Vijay said Baranica had brought laurels to Tamil Nadu and India through her hard work and perseverance. He said her achievement would inspire sportspersons who continued to work towards their goals.

“Her success will instil new confidence and motivation among athletes who work tirelessly to achieve their goals,” Vijay said, wishing her greater success in the years ahead.

He said the Tamil Nadu government would provide her the Rs 30 lakh incentive as recognition of her performance.

Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna also congratulated Baranica and said she had created a landmark by becoming the first Indian to win an Asian Games medal in the women’s pole vault event.

He said the Rs 30 lakh high cash incentive was being provided through the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority to athletes winning bronze medals at the Asian Games.

“The success achieved by our sportspersons through hard work, dedication and sustained efforts is instilling confidence among the youth of Tamil Nadu,” Aadhav said.

He added that the State government would extend its support to athletes in pursuing their sporting ambitions.

Baranica, a Tamil Nadu athlete, had been selected for India’s 2026 Asian Games athletics squad in women’s pole vault. She had earlier set a national record of 4.22 metres at the National Indoor Athletics Championships in March this year.

Monishwaran, son of Jyothiswaran, a resident of Ambal Nagar near Kalpakkam, was studying in Class 9 at Infant Jesus Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Puthupattinam near Kalpakkam. While the class was in session on Thursday morning, the boy told the teacher that he was feeling dizzy and told her to inform his parents.

However, within a few minutes, Monishwaran collapsed inside the classroom. The teacher immediately informed the headmaster and contacted his parents, and the boy was taken to a private hospital in Puthupattinam by an auto-rickshaw. After examining him, doctors reportedly said his pulse rate was very low and advised the school officials to take him to a government hospital.

He was taken to the Government Primary Health Centre at Sadras, where the doctors declared that the boy had already died. Later, his body was sent to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital for autopsy.

Unable to come to terms with the sudden death of the teenager, his parents and relatives raised several questions over the incident. The family questioned what caused the student to collapse and why they were not informed immediately. They also questioned why the school did not have an ambulance or emergency medical facility and why the student was taken to the hospital in an auto-rickshaw.

They have demanded a thorough post-mortem examination and a detailed investigation into the student's death to reveal the truth.

Based on their complaint, the Kalpakkam police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.

The ICCC, which went live in December 2020 under the Smart Cities Mission, brings together data from various civic services and field equipment for monitoring and response.

ICCC 2.0 involves additional infrastructure, applications and data integration being developed around the existing system. The latest decision is to have one System Integrator handle the existing ICCC as well as the identified 2.0 components for five years.

The move comes as the ICCC’s original operational and maintenance arrangement ended in November 2025 and was subsequently extended. The current extension runs until November 30. The Corporation said that the five-year arrangement was chosen to ensure continuity and improve lifecycle value and commercial competitiveness.

The arrangement will also cover software and data integration, the Early Warning System, cloud and internet connectivity, cybersecurity, maintenance and selective replacement or upgrading of equipment. The integration will cover/ maintain 1,256 cameras: 668 already part of the ICCC and 588 additional cameras identified under ICCC 2.0.

It will also cover 65 rain gauges, 46 flood sensors, 36 environmental sensors, 101 Variable Message Displays (VMDs), 40 floodometers, 159 pump-monitoring units, 57 vehicle GPS units, 17 automated boom barriers and 50 smart poles. Three Regional ICCCs are also included. Separately, 75 environmental sensors and 225 cameras for hi-tech labs are being implemented and can subsequently be integrated with the ICCC where applicable.

The Corporation has reduced the proposed operational manpower from 55 to 44, including four personnel for each of the 3 Regional ICCCs. For cloud storage, the Corporation has adopted 7-day retention of camera footage to video feeds. Application databases, system logs, backups and cybersecurity data will have separate storage and recovery requirements.

In a statement issued by Anbumani said that stormwater drain works taken up across Chennai based on the recommendations of the Thirupugazh Committee had not been fully completed even four years after they began in 2022. Of the proposed 1,093 km network, works had been completed for 1,045 km, leaving around 48 km pending, he said.

He pointed out that several stretches, including Anna Nagar Second Avenue, Arcot Road, Ashok Nagar, KK Nagar, Alandur, Perungudi, Sholinganallur, Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram and ThiruViKa Nagar, still had incomplete works and open trenches posing risks to motorists and residents.

Anbumani also claimed that interconnection work between drains was pending at 68 of the 105 identified locations. Further, desilting had not been completed in 41 per cent of the inlet structures along the 1,682 km stormwater drain network, potentially obstructing rainwater flow into the drains.

Citing the State government's committee on the impact of the Super El Niño system, he said Tamil Nadu could witness excess rainfall and flooding this year. He recalled that Chennai had experienced severe flooding in previous high-rainfall years, including 2015 and 2023.

Anbumani urged the government to complete all pending works on a war footing and immediately close and restore road trenches to prevent flooding and accidents.

Justice V Lakshminarayanan orally urged media outlets to exercise sensitivity when reporting on the Pocso case, observing that the premature publication of videos and details of the investigation could have a “chilling effect” on other victims and discourage them from coming forward.

The court made the observations as Tulir Charitable Trust, represented by Managing Trustee Vidya Reddy, approached the Madras High Court seeking directions to the Commissioner of Police to prevent the further circulation of a video allegedly containing Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM) and protect the identity and privacy of the victims.

The NGO said the circulation of the material outside the investigation process raised concerns over the custody and confidentiality of sensitive evidence and posed a continuing threat to the victims’ privacy, dignity and safety.

The court also said the issue could be debated, but asked whether it could be done without circulating the videos, noting that “there is something more important in life than TRP ratings.” It observed that while the media had a fundamental right to report the incident, it did not have the right to conduct a “media trial.”

Whether the accused was guilty or not had to be decided by the court and not by the media, the court said, stressing the need to keep the children safe. The court noted that the investigation was at a crucial stage and police were examining whether there were more victims.

It said that conducting debates with investigation details and circulating photographs could discourage victims from giving statements.

The court said the media’s right to report carried a corresponding duty towards both the victim children and the accused. Though the peti- tioner sought a John Doe order barring such violations, the court declined to grant it to balance the media’s rights.

However, it restrained media outlets from publishing the videos.

More than 20 DVAC personnel from Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts conducted searches following allegations of illegal sand excavation to hold a DMK conference.

The search was reportedly based on a complaint filed by Arappor Iyakkam with the DVAC alleging that soil worth more than Rs 8 crore had been illegally excavated from the Malappambadi lake in Tiruvannamalai and used to level land for a recent DMK conference held in the district.

The organisation had alleged violations by Annadurai.

He was addressing a campaign here for the October 6 bypoll, necessitated by the resignation of AIADMK’s K Maragatham Kumaravel, who later joined Vijay’s TVK and has now been re-nominated. At the campaign meeting, Vijay went all guns blazing, dubbing the MK Stalin-led party as an “evil force.”

Harping on the TVK’s “clean governance and pure force,” plank, Vijay accused the DMK of corruption and charged it with colluding with the AIADMK even in the case of child sex abuse by Veeramani.

Without directly mentioning the POCSO case against Veeramani, Vijay alleged that the industrialist was abusing children for so many years. And though a complaint was lodged during the previous DMK regime, the entire crime and its history was buried.

The Central Crime Branch's Anti-Vice Squad registered a case on October 7, 2025, based on a complaint by a social activist.

However, action was delayed for several months.

The case was later transferred to the ITPU, which arrested R Veeramani, Mahendra Simhan and Shanthi on August 29 in connection with the alleged sexual assault of minor girls.

They were booked under Sections 7, 8, 15 (1) and 21 (1) of the POCSO Act; Sections 354 (A), 354 (C), 201 and 120 (B) of the IPC; and Sections 66 (E) and 67 (B) of the Information Technology Act.

Veeramani, who was remanded in judicial custody on August 29, was due to complete his remand period on Friday (September 26).

Considering security concerns, he was produced before S Padma, Judge of the Special Court for Pocso Act cases, through video conference.

After hearing the matter, the judge extended his judicial custody till October 9.

Standing Committee Chairman for Education D Viswanathan questioned the decision to route the salaries of 180 data entry operators through an external agency.

The operators work across 417 GCC-run schools, including 206 primary, 130 middle, 46 high and 35 higher secondary schools, assisting headmasters with student data, welfare assistance details and administrative reports. They were engaged through Overseas Manpower Corporation Ltd (OMCL) for the 2026-27 academic year (July 2026 to June 2027).

“Workers whose monthly salary was fixed at Rs 26,765 or Rs 26,755 were receiving only Rs 20,768 after deductions,” Viswanathan said. “In addition to deductions like PF and ESI, Rs 1,896 is being deducted as service and GST charges. Instead of paying through contractors, the GCC should directly credit salaries as was done earlier.”

Perungudi zone chairman SV Ravichandran said that the number of data entry operators in Zone 12 had been reduced from 20 to 12. “Contractors quoting 35% lower rates in tenders have reduced workers’ salaries from Rs 18,000 to Rs 15,000, affecting their livelihoods,” he alleged.

Deputy Mayor M Magesh Kumaar asked the GCC Commissioner Sameeran to enforce a strict minimum wage to prevent sudden reductions in the pay of temporary staff.

Responding to concerns, Sameeran clarified, “OMCL is a State-owned public sector organisation and not a private agency. The minimum wage of Rs 868/day was fixed as per the Labour Department’s minimum wage order, and will be ensured.”

On staff rationalisation, he stated that the GCC would assess the actual requirement in each zone and retain staff wherever necessary while streamlining excess positions.

Kanniyakumari MLA N Thalavai Sundaram and Thiruvananthapuram Deputy Mayor Asha Nath were among those who attended the programme organised by the Sree Moolam Thirunal Maharaja Jayanti Celebration Committee.

Asha Nath led a floral tribute to Sree Moolam Thirunal's portrait near the dam, following which an aarti was performed. A seminar and cow puja were also held as part of the programme.

The Pechiparai dam was constructed between 1897 and 1906 during Sree Moolam Thirunal's reign. He ruled the erstwhile Travancore State from 1885 to 1924. His birth anniversary has been observed at the dam for several years.

At the seminar, former Rubber Board vice-chairman Anil Kumar spoke about the ruler's contribution, while BJP Kisan Morcha district vice-president Jayakumar, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh state vice-president Parthasarathy and Poovendha Pandian of the Environmental Protection Movement also addressed the gathering.

Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Rajesh delivered the special address. A book on Sree Moolam Thirunal was released, and a tree-planting programme was held.

Former MLA MR Gandhi, BJP district president Gopakumar, AIADMK west district secretary Jaya Sudharsan and several farmers, BJP and AIADMK functionaries and members of Hindu organisations attended the programme.

He welcomed the Pocso court's decision on June 19, 2026, to order a reinvestigation after refusing to accept the closure of the case on the ground that the identities of those involved could not be established from video evidence. Had the court not intervened, those allegedly responsible for the "heinous" crime could have escaped, he said.

Shanmugam said the TVK government had subsequently arrested Veeramani and others allegedly involved in the crime and was taking further action. The CPM demanded that all those involved in the case, those who aided the alleged offences and those who attempted to suppress them be brought before the law and given stringent punishment.

Shanmugam also criticised former ruling party DMK and its president MK Stalin over his recent statement that the party had neither intervened to protect anyone nor issued instructions in connection with the case.

The state government has constituted an SIT under the supervision of the police commissioner. However, Shanmugam said such an arrangement was not appropriate in a case involving influential people, particularly given past instances in which ways had allegedly been created for them to escape legal action.

The CPM therefore demanded that the SIT be constituted under the supervision of a High Court judge and conduct the investigation. He made the demand after leading a protest seeking stringent action in the sexual abuse cases. Shanmugam said reports that Veeramani had allegedly sexually abused more than 100 girls from poor and vulnerable families were shocking and described the allegations as an example of the serious crimes allegedly committed by wealthy and influential people.

An order issued by Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, dated September 24, stated that an SIT has been formed "to effectively investigate the case and related matters" involving the Gem Granites founder.

The SIT is headed by PC Thenmozhi, Additional Commissioner of Police, Central Crime Branch, Greater Chennai Police. The other members are Disha Mittal, Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, West, Greater Chennai Police; J Mutharasi, Superintendent of Police/Media Relations Officer in the DGP's office; and VV Geethanjali, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime against Women and Children, Greater Chennai Police.

The SIT will function under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police A Amalraj. The commissioner has been directed to provide the required manpower and logistical support to the team.

Meanwhile the investigators had summoned assistant commissioner, MA Yasmin, now placed on vacancy reserve, former anti-vice squad inspector Mahesh Kumar and inspector Rajalakshmi for interrogation.

On Friday, the Chennai POCSO Special Court extended the judicial custody of Veeramani till October 9. He has been in judicial custody since August 29 and his existing remand period was due to end on Friday.

In view of security concerns, Veeramani was produced before Special Judge S Padma through video conference.

Veeramani has been accused of sexually abusing minor girls. Three of his associates have also been arrested in the case, which has sent shockwaves across the State, with all political parties and the civil society demanding stringent punishment to the perpetrators.

Following allegations of police inaction despite a complaint made in November 2024, by Ranjan Kumar, president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee's Scheduled Caste Department, seeking police action against the industrialist, the government on Thursday eased two top IPS officers, A Arun and N Kannan, who served as then Commissioner and Additional Commissioner, respectively, out of their posts and placed them on "compulsory wait."

Cases booked for sharing minor’s clips

The Cyber Crime Cell of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) has registered a case against media handles for publishing and circulating the photographs and video clips of a minor girl in connection with the Veeramani case. The case was registered on Friday under Section 23(4) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 67-B of the Information Technology Act. The police have appealed to the public not to circulate the minor’s photographs or video clips.

The appointments give senior AIADMK turncoats a prominent place in the TVK's organisational structure, months after a series of high-profile defections. The move is also significant amid continuing speculation over further political migration from the AIADMK to the ruling party.

The 11 former ministers appointed as deputy general secretaries are MSM Anandan, MC Sampath, K Radhakrishnan, KV Ramalingam, M Anandan, Kadambur Raju, KT Pachaimal, Vellamandi N Natarajan, NR Sivapathi, S Vaigaichelvan and S Valarmathi.

J Sundeep Anand, son of DMK leader S Jagathrakshakan, along with KG Muthu Venkateswaran, Thollamur Kannan and VCR Kumaran, has also been appointed deputy general secretary.

Former MLA C Mahendran has been appointed secretary of the Tirupur Rural South district.

Welcoming the new office-bearers, Vijay urged them to work in coordination with party functionaries and under the guidance of general secretary N Anand. He also appealed to cadres to extend their full cooperation to the new appointees.

In a statement, Tagore said the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) had recommended that Karnataka release 4,000 cusecs a day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from September 25. The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) subsequently accepted the recommendation and issued an order, he said.

Pointing out that the latest direction was 2,000 cusecs lower than an earlier order stipulating 6,000 cusecs a day, Tagore questioned Karnataka's reported decision to challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

He said the delay had already affected Kuruvai cultivation in Tamil Nadu and could now put Samba cultivation at risk if adequate water was not released. He urged Karnataka to respect the decisions of the statutory Cauvery authorities and release the stipulated 4,000 cusecs without further delay.

Tagore also demanded that Karnataka make good the accumulated shortfall and release Tamil Nadu's due share of Cauvery water.

"With Samba cultivation under way, any further delay in water release will put delta farmers under additional pressure," Tagore said, stressing the need for timely release of water to protect cultivation in the Cauvery Delta.

It is said that on July 5, Kannan, a resident of Natchiyarkoil near Kumbakonam, befriended a 17-year-old girl and had reportedly taken her to a farm to abuse her sexually. The girl became pregnant for two months, and so Kannan took her to Nagapattinam GH on Thursday and terminated the pregnancy.

On information, Natchiyarkoil police conducted an investigation. Later, the Tiruvidaimarudur All Women police registered a case against Kannan under various sections, including the Pocso Act and arrested him on Friday. Further investigations are ongoing.

It is said that A Rajalakshmi (60), a retired Government School Headmistress residing at Kurumbalur in Perambalur, went to her daughter’s house in Chennai on September 10.

On Friday morning, when one of Rajalakshmi’s relatives noticed that the door of her house was broken, she passed on the information to her and the Perambalur rural police.

While Rajalakshmi was rushing to Perambalur, the police, along with her relatives, inspected the house and found 80 sovereign jewels. The police also retrieved the fingerprints.

Similarly, the miscreants broke open the doors of the house of Kamaraj (50), from Athanur in Perambalur, while he was away for work along with his wife Chinnammal and escaped with six sovereign jewels and cash of Rs 5 lakh kept for his son’s education.

Kamaraj lodged a complaint with the Maruvathur police, who rushed to the spot and conducted an investigation. The theft incidents, in which valuables worth Rs 1 crore were stolen on a single day had created shock waves among the residents.

Countering Vijay’s allegation that the DMK and BJP were no different, Stalin asked how the TVK could claim to oppose the BJP when, according to him, even references to the party were removed from Assembly records. He also took a jibe at him for taking a candidate from the BJP-led NDA.

Referring to the Karur tragedy, Stalin said he had remarked that no leader would want his cadres to die and denied seeking political mileage from the incident.

Ask yourself whether you are speaking with the same dignity expected of a Chief Minister, Stalin added. On the Veeramani case, Stalin said he had already explained his position and questioned whether Vijay had failed to keep himself updated on the matter. He also referred to the High Court’s observation against politicising the case.

Stalin said Vijay had claimed to have stopped acting in films but continued to act before the people. Referring to Vijay’s Madurantakam speech, he said: “I watched your dialogue delivery at today’s Madurantakam shooting. I have a few questions for you.”

Stalin questioned how Vijay could call TVK a “thooya shakthi” while fielding Maragatham Kumaravel, who had resigned as an AIADMK MLA and joined TVK, as his candidate in the bypoll. He also questioned whether persuading NDA MLAs to switch sides soon after an election could be described as representing a “thooya shakthi”.

Taking aim at Vijay’s election promises, Stalin recalled his assurance that he would promise only what was practically possible. “After coming to power, you say the treasury is empty. Is this how you keep your promises?” he asked.

He sarcastically listed power cuts, sickle attacks, price rises, dengue, and milk shortages as TVK’s new initiatives, while claiming that several schemes of the TVK government were continuations of programmes introduced by the DMK.

The seizure was made during a routine vehicle check near SIPCOT in Perundurai on Thursday night.

Police signalled a Maharashtra-registered car to stop, but it sped away.

Acting swiftly, the police chased and intercepted the vehicle at the four-road junction on Chennimalai Road near the Perundurai bus stand. During a search of the car, police found bundles of cash amounting to Rs 1.5 crore.

The occupants were identified as Swapnil Nagen, 35, and Akshay, 37, both from Maharashtra.

As they allegedly failed to produce documents explaining the source of the cash or its intended destination, the police seized the money and handed over the two men to Income Tax officials for a detailed inquiry.

The meeting in Tiruchy was chaired by Collector Pratik Tayal, in which Ayilai Siva Suriyan, District Secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, said the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee instructed the Karnataka government to release 12,000 cusecs of water initially this year, but they refused, and it was reduced to 9,000 cusecs, then 6,000 cusecs and on Thursday, the committee recommended releasing 4,000 cusecs but each time Karnataka refused to oblige.

“This is due to the absence of an independent board to solve the issue. The Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal sought the union government to find an independent body to make decisions, but instead of establishing a board, the union government formed a commission which has no power to pressurise any government. The Tamil Nadu government should initiate steps to establish an independent body to discuss water sharing; only then would the issue be solved,” Siva Suryian said.

Meanwhile, P Ayyakannu, State president, Desiya Thennidhiya Nadhigal Inaippu Sangam, demanded that the State government to approach the Supreme Court to file a case against Karnataka to provide compensation of Rs 1 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu for failing to adhere to the directions of the court. 

“If the state government is unwilling to file a case, let the government allow the farmers to go ahead with filing a petition for compensation. As we have lost the entire kuruvai and samba this year due to water shortage,” Ayyakannu said.

The power utility will engage private firms through limited tenders to read meters of low-tension (LT) non-CT services. The number of meter readers on contract will be decided division-wise, based on the number of assessors available and the volume of LT services.

A TNPDCL Revenue Division circular issued on Sept 24 said vacancies in the assessment cadre had resulted in LT service assessments being carried out beyond the prescribed billing cycle, leading to consumer complaints and increased workload for existing staff.

The manpower gap is particularly acute among assessors, who undertake door-to-door meter reading. Of 7,590 sanctioned assessor posts, 5,602 are vacant, a vacancy rate of 73.81 per cent. Overall, 7,119 of the 14,804 sanctioned posts in the assessment and revenue hierarchy are vacant. Among inspectors of assessment, 1,073 of 3,976 posts are vacant.

TNPDCL has around 3.5 crore LT services across the State, including 2.5 crore domestic connections.

The utility has prescribed daily targets for outsourced meter readers, ranging from 250 services in Chennai Corporation areas to 80 in hill regions. The targets are 220 in other corporations, 200 in municipalities, 180 in town panchayats, and 110 in rural areas.

Consumers say delayed readings can result in higher bills. A Manapakkam resident said his meter, due for reading on August 20, was checked only on August 28. The delayed reading showed consumption of 508 units and resulted in a bill of Rs 2,107. Had the reading been taken on time, he said, consumption would have remained below 500 units and the bill would have been around Rs 1,570.

However, even as they expressed concern over the rising workload, electricity board employees said deploying contract workers was not the solution.

S Kannan, president of the Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees (COTEE), said the shortage had forced inspectors to take up meter-reading duties, while revenue supervisors were being deployed for bill collection. However, outsourcing the work could result in errors and under-assessment, he alleged.

"Unless the vacancies are filled, these problems will continue," he said, adding that the decision to engage contract workers was taken without consulting trade unions and alleging violation of labour laws.

Stop-gap solution

DAILY TARGET FOR CONTRACT ASSESSORS

• Chennai Corporation - 250

• Other corporations - 220

• Municipal towns - 200

• Town Panchayats - 180

• Rural areas - 110

• Hill regions - 80

PENALTIES FOR INCORRECT READINGS

• Rs 50 per service for erroneous readings taken up to 10 mistakes/month

• Rs 100 per service for errors between 10 and 20 services/month

• Rs 200 per service for errors exceeding 20 mistakes/month

“Considering Rule 14(b) of the Tamil Nadu Special Police Subordinate Service Rules and the ground reality, the court seeks a report from the Director General of Police on the number of criminal cases pending against police officials and how long they had been pending, as well as details of the departmental proceedings, if any, initiated against police officials involved in criminal cases,” said Justice B Pugalendi.

The court issued the direction while hearing a petition challenging the police department’s decision to deny the petitioner appointment, despite his selection for the post of Grade-II Police Constable in the recruitment year 2022-23, on the ground that a criminal case was pending against him. The trial court had acquitted the petitioner of the charges in June 2026.

“Such stringent rules have been incorporated in the Tamil Nadu Special Police Subordinate Service Rules to ensure purity in the police service and to prevent persons with criminal character and antecedents from entering into the police service. However, the purity as per this Rule is not maintained in the department, for the serving officers and police constables,” observed Justice Pugalendhi.

The judge further observed that the court had witnessed several cases in which police officers involved in criminal cases were allowed to continue in service for years without any disciplinary action being taken against them.

“Many are rewarded with subsistence allowance and full salary,” the judge observed.

The investigations and trials under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, have been delayed for years, and, given the pendency of the criminal case, disciplinary proceedings were not initiated for several years, the court observed.

Despite the Government Order dated May 16, 1973, clearly stating that simultaneous departmental proceedings should be initiated against officials facing criminal cases, even now, persons involved in criminal cases are serving without departmental proceedings being initiated against them, the court observed.

After issuing the direction, the court posted the case for orders on September 28, 2026.

Amid the otherwise combative speech, he struck a lighter note while referring to Stalin. "Whether Stalin wins or loses, he is my Uncle. He is my 'sweet uncle'," Vijay said, in a veiled jibe.

Seeking to defend Maragatham Kumaravel's switch, Vijay said the former AIADMK MLA had made a political decision amid shifting equations in the State and urged voters to look beyond her resignation. Vijay then launched into a detailed rebuttal of the DMK's criticism of his references to alleged corruption in earlier regimes.

"When we speak about corruption in the Assembly, they say Vijay was not even born then. I ask them, what does it matter when I was born? Read the history and everything will come to light," he said.

He said it was his responsibility to place past allegations before the present generation and alleged that the Opposition repeatedly shifted its position on the issue of evidence.

"If we say corruption, they ask us to show the evidence. If we show the evidence, they say it must be proved in court. If the matter is before the court, they say it cannot be discussed in the Assembly," Vijay said.

He reiterated his pledge that public money would neither be misused nor allowed to be misused. The TVK supremo claimed that DMK is the real BJP: "The DMK in Delhi is BJP; the BJP in Tamil Nadu is DMK." He alleged that the AIADMK, formerly a "branch" of the BJP, had now become a "branch" of the DMK.

Invoking the political legacy of MGR and Jayalalithaa, Vijay recalled their repeated description of the DMK as "theeya shakthi" and said the same description applied to his party's current contest with the DMK. He also referred to past remarks made by Stalin about Jayalalithaa, saying the comments continued to circulate and that voters were closely watching the conduct of political leaders.

He also mounted a spirited defence of his government's borrowing, saying he had inherited a difficult financial situation and had sought time to implement the TVK's promises.

"Yes, I am borrowing. But I am not borrowing to loot. I am borrowing to do good for the people and to fulfil, step by step, the promises we made," Vijay said.

Referring to the TVK's promise of six LPG cylinders, he said the government could currently provide three due to prevailing financial constraints, while insisting that the promise would be implemented progressively. He highlighted the expansion of free bus travel for women and said his government had delivered some commitments ahead of schedule, including raising the milk procurement price.

On the Parandur airport issue, Vijay said his government was not opposed to development, but would not allow development to come at the cost of Chennai, water bodies or farmers.

"We decided that Chennai should not be affected, water bodies should not be affected and farmers should not be affected," he said.

He also claimed that the DMK had begun to acknowledge that the principal political contest was between the DMK and the TVK.

The Mayor claimed that several resolutions adopted by the council on key civic issues, including those seeking to scrap the proposed privatisation of the drinking water supply in Salem and the proposed waste-to-energy plant, were not forwarded.

“Under the Urban Local Bodies rules, it is the duty of the Corporation Commissioner to forward the resolutions passed by the council to the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA), District Collector and State government. However, the resolutions adopted during the council meetings held in May, June, July and August have not been sent to the authorities,” Ramachandran told reporters.

The Mayor also accused the Commissioner of failing to issue the notification for the monthly council meeting, despite having been instructed to convene it.

The agitation at the Mayor’s chamber led to tension at the Corporation office, with police personnel urging the Mayor and councillors to withdraw the protest. However, they refused to relent and continued their sit-in.

Salem Corporation has 60 wards, of which 48 are represented by the DMK, 7 by the AIADMK, 2 by the Congress, and 1 each by the VCK, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Lalit Aditya Neelam met Salem District Collector K Elambahavath and held discussions on the situation arising from the protest. A large number of police personnel were deployed outside the Corporation office as the agitation continued.

Welcoming the proposal, Anand said the Government would examine its feasibility, including the possibility of taking it forward in collaboration with TIDCO. 

He was participating in Connect Madurai 2026, organised by CII, Madurai Zone, which brought together various stakeholders to deliberate on the opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the future of Madurai’s technology ecosystem.

Speaking on the occasion, Atul Anand highlighted the Tamil Nadu Government’s initiatives to leverage AI as a force multiplier and promote startups, research, deep-tech innovation and the responsible use of emerging technologies.

State government will examine the feasibility to implement CII's proposal, including the possibility of taking it forward in collaboration with TIDCO

He said the Government’s focus included AI-related policies, ethical use of AI, data sharing and governance, skill development, digital public service delivery and the proposed development of an AI City.

Speaking at the programme, B Subburaman, Co-Chair, CII Southern Region Taskforce on AI Adoption & Responsible Adoption, emphasised that Madurai should build on its existing strengths in manufacturing, software, embedded technologies, industrial automation and engineering to move towards the creation of intellectual property and technology-led products.

The DVAC registered the FIR on September 23, following a surprise raid on the Madurai Corporation Chief Engineer’s office on September 22, based on a tip-off about alleged bribery in connection with the issuance of tenders.

The police registered a case against Chief Engineer R Ramasamy; Assistant Executive Engineers VS Maniyan, M Balamurugan and K Mayilerinathan; M Gokulan, Technical Assistant; S Karthikeyan, Junior Engineer (employed on a contract basis); C Selvakumar, Technical Assistant (temporary staff); S Jegadesh, Technical Assistant (temporary staff); M Vinoth Mani, corporation staff; Ganesh Pandi, Official Assistant; contractors K Radha, R Karuppasamy, A Ramesh; and K Rajaram of AMR Engineering & Construction Technology.

The police seized Rs 1.35 lakh in cash, allegedly kept without proper accounts or documents, and three registers from the office of the corporation chief engineer.

The police obtained statements from the persons concerned and registered the case as DV&AC Crime No. 14/2026 under Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended by the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and Section 106 of the BNSS.

The farmers also demanded desilting and maintenance of irrigation canals, which they said was crucial for ensuring timely water supply to the ayacut areas.

“Canal desilting works under the PAP are normally completed by July. Water is subsequently released to the second-zone ayacut areas by August 15 and to the third zone in January. However, the desilting works have not been completed this year, resulting in a delay in water release,” said ‘Medical’ K Paramasivam, chairman of the PAP Planning Committee.

The farmers alleged that the delay had severely affected coconut plantations, a long-duration crop dependent on regular water supply. They said several areas were facing even drinking water shortages, despite water being available in the PAP reservoirs for emergency release. They also sought a field-level assessment of the damage to coconut plantations and compensation for farmers who had suffered crop and yield losses due to delayed water release.

A police team led by Udumalpet Deputy Superintendent of Police S Thaiyal Nayagi, along with revenue officials, reached the spot and held talks with the protesters. The officials assured the farmers that their demands would be brought to the attention of senior authorities for appropriate action. Following the assurance, the farmers withdrew the road blockade.

The farmers' grievances redressal meeting was held in Thanjavur, chaired by Collector R Revathi, and soon after the commencement of the meeting, the farmers raised concerns about the water flow, which failed to reach the tail-end regions.

The farmers from Peravurani ayacutdars said that the water from Mettur had not reached the tail-end region even after the release a month ago. The farmers said that the water had not reached the water bodies, including tanks and lakes controlled by the Water Resource Department and even the cattle were also affected without drinking water. They demanded the release of water from Mettur be stepped up to ensure samba cultivation, as they have already faced kuruvai loss.

Suddenly, a section of farmers headed by Kakkarai R Sukumaran, state president of Federation of Tamil Nadu Farmers Associations raised slogans against the State government and demanded that the Delta be declared a drought-hit region. They also asked for crop loan waiver as per the poll promise and walked out of the grievance meeting hall.

After coming out, they staged a protest and distributed porridge to the members, claiming that the livelihood of the farmers has been affected due to poor water release and the failure of crop loan waiver.

The protesting farmers demanded kuruvai loss compensation of Rs 35,000 per acre and demanded that the State government initiate steps to get the due share of water from Karnataka.

The court acquitted Abu alias Syed Abuthagir (accused number 1) of all charges framed against him, while convicting Saddam alias Saddam Hussain, Subair, Mubarak alias Md Mubarak, and Mohamed Rafiqul Hussain alias Hassan, the second to fifth accused in the case, on all charges.

The court subsequently sentenced the four accused to life imprisonment.

Sasikumar was returning home on a two-wheeler near Thudiyalur on September 22, 2016, when he was chased and attacked with sickles, suffering multiple cut injuries. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital.

The assassination triggered widespread communal tension and violent protests, including arson, rioting, and stone-pelting, across Coimbatore over the subsequent two days.

The case was initially probed by local police and then the CB-CID, and Abu and Mubarak were arrested during the course of the investigation. However, the Union government stepped in and got it transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). According to media reports from the period, the Union Home Affairs Ministry felt that the State police did not invoke the proper sections of law and also that the investigation was not carried out in a proper manner.

During the probe, the NIA revealed in court that the murder was a case of mistaken identity. The intended target was another Hindu Munnani functionary from Theni, who shared the exact same name and initials as the victim, and had posted an allegedly communal comment on Facebook.

The case was heard by the Special Court for NIA Cases, Chennai. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court pronounced its judgment on Friday.

He was addressing a campaign here for the October 6 bypoll, necessitated due to the resignation of AIADMK's K Maragatham Kumaravel, who later joined Vijay's TVK. She has been re-nominated.

Harping on TVK's "clean governance and pure force," plank, Vijay accused the DMK of corruption and charged it with colluding with the AIADMK even in the horrendous case of abuse of girls by granite baron R Veeramani.

The DMK, as they were unable to level any allegation against the ruling party, out of frustration and irritation, has taken up a dangerous weapon.

Vijay said he tolerated even when they spoke bad about his own mother. But when they spoke in an obscene manner about "my sisters and mothers in Tamil Nadu," he could not accept it.

Both the DMK and the "DMK family" speak in such a manner and Stalin and his family enjoy such speech. "This cannot be tolerated."

Without mentioning directly about the POCSO case against Veeramani, Vijay alleged the industrialist was abusing children for so many years.

Though a complaint had been lodged during the previous DMK regime, the entire crime and its history was buried.

He asked: "What was the deal, Tamil Nadu is asking. Stalin sir, open your mouth, joining hands with you the AIADMK is also not opening its mouth; should there be a collusion even in this issue, will you not open your mouth by having an understanding even in this matter."

Hitting out at DMK, Vijay also said while a CM was a people's servant, the DMK spoke as it "owns the state."

He claimed that such remarks violate the Model Code of Conduct promulgated for the Dharapuram and Madurantakam bypolls.

In his complaint, Inbadurai said Aadhav had declared that the era of two leaves is over and claimed that the political legacy of former Chief Ministers MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa now lay with the whistle symbol. He also referred to an earlier campaign speech in which Aadhav had allegedly said that the two leaves and whistle are one.

"The two leaves and whistle are election symbols allotted to two different political parties. The Election Commission should examine whether portraying them as one could create confusion among voters," Inbadurai said.

He urged the poll panel to examine the complete video and audio recordings and the campaign material, and to seek an explanation from the TVK.

The AIADMK advocate wing secretary also sought a show-cause notice to the TVK under para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. He said the poll panel should consider suspending the party's recognition and, if warranted, withdrawing it if an inquiry established violations of the Model Code of Conduct or lawful directions issued by the ECI.

At the same time, he clarified that he was not claiming that the comparison between the two symbols, by itself, constituted a corrupt practice under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act.

Inbadurai urged the ECI to examine the complete speech, its context and campaign material to determine whether any election rules were violated or voters were misled about the identity of the symbols.

The incident was reported after an unidentified person allegedly used a sharp object to tear the photograph on the board, which was inaugurated by Palani, Anna Nagar constituency district secretary, on August 30.

Janakiraman, secretary of the TVK’s 102nd ward branch, lodged a complaint with the Anna Nagar police, following which an investigation was launched.

During the inquiry, police identified the culprit as Abhishek (29), reportedly the deputy organiser of the DMK's 101st ward. Officials said Abhishek was a 'C category' history-sheeter. He was arrested, and further investigation is under way.

The DMK’s affidavit, signed by party general secretary Duraimurugan and treasurer T R Baalu, showed that the party had Rs 365 crore in hand before the elections and received Rs 126 crore in donations during the election period.

The DMK spent Rs 70 crore on newspaper, television and social media advertisements. It incurred Rs 5.90 crore in airfare for DMK president MK Stalin and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president Kamal Haasan.

AIADMK spent 95% of Rs 109cr poll expenses on advertising

The AIADMK has declared an expenditure of Rs 103.98 crore on media advertising alone, with its overall declared poll expenses for the 2026 polls reported at Rs 109.61 crore.

According to its election expenditure statement filed with the Election Commission, Rs 103 crore was paid to Pramanya Strategy Consulting Pvt Ltd for social media promotion, television and website advertising. The amount accounted for the bulk of the party’s Rs 109.61 crore propaganda expenditure.

The order was issued by DGP/Head of Police Force Dr Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal on Thursday.

The SIT will be headed by P C Thenmozhi, Additional Commissioner of Police, Central Crime Branch, Greater Chennai Police.

The other members are Disha Mittal, Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, West, Greater Chennai Police; J Mutharasi, Superintendent of Police/Media Relations Officer in the DGP's office; and V V Geethanjali, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Against Women and Children, Greater Chennai Police.

According to the proceedings, the team has been constituted to ensure an effective investigation into CCB case.

The SIT will function under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai Police. The Commissioner has been directed to provide the required manpower and logistical support to the team.

The decision comes close on the heels of Arokya's recent price revision and is expected to be followed by major private brands, including Dodla, Heritage, Tirumala, Srinivasa, Vallabha and Jersey, besides other dairies operating in the State.

Under the revised rates, 500 ml toned milk will cost Rs 32, up from Rs 31, while standardised milk will rise from Rs 35 to Rs 37 and full-cream milk from Rs 40 to Rs 42. The prices of one-litre packs of toned, standardised and full-cream milk will increase to Rs 61, Rs 70 and Rs 81, respectively.

The price of 500 gm toned curd will rise from Rs 41 to Rs 42, while double-toned curd will cost Rs 37, up from Rs 36.

The association said the latest hike would widen the price differential between private brands and Aavin, ranging from Rs 14 to Rs 30 a litre across different milk variants. It said the widening gap could drive more consumers towards Aavin and further strain its supply network.

The government revised Aavin's procurement price from Rs 38 to Rs 44 a litre effective September 1, while retaining its retail prices unchanged. The revised rate comprises a base procurement price of Rs 36 and an incentive of Rs 8, with the State providing Rs 600 crore annually towards the incentive.

The association, however, claimed that Aavin was incurring an average loss of more than Rs 15 a litre, amounting to around Rs 4.7 crore a day, because its retail prices had not been revised in line with procurement costs.

"The government should immediately take steps to prevent the cooperative from being pushed into a financial crisis," association founder and state president SA Ponnusamy said.

He also urged the government to strengthen the Dairy Development Department as an integrated mechanism to oversee milk procurement, distribution and retail pricing, and appealed to private dairies to reconsider frequent price revisions in the interest of consumers.

In a post on X, Anbumani said power supply was disrupted during the meeting attended by five Ministers, including Sengottaiyan and Arunraj, in the Tirupur district.

He criticised the increase in unannounced power cuts and frequent interruptions across the State. “Even after Chief Minister Vijay directly intervened in the functioning of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, the power cuts continuing are unacceptable,” he said.

Anbumani urged the State government and the Electricity Board to stop being indifferent and take “war-footing” measures to address the power shortage and prevent further outages. In another post, he said reports indicated that more than six lakh bags of paddy were lying unprocured at procurement centres in Cauvery delta districts, including Thanjavur and Tiruvarur.

He urged the government to address the shortage of storage facilities and loading workers and ensure proper paddy procurement.

The 1981-batch Bihar cadre IAS officer spoke about the State’s migrant workforce, plans to establish a facilitation centre in Coimbatore and the government’s efforts to attract skilled and semi-skilled workers back to Bihar. He also spoke about the implementation of total prohibition in the State.

How many people from Bihar are working outside the State?

Our government estimates that around 2.5 to 3 crore Biharis are working outside the State as migrant labourers. In Tamil Nadu, we estimate that around 10 to 15 lakh Biharis may be working.

Has the Bihar government made arrangements to ascertain the exact number of migrant workers in Tamil Nadu?

Yes. We are conducting a unique survey in 12 States, including Tamil Nadu. As part of this initiative, we will set up a separate facilitation centre in Coimbatore to estimate the number of Bihar workers in Tamil Nadu. A large number of people from Bihar are working in Tiruppur, Chennai, Tiruvallur and Coimbatore as skilled and semi-skilled labourers. Once the centre is established, it will cater to the needs of migrant labourers working in Tamil Nadu, including medical and personal assistance. The government plans to establish the centre by the end of this month.

Does the Bihar government plan to bring migrant labourers back to the State?

We have several schemes for skilled and semi-skilled workers through welfare boards, including the Construction Workers Welfare Board. Around 20 lakh people have registered with the welfare boards.

People are moving outside Bihar because of higher salaries and better perks. We are trying to address these issues, and migrant labourers are slowly returning to their home State. Though we have fulfilled labour requirements across the country, Bihar is now facing a shortage of workers. There is a shortage of labourers in vital sectors such as agriculture and construction. We welcome our workers back to Bihar if they want to return.

You worked closely with then Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. How was total prohibition implemented in Bihar a decade ago?

The idea was not only that of our then Chief Minister. It was also an aspiration expressed by women across the State.

When the Chief Minister participated in a meeting of self-help groups, women raised the demand for total prohibition. Following this, the Chief Minister implemented prohibition in the State a decade ago.

What were the implications after total prohibition was introduced?

After total prohibition was implemented, the Chief Minister opened a large number of de-addiction centres to help people recover from alcohol addiction.

Around two lakh people were arrested for selling illicit liquor and arrack.

If the leadership has the political will, total prohibition can be implemented in a State. Our then Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had the political will and implemented total prohibition.

Reacting to reports of internal objections from Election Commissioners regarding voter deletions, Elangovan expressed shock at notices sent under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to prominent figures.

“They have sent notices to the former Vice President of this country (Jagdeep Dhankhar), former Home Minister LK Advani, and former Chief Minister of Delhi (Arvind Kejriwal). I don’t understand what they are doing. This is done intentionally: they want to create a fraudulent voters list,” he alleged, adding that the actions exposed the BJP’s intentions.

Questioning the competence of the poll body, the DMK leader said issuing notices to such senior dignitaries demonstrated ignorance of the country’s leadership. “If you don’t know who the former Vice President is, then you are not fit to lead the Election Commission,” he said.

Reaffirming DMK president MK Stalin’s demand for the CEC’s removal, Elangovan accused Gyanesh Kumar of acting as a “slave of BJP” and intentionally favouring the ruling party at the Centre.

Elangovan also backed Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray’s reported demand for re-elections in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, asserting that elections could not have been held “properly, democratically” under the current CEC. Additionally, he concurred with recent observations by a Supreme Court judge regarding the CEC selection panel, calling the replacement of the Chief Justice with a Union minister an “unjudicial process.”

Commenting on the Chief Minister’s sudden inspection of the TNEB headquarters on September 23, he noted that employees were agitating for more staff outside during the visit. “What action had he taken? Will there be no power cut tomorrow? Let us see,” he stated.

The couple, who married in 2011, have two children. Dr Venkatesan pursued higher studies in cardiology, while Dr Arthi stayed with her parents in Theni and took care of the children. After the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, they began living together, but differences subsequently arose. The wife sought restitution of conjugal rights, while the husband sought divorce.

“In the case on hand, the husband was comfortable with a particular arrangement till he qualified himself fully and to his satisfaction. Once he blossomed into a successful professional, the male ego asserted itself in all its ‘glory’. What worked for a decade and during COVID ceased to be feasible any more. We called both of them to appear in person. It was obvious that the relationship had broken down beyond repair,” the Bench comprising Justices GR Swaminathan and MD Sumathi observed.

The Court also observed that the family is the foundational unit in “Bharathiya culture” and said the responsibilities of earning and maintaining the home are entitled to equal respect. It added that the term “homemaker” is gender-neutral and that homemaking has economic value.

During the proceedings, Dr Venkatesan agreed to pay Rs 2.5 crore, keeping the welfare of the children in mind, and Dr Arthi accepted the proposal. The Court thereafter dissolved the marriage by mutual consent.

The Court directed Dr Venkatesan to deposit Rs 1.5 crore in Dr Arthi’s bank account within three months of receiving a copy of the order and Rs 50 lakh each in the names of their two minor children within one year. The divorce decree will come into force only after the financial obligations are fulfilled.

Speaking to reporters in Tiruchy, Praveen Chackravarty said the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been touring across all the states and has started interacting with the youngsters from the states, and he would visit Tamil Nadu on October 10 and would interact with the youth on various issues in national politics.

Stating that the irregularities in the election process have created ripples among the Northern states of India, Praveen said the opposition parties raised the issue in April itself and the Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, should have resigned, owing responsibility for the irregularities. "We lost the credibility of Indian democracy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Praveen charged that the taxing of UPI transactions has been forced by the US President. A tax of Rs 30,000 crore per year would be collected through these transactions, he said.

Expressing hope that a favourable solution would be received for Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue, Praveen said that he had raised the issue in the parliament and the minister for Jal Sakthi favoured Tamil Nadu.

“TNCC has strongly been opposing the construction of Mekedatu dam. We will never allow Karnataka to place even a single brick at the construction site and continue to raise our voice against it,” Praveen Chackravarty stressed.

According to police sources, the case came to light after a pen drive containing a video clip showing an elderly man sexually assaulting a minor girl was sent to the Intelligence and Technology Police Unit (ITPU) in October 2025. Police identified the elderly man in the video as industrialist R Veeramani.

A case was registered by the Central Crime Branch's Anti-Vice Squad on October 7, 2025, based on a social activist's complaint. However, action was delayed for several months.

The case was later transferred to the ITPU, which arrested Veeramani, Mahendra Simhan and Shanthi under the provisions of the POCSO Act, IPC and Information Technology Act on August 29 over the sexual assault of minor girls.

The investigation revealed that the granite baron had rented a house in Teynampet, where he allegedly sexually exploited several minor girls and women. He had entrusted the management of the property to his associates, Mahendra Simhan and his wife, Shanthi.

The crime branch had filed a petition before the Special Pocso Court in Chennai seeking three-day custody of Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan for interrogation. The police said they needed to ascertain how many more minor girls were sexually assaulted, how long the offences had been happening and who else was involved.

The petition came up for a hearing before S Padma, Judge of the Special Court for Pocso Act cases. After hearing the petition, the judge permitted three days' custody of Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan to the Crime Branch Police. The Court also allowed the accused to meet their lawyers once a day and further directed the police to produce them again on Sunday (September 27) evening after interrogation.