumed he was going to pee. But he picked up the puppies one by one and started kissing them on the mouth. He sat down and put the puppies inside his pants, between his legs. I immediately ran downstairs. But he had already left by then.” Ilavarasi then recalled having seen the man earlier as well. She says that while she has given a complaint to the police, the latter have been lax in their approach towards the case. “They were asking repeatedly how it happened. I have even provided the CCTV footage from my home which captured the entire incident. But they kept saying, ‘Oh but we can’t see it clearly’,” says Ilavarasi. When TNM contacted the local police station, the inspector said that the delay was on account of them seeking a legal opinion. “We have given the complainant a CSR acknowledgement of their complaint. We are seeking a legal opinion on what sections of the law are applicable in this particular case. After the sections are made out, we will file an FIR,” the cop stated.

Body 2:

Elections

The 94-page manifesto was released on Friday in Chennai by party founder S Ramadoss.

TNM Staff

Tamil Nadu’s election battlefield is getting ready for the face off on April 18. With the filing of nominations set to begin on March 19, most political parties have finalised the allocation of constituencies and are lining up to announce their candidates. Tamil Nadu will witness a face-off between the DMK-led Secular Democratic Front, and the NDA which the AIADMK has joined. Also part of the NDA this time around is the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which released its election manifesto on Friday. The 94-page manifesto was released in Chennai by PMK founder S Ramadoss in the presence of other leaders of the party including Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, GK Mani and AK Moorthy. The manifesto speaks about a large range of topics including school education, support for unemployed population, release of Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts etc. Here are the big promises of the PMK in their manifesto: Total prohibition. 100% duty on tobacco products. Make parental consent mandatory for any couple under 21 years of age. Financial assistance to farm labourers and not just landed farmers. Linking of Cauvery and Godavari rivers under complete funding from the Centre. Nationalising all inter-state rivers. Stopping all hydrocarbon projects planned in the Cauvery delta basin. Education and four other topics from the concurrent list to be brought to the state list. Remove upper ceiling on reservation. Caste-based reservation proportional to population on the basis of 2021 census. Reservation in private sector industries, courts, IIT, IIM, JIPMER, AIIMS etc. 50% reservation for state-residents in middle-level non-transferable jobs in central government organisations. Law making it compulsory for private organisations in the state to allocate 80% jobs to the youth of that particular state. Comprehensive health scheme similar to the NHS in United Kingdom. National Cancer Centre in Chennai at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. Unemployment assistance of Rs 4,000 per month for graduates who have been unemployed for five years. Press for the release of convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Strive to bring in ballot paper model of voting in India. Support and propose music composer Ilaiyaraaja’s name for Bharat Ratna award.

Body 2:

MeToo

Chinmayi was terminated from the dubbing union last year after she supported women who spoke against its President Radha Ravi during the Me Too movement.

Megha Kaveri

Facebook/ChinmayiSripada

Months after singer Chinmayi Sripaada was axed from South Indian Cine Television Artistes and Dubbing Artistes Union, a civil court in Chennai granted an interim stay on the ban. Chinmayi was removed from the Union shortly after she supported women who named Radha Ravi, President of the dubbing union, during the Me Too movement last year. She also accused lyricist Vairamuthu of sexual misconduct. Now, in an order dated March 14, 2019, the court has granted the stay on her removal from the dubbing union, stating that the “petitioner would be put to irreparable loss and hardship” otherwise. The stay is, however, valid till March 25 which is the next date of hearing in the case. Speaking to TNM about the order, Chinmayi said that she was relieved. “But this is temporary and this is going to be a pretty long legal battle. Radha Ravi is known for ensuring that those who go against the Union don’t get work even after they are reinstated. A couple of others have also stressed on this point that unless and until Radha Ravi allows, I won’t get work despite the legal order. But I hope to make it clear to producers that I have the order in place and this legally allows me to continue working in the dubbing industry,” she said. Chinmayi tweeted about the development on Friday as well. She said, “I have been awarded an interim stay order by the Hon’ble Court regarding my ban from the Tamil Nadu dubbing union. It is a long legal battle ahead. Hope justice will prevail. Thank you.” I have been awarded an interim stay order by the Honble Court regarding my ban from the Tamilnadu Dubbing Union. It is a long legal battle ahead. Hope justice will prevail. Thank you. — Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) March 15, 2019 The order pointed out that the Union should have served Chinmayi a notice seeking explanation as to why she was not paying the membership fee, before sacking her on that ground in November 2018. The order adds that due to this, Chinmayi has undergone great mental and emotional stress. The playback singer and dubbing artiste had filed a civil suit in February this year against the Union for firing her without giving her prior notice. Immediately after her termination, Union President Radha Ravi said that she was terminated because she had not paid her membership fee to the Union for the past two years. However, this allegation was refuted by Chinmayi in a video released in November 2018, a week after Radha Ravi’s claim. In her video, she stated that she was a lifetime member of the union and had paid Rs 5,000 for lifetime membership in 2016. She added that though her name had featured on the list of members who were not permitted to vote in dubbing union elections in 2018 due to non-payment of annual fee, the Union has only terminated her and not the 96 others whose names were also allegedly there on the list. In December last year, the Union told Chinmayi to pay Rs 1.5 lakh and submit an apology letter to be reinstated. To this, Chinmayi had retorted by saying that she had been working from 2006 and had to be a ‘new member’ of the Union. Moreover, the fee for new membership was Rs 2,500, she pointed out, questioning why she had to pay Rs 1.5 lakh and apologise. Apparently I have to pay 1.5 Lakhs, send an apology letter and THEN the dubbing Union will reinstate me and let me work in Tamilnadu in Tamil films. The Union has made lakhs from my Income since 2006. And I have to pay 1.5 lakhs again for my right to work. https://t.co/JHt6ajU1D3 — Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) December 28, 2018 Chinmayi was vocal in raising her voice in support of the Me Too movement last year and had supported women who had levelled allegations of harassment against veteran actor Radha Ravi as well as lyricist Vairamuthu.

Body 2:

Protest

The student who belonged to SFI was manhandled twice by cops and he was admitted to a hospital.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

In an incident that shows abuse of power by the police, Pudukottai Superintendent of Police S Selvaraj was seen slapping and manhandling a college student who was protesting against the Pollachi sexual assault case on Friday. A video of SP Selvaraj slapping a 24-year old student from Thanjavur, G Aravinthaswamy, when the latter was protesting outside the Government Women’s college in Pudukottai, spread on social media on Friday. In the video, the SP can be seen walking towards Aravinthasamy, who is wearing a red T-shirt and being held by other junior officers. He slaps the young man and then pushes him, following which he raises his hand at him in a threatening manner. All the while Aravinthaswamy is being held tightly by a man (probably a policeman in Mufti) so that he cannot move away. “It was 9:30 am and we were protesting with around 70 people. We were about to end the protests by 10:30 am. However, lots of students including girls began joining the protest, taking the number to 120 protestors. This is when the Inspector arrived and I spoke to him,” Aravinthaswamy, who is the State Joint Secretary of the Students Federation of India (SFI) told TNM. When he tried to talk to the inspector, the latter spoke rudely to him, Aravinthaswamy alleges. This was followed by a verbal altercation between the Deputy Superintendent of police and the students. “The DSP was using abusive language before the girls. I asked him why he was cursing and he spoke rudely to me. This is when the SP entered. He grabbed me by my shirt and assaulted me. Following this, the officers attempted to drag me into the jeep and grabbed my private parts hard to hurt me,” Aravinth added. The students surrounded the police vehicle to get the officers to release Aravinthaswamy. Following this, he was admitted to the Pudukottai Government Medical College for treatment and was discharged on Saturday afternoon. “When they realised they could not take me into custody due to protest, they released me,” he added. The students organised a protest rally before the SP office on Saturday. Speaking to TNM, Pudukottai SP S Selvaraj said, “They (protestors) met me today. The SFI students protested in the college yesterday and I intervened. Now the issue is settled. I have asked them to independently raise demands and not instigate students to protest with them.” Police with the AIADMK Government Aravinthaswamy adds that the police had attempted to silence the protestors because they were supporting the ruling AIADMK. “One of the accused in the Pollachi incident was from the AIADMK and therefore the party wants to bury the issue. The police is lending support to them for this ,” Aravinth told TNM.

Body 2:

Lok Sabha 2019

Nine of 18 MLAs, who were disqualified for declaring their support to TTV Dhinakaran, have been re-nominated to their former assembly seats.

TNM Staff

Facebook: TTV.Dhinakaran.AMMK

AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran has released the first list of candidates for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 18 assembly bye-polls due in Tamil Nadu. The one-year-old party, which has opted to go alone this election season, has finalised 24 candidates for the parliamentary elections and nine candidates for the Assembly bye-elections. Significantly, nine of 18 MLAs, who were disqualified for declaring their support to TTV Dhinakaran, have been re-nominated by the RK Nagar MLA. Sunday's announcement also stated that this was the first list of candidates and that the party would contest in 40 parliamentary seats, including in the Union Territory of Puducherry when simultaneous polls are held on Thursday, April 18. The results for both contests would be announced on the same day, that is, Thursday, May 23. The AMMK's Lok Sabha candidates are: Pon Raja for Thiruvallur(SC), Esakki Subbaiah for Chennai South, G Tambaram Narayanan for Sriperumbudur, A Munusamy for Kancheepuram (SC), Vanur N Ganapathy for Villupuram (SC), Veerapandi SK Selvam for Salem, PP Saminathan for Namakkal, KC Senthilkumar for Erode, SR Selvam for Tiruppur, M Ramasamy for Nilgiris, NR Appadurai for Coimbatore, S Muthukumar for Pollachi, N Thangavel for Karur, Charubala Thondaiman for Tiruchirappalli, M Rajasekaran for Perambalur, A Ilavarasan for Chidambaram(SC), S Senthamizhan for Mayiladuthurai, T Senkodi for Nagapattinam(SC), P Murugesan for Thanjavur, V Pandi for Sivaganga, K David Annadurai for Madurai, VTN Anand for Ramanathapuram, AS Ponnuthayi for Tenkasi(SC) and R Gnana Arulmani for Tirunelveli. Read: Bye-polls to 18 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu on April 18 The party’s candidates for nine of 18 Assembly bye-poll seats are: TA Ezhumalai for Poonamallee, P Vetrivel for Perambur, M Kothandapani for Thiruporur, C Jayanthi Padmanabhan for Gudiyatham, R Balasubramani for Ambur, R Murugan for Aroor, Mariappan Kennedy for Manamadurai, Edhirkottai SG Subramanian for Sattur and Dr S Muthiah for Paramakudi. It may be recalled that these former MLAs, along with their nine lawmaker colleagues, were disqualified by the Madras High Court in October last year for declaring their support to TTV Dhinakaran. Also Read: Tamil Nadu, here's where you can register to vote this election season

Body 2:

Politics

PMK’s manifesto states it will strive to make parental consent mandatory for marriages between two adults under the age of 21, so young women ‘would not be led astray’.

Kavitha Muralidharan

Facebook: AnbumaniRamadoss.in

Legal marriageable age for women in India is 18, there has been enough sensible talk about it being 18 for men as well. In Pattali Makkal Katchi’s country of ‘Utopia’, however, it is 21 for men and women. Wikipedia describes Utopia as a ‘perfect place designed to have no problems.’ In PMK’s land of Utopia, adults under the age of 21 can only marry if their parents consent – because otherwise, women would be led astray. The manifesto of the PMK states that it will strive to make parental consent mandatory for marriages between two adults under the age of 21. The manifesto also says that by doing so, young women ‘would not be led astray’ and the institution of family will be protected. By which they of course mean, the institution of caste. What if the women are ‘led astray’ by their own families into forced marriages when they are under 21? Well, as long as the institution of family is protected and caste ‘honour’ upheld, it really doesn’t matter in PMK’s country of Utopia. According to a recent study, 95% of child marriages in Tamil Nadu take place to thwart ‘love affairs.’ It doesn’t matter that the child marriages lead to increased risk of cervical cancer. In PMK’s country of Utopia, the ‘institution of family’ comes before anything else. It doesn’t matter that districts in the Western Belt in Tamil Nadu including districts like Salem continue to practice female foeticide. It can never be an issue of serious concern in the land of Utopia, oh unless it becomes so bad that it leads to a shortage of brides. A couple of years ago, there were reports about shortage of brides in the dominant Gounder community, following which some caste organisations took it upon themselves to campaign against female foeticide. In the same vein, PMK’s manifesto suggests that a fixed deposit be made in the name of every girl child soon after her birth, in a way that it would yield Rs 10 lakh when she reaches the age of 18. If you are convinced that this is out of ‘concern for girls and women’, you qualify to be an eminent citizen of Utopia. But if you are from the same caste as Ilavarasan or Gokulraj, even such noble thoughts cannot grant you access to the land of Utopia. Accused of luring ‘young women astray’ by sporting sunglasses and jeans, the young men will be awarded mysterious deaths as ‘punishments.’ Well, sanctity of this institution called family is more important than the lives of young men, you know – especially if the families are upper caste, and the young men are from lower caste. The families of Gokulraj and Ilavarasan cannot have the luxury of even being a complete family. They are condemned to live an oppressed life and die if they bypass any ‘Utopian’ law. In the country of Utopia, ‘honour killing’ need not necessarily be a crime, you could be treated as a hero. Remember the reception Yuvaraj got when he came out on bail after allegedly killing Gokulraj? In PMK’s country of Utopia, the ‘sanctity of family’ is invested in a woman’s ‘honour’. Hence it becomes an ‘object’ that needs protection. By extended logic, the women who carry that honour too ‘need the same protection.’ It doesn’t matter that the women find the ‘protection’ suffocating. ‘Education’ could have probably ‘led them astray.’ Remember that age-old adage in Tamil which wondered why women blowing on stoves need education at all? (அடுப்பூதும் பெண்களுக்கு படிப்பெதற்கு?) I wouldn’t be surprised if the PMK goes by the adage, in its Utopia. All it needs is a Utopia where it could implement such laws without the fear of election or revolt. If you don’t trust this one too, check online for generous doses of advice on how to bring up women in the wake of the Pollachi horror. It is difficult to not draw a parallel to the ideological affinity of those voices with parties like the PMK or the BJP. Among a few other meaningless adages in Tamil, one goes like this: Silence is a form of consent (மௌனம் சம்மதம்). Well, if you tie my mouth and construe my silence to the violence unleashed on me as a form of consent, I know I have arrived at your Utopia. Kavitha Muralidharan is a journalist with two decades of experience, writing on politics, culture, literature and cinema.

Body 2:

Lok Sabha 2019

While the AIADMK will contest from Chennai South, DMDK will contest from Chennai North and PMK from Chennai Central.

Manasa Rao

File image

The AIADMK-BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu has announced the seat-sharing arrangement for the 39 parliamentary constituencies across the state as well as Puducherry. The announcement came after meeting of senior ruling party leaders and alliance partners at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Chennai’s Alwarpet. The AIADMK will contest from Salem, Namakkal, Krishnagiri, Erode, Karur, Tiruppur, Pollachi, Arani, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram(SC), Perambalur, Theni, Madurai, Nilgiris(SC), Tirunelveli, Nagapattinam(SC), Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvallur(SC), Kancheepuram(SC) and Chennai South. As TNM had reported earlier, the BJP has been allotted Kanyakumari, Sivaganga, Coimbatore and Thoothukudi in addition to Ramanathapuram. Read: Kanimozhi vs Tamilisai in Thoothukudi? Lok Sabha battleground heats up Critic-turned-alliance partner PMK has been allotted its usual forte of Dharmapuri, in addition to Villupuram(SC), Arakkonam, Cuddalore, Chennai Central, Dindigul, and Sriperumbudur. The DMDK, which bargained hard for four seats, will contest from its former bastion in Virudhunagar along with Kallakurichi, Tiruchirappalli, and Chennai North. Meanwhile, Puthiya Tamilagam has been allotted Tenkasi(SC), while the Puthiya Needhi Katchi will contest from Vellore. All India NR Congress will contest the lone seat from the Union Territory of Puducherry while GK Vasan’s Tamil Manila Congress has been assigned Thanjavur. The announcement came after a meeting between the senior ruling party leaders and alliance partners at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Chennai’s Alwarpet. Party coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, flanked by AIADMK joint coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, made the announcement. Also present were BJP’s State President Tamilisai Soundararajan and National Secretary H Raja. It is notable that while the AIADMK will contest from Chennai South, DMDK will contest from Chennai North and PMK from Chennai Central. The DMK, on the other hand, which is leading the Madhacharbatra Murpokku Kootani (Secular Progressive Alliance), will contest from all three Chennai seats. In February, the ruling party in the state announced a ‘mega alliance’ with the national party. While it was agreed that the AIADMK will contest from 20 seats and BJP from five, PMK was allotted seven parliamentary constituencies. The seat-sharing talks, which took place over February and March, also saw the AIADMK garner assurances of support from the BJP, PMK and other parties for the 21-state bye-elections that are due in the state. Read: TTV Dhinakaran announces first list of AMMK candidates for Lok Sabha, TN bye-polls Also Read: Tamil Nadu, here's where you can register to vote this election season

Body 2:

Lok Sabha 2019

While Thirumavalavan will contest from Chidambaram on an independent symbol, Ravikumar will contest on the DMK’s rising sun symbol from Viillupuram.

Anna Isaac

There were no surprises on Sunday when VCK announced its candidates for the Lok Sabha Elections. Party chief Thol Thirumavalavan will contest from Chidambaram while VCK General Secretary Ravikumar will contest from Villupuram. Interestingly, VCK has announced that Thirumavalavan will contest on an independent symbol while Ravikumar will contest on the DMK’s rising sun symbol. Thirumavalavan will be taking on the AIADMK, which is yet to announce the candidate for Chidambaram, which is a reserved constituency. Ravikumar, meanwhile, will square off against the PMK in Villupuram, which is also a reserved constituency. The VCK, a Dalit party, is part of the Madhacharbatra Murpokku Kootani (Secular Progressive Alliance), which comprises of the DMK, Congress and other smaller parties for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Speaking to TNM, Ravikumar explained why they had chosen to contest on different symbols. “Thirumavalavan had won in 2009 under an independent symbol. He is a star candidate and he can polarize votes in the constituencies. He is well known to the people in the constituency, as he has contested three times earlier. That’s why he is contesting once again on an independent symbol,” says Ravikumar, who adds, “This is not so in my case. I am a stranger in Villupuram and after a long discussion with the party cadre, we decided to contest on DMK’s symbol.” The DMK had at the time of seat sharing negotiations urged parties like the VCK and Vaiko's MDMK to contest on its rising sun symbol, given that the two parties did not have a symbol of their own. When asked how he fared his chances against the PMK, Ravikumar says, “Villupuram is an AIADMK base. They won’t prefer to vote for a PMK candidate. So, we think our chances are high.” Thol Thirumavalavan became a first-time MP in 2009 after he won from the Chidambaram Parliamentary constituency. The VCK was then a part of the UPA alliance led by the Congress and included the DMK as well. He, however, went on to lose the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections to the AIADMK by a huge margin of over 1 lakh votes. The VCK was then a part of the DMK alliance. Prior to 2009, the Dalit leader had contested unsuccessfully from Chidambaram in 1999. The VCK Chief had also contested from Kattumannarkoil reserved constituency in Cuddalore district in the 2016 Assembly Elections as part of the People’s Welfare Front. He, however, lost to the AIADMK’s N Murugamaran by a wafer-thin margin of 87 votes. Ravikumar is a former MLA and was elected to the Kattumannarkoil constituency in 2006. He is a writer, and poet, who has a number of literary works to his name including Venomous Touch: Notes on Caste, Culture and Politics. He unsuccessfully contested from the Vanur constituency in Villupuram district in the 2016 Assembly Elections, losing to the AIADMK’s M Chakrapani. In 2018, Ravikumar was given police protection in Tamil Nadu following threats to his life by right-wing groups. Ravikumar was informed of the threat to his life by the Tamil Nadu state Intelligence Bureau following the interrogation of the accused in the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh. The Lok Sabha Elections to the 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 18.

Body 2:

Law

This comes after Tamil Nadu government was told to pay Rs 25 lakh to the Pollachi survivor for violating her dignity and privacy by revealing her identity.

TNM Staff

File Image

A day after the Madras High Court ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the Pollachi survivor for ‘violation of her privacy, dignity and image’, the Directorate General of Police (DGP) TK Rajendran issued a circular memorandum on Saturday to all police officers to restrain from revealing the survivor’s details. DGP wrote that when it comes to cases pertaining to POCSO, rape and prevention of sexual harassment against women, the investigating agencies are duty-bound not to reveal the name and identity of the victim under any condition. The circular also said that reports can be submitted to the Courts only in sealed covers. “It is hereby instructed that in cases of POCSO, rape or cases of prevention of women harassment etc, the name of the victim, address or any particulars must not be mentioned in any form of communication whatsoever. In this regard, all the Commissioners of Police in cities and Superintendents of Police in Districts are strictly instructed that the names of the victims must not be mentioned in any communication sent from the police station to sub-divisional office, district police office, range office, zonal office and chief office. All Special Unit officers are also requested that the names of such victims must not be mentioned in any form of communications,” read the circular. The DGP also said that the instructions should be “strictly reiterated in the monthly crime review meetings,” and must be communicated to all subordinates. The circular also stated that any deviations would be “viewed very seriously”. The Tamil Nadu Police Department has been widely criticised for its callous handling of the Pollachi sexual assault case. In blatant disregard to sensitivity and the Supreme Court orders, Coimbatore Superintendent of Police R Pandiarajan revealed the total number of videos he received and the number of accused during the first stage of the investigation itself. He also compromised the identity of the 19-year-old survivor who filed the complaint. Read: TN govt told to pay Rs 25 lakh to Pollachi survivor for cop revealing her name In addition to the SP’s erroneous conduct, a Government Order issued by the Home Department on Wednesday to transfer the case to the CBI also insensitively revealed details such as the name and college of the survivor. In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one Ilamugil from Trichy, the Madurai Bench of the High Court on Friday ordered that all videos relating to the case be removed from the internet. Submitting that videos, pictures and audio files related to sexual offences are being circulated on social media, Ilamugil, in his petition, also stated that the Supreme Court has ordered that the identity of the victim in sexual crimes shall not be revealed in the FIR, court documents or in the media under any circumstances. In spite of the Supreme Court order, the Tamil Nadu Police Department’s indifference to protecting the survivor’s identity drew severe flak from many in the state.

Body 2:

Remove Pollachi sexual assault videos and photos from internet: Madras HC to Centre

How was Rahul permitted to speak at Chennai Stella Maris? TN Higher edu dept probes

65-year-old school correspondent in Trichy arrested for sexually assaulting minors

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Chennai school asks parents not to send lunch ordered via delivery apps to students

TN IAS officer used public funds to make office 'vastu' compliant, activists allege

TN govt told to pay Rs 25 lakh to Pollachi survivor for cop revealing her name

Keezhadi excavations: HC orders transfer of ASI officer Amarnath Ramakrishna back to TN

SC issues notice to EC on TTV Dhinakaran’s plea to allot ‘pressure cooker’ symbol

Chennai woman accuses man of sexually assaulting puppies, files police complaint

What’s in PMK manifesto: State autonomy, total prohibition, parental consent for weddings

Chinmayi's dubbing union ban stayed: 'Relieved, but long battle ahead,' says singer

Watch: Pudukottai SP slaps student protesting against Pollachi sexual assault

TTV Dhinakaran announces first list of AMMK candidates for Lok Sabha, TN bye-polls

A note on PMK’s country of Utopia, and its protection of the ‘institution of family’

AIADMK-BJP alliance seat sharing list out: Chennai gets split among allies

VCK announces 2019 candidates: Why Thiruma, Ravikumar to contest on different symbols

Don’t reveal identity of POCSO, sexual assault survivors: TN DGP issues circular