QChennai: Sasikala out on Parole; Man Duped of Rs 77,000 in ATM

A quick compilation of top stories from Chennai.

Supporters lined up outside the residence where Sasikala will be staying at during her emergency parole. 

(Photo: Smitha TK/The Quint)

1. Out on 5-Day Parole, Sasikala Reaches Chennai to Meet ill Husband

VK Sasikala is out on a 5-day emergency parole to see her ailing husband.(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/ ANI) 

Jailed AIADMK leader Sasikala, who is serving a four-year sentence at Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara jail in a disproportionate assets case, was granted a five-day parole to see her ailing husband M Natarajan in Chennai, on Friday. Sasikala was received by her nephew and sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran at the jail the same morning.

After her earlier application for a 15-day parole was rejected, Sasikala applied for emergency parole on Wednesday. Her former plea had been dismissed as her husband’s medical certificates had not been authenticated by a gazetted officer. The house of Vishnupriya, the daughter of Ilavarasi — another accused in the disproportionate assets case — was guarded by supporters. They were seen controlling the crowd and blocking access to outsiders. Party cadre and supporters assembled in large numbers and a band was also in place to welcome her.

(Read the full story here: The Quint)

2. Any Decision I Take Will Be Based on Merit, Says Purohit

After an eventful term, Vidyasagar Rao stepped down as Governor of Tamil Nadu and Banwarilal Purohit took the oath of office..  (Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia)

The newly-appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu, Banwarilal Purohit, who was sworn in during a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan here on Friday, said that all of his decisions would be based on merit, and that there would be “no political considerations”. He added that his job was to ensure and observe “total transparency and cleanness” in the State government.

During his brief interaction with the media shortly after his swearing-in ceremony, the Governor said that his actions would be guided by the Constitution, and that he would preserve and protect the Constitution at all costs. “All the decisions which I am going to take, small or big, [there] will be no political consideration...The Governor’s office is above politics, everybody can be rest assured...All the decisions will be on merit,” the Governor said.

(Source: The Hindu)

3. ATM Fraud: Man Loses ₹77,000

A 78-year-old man was duped of ₹77,000 by a youngster inside an ATM kiosk in Tambaram, Chennai.(Image: Liju Joseph/The Quint)

A 78-year-old man was duped of ₹77,000 by an unidentified youth inside an ATM kiosk in Tambaram. According to the Tambaram police, Lakshmikanthan, a resident of Varadharajapuram near Tambaram, went to an SBI ATM to withdraw money on Wednesday evening.

There were three persons inside the cubicle. Lakshmikanthan inserted the ATM card into the machine but the transaction was not processed. The man behind him offered to help, took Lakshmikanthan’s ATM card and password and inserted the card again. Since the machine did not process the request, he reportedly handed over the card to the senior citizen and left the ATM kiosk. Later, Lakshmikanthan received two messages on his mobile phone stating that his card was used for an online purchase to the tune of ₹37,000 and ₹40,000 was withdrawn at another ATM. Realising that he had been duped, he checked the ATM card returned by the youth, and found it to be a fake one.

(Source: The Hindu)

4. Madras HC Clears Use of Mersal for Vijay's Flick

Mersal marks the silver jubilee of both actor Vijay and composer AR Rahman’s filmdom.(Photo Courtesy: We Talkies)

The Madras High Court on Friday vacated an interim injunction granted by it on September 22 restraining Thenandal Studios from using the title Mersal for its upcoming Tamil movie starring actor Vijay. Justice Anita Sumanth not only vacated the injunction but also dismissed the application seeking interim orders.

Passing a detailed order, the judge held that mere registration of the titles ‘Merrasalaitan’ and ‘Naan Merrasalaitan’ with the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) would not give any right to the applicant, A Rajendran of Film Factori, to contend that no other production house should use the title ‘Mersal’ for a movie. Though the applicant’s counsel had contended that the term Mersal was coined by his client and hence could not be used at will by others, the judge disagreed with him.

(Source: The Hindu)

Also Read: Mersal Audio Launch: AR Rahman, Vijay Stand up for Women

5. Deepa Moves HC to Claim Right over Jayalalithaa's Properties

J Deepa has filed a petition asking for her aunt Jayalalithaa’s house to be converted into a memorial. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/ ANI)

J Deepa (43), niece of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, has filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court challenging the State government’s decision to convert the latter’s Poes Garden residence into a memorial on the ground that the property belongs to the petitioner and her brother J. Deepak under the Hindu Succession Act of 1956. Stating that she had made a detailed representation to incumbent Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the Chief Secretary and other government officials on August 22 urging them to refrain from interfering with her aunt’s properties, Ms. Deepa sought a direction to consider and dispose of her representation within a stipulated time.

In an affidavit filed in support of the writ petition, she said her paternal grandmother Vedavalli alias Sandhya had purchased several properties in and around Chennai and died in 1971 leaving behind her son Jayakumar and daughter Jayalalithaa to succeed to her estate. Thereafter, the siblings lived together at the Poes Garden residence.

(Source: The Quint)

Also Read: Whose Symbol Is It Anyway? Now Deepa Claims AIADMK’s ‘Two Leaves’

6. Warrant Against Actor Jai for Drunk Driving

A non-bailable warrant was issued against Tamil actor Jai for not appearing in court over the drunk-driving case. (Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia)

A metropolitan magistrate court on Friday issued a non-bailable warrant against actor S Jai as he failed to appear before it in connection with a case of drunk driving. On September 21, Jai and his friends, who were returning from a party, lost control of the car and rammed the divider on Adyar flyover. The police found that alcohol levels in his blood were above normal. He was arrested and released on bail.

He appeared before IV metropolitan magistrate L Abraham Lincoln on Tuesday and pleaded guilty. However, he was ordered to appear on Thursday. But he failed to appear. The magistrate issued a warrant directing the police to produce him on Friday.

(Source: The Hindu)

Also Read: Drunk Driving Fine Rs 10,000 Among Motor Vehicle Bill Amendments

7. Over 1,000 Fever Cases Detected

As part of the campaign to create awareness among residents, the civic officials organised exhibitions at 227 spots across the city. (Photo Courtesy : iStock)

In a bid to prevent dengue, the Chennai Corporation has started screening schools and households, treating fever cases and destroying mosquito breeding sources. The civic body has also started supplying nilavembu kudineer in primary health centres, bus stands, railway stations, Amma canteens, schools, colleges and parks.

According to a press release, 2,926 malaria control workers and conservancy labourers destroyed mosquito breeding sources on 562 premises. And as many as 1,113 nurses visited 1.45 lakh homes, screened 30,650 residents and found 1,048 fever cases, including 151 fever cases in 62 city schools. Mosquito breeding sources in 167 government buildings were also destroyed. A total of 200 teams have been formed for mosquito control operations at the ward level. Officials have been asked to inspect construction sites to prevent mosquito breeding.

(Source: The Hindu)

Also Read: Dengue, Chikungunya Are Preventable – Stop Pretending They Aren’t