“We have faced several such cases levelled against us by several Chief Ministers, including late CM J Jayalalithaa, and proved innocent every time, and this time too, we will prove it,” he stressed.

He said the charges of tender irregularities were false and that he would prove his innocence in court. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition linked it to a direct response to questioning the ruling TVK government in the Assembly. Upset over executing the duty of an opposition party, they are trying to silence us by using the DVAC, he alleged.

Speaking to reporters after the raids, Nehru said DVAC sleuths searched his house, that of his brother and the premises of people associated with him in connection with what he termed a fabricated case.

“The team took the usual records related to his accounts and those of his brother and got our signature for the documents and left the place. We gave full support to the team during the DVAC raids and our party president MK Stalin also asked us to extend full support to the raids,” Nehru said.

Nehru said the sleuths did not question him about cases that were already under investigation. Maintaining that he had done nothing wrong, he said he would face any charges legally and prove himself innocent in court.

Tagore made the remarks while speaking to reporters after interacting with the visiting TVK ministers N Anand and Aadhav Arjuna at Sathyamurthy Bhavan in Chennai.

Despite sources in Congress saying that Saturday's meeting was held in a less-than-cordial atmosphere, with the leaders remaining silent for most of the time, Tagore said that the PM candidate conflict with the TVK was a matter of the past. Rahul Gandhi is the only PM face, he asserted and confirmed Congress' participation in the September 9 TVK friendlies' meeting.

But the Congress source said the atmosphere at Saturday's meeting contrasted with their earlier interactions, when the leaders had met in a friendly manner and spent considerable time discussing the political situation in Tamil Nadu.

"This time, the scenario was completely different," the source said.

The meeting came a day after Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, R Nirmal Kumar and Rajmohan personally met leaders of the Left and MDMK and invited them to the TVK's friendly parties' conference, which will be led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

During Saturday's meeting, Tagore held discussions with Anand and Aadhav Arjuna in the presence of Congress ministers Viswanathan and Rajesh Kumar and other senior party functionaries.

Tagore said the Congress would participate in the September 9 conference. "We assume that the TVK alliance will be named at that meeting," he said.

Asked about the Prime Ministerial candidate, Tagore said, "Our Prime Ministerial candidate is Rahul Gandhi."

He described the issue as a "closed chapter" and accused some people of being keen to break the secular-social justice alliance. "That will not happen," he said.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Left parties’ coordination committee, Shanmugam said the CPI and CPM were yet to discuss the invitation extended by TVK to parties supporting the government and those in the alliance.

“The respective party committees will meet and take a decision. We will certainly announce our decision before September 9,” he said.

Shanmugam said TVK had made a fresh attempt to bring together parties supporting the government and form an alliance. Unlike the earlier meeting, which the Left parties did not attend, the ministers who met the two parties' state secretaries on Friday clearly explained the objective of the September 9 meeting.

Meanwhile, Shanmugam announced that the Left parties would hold a massive workers’ rally in Tiruchy on October 15. The rally, earlier scheduled for October 6, was postponed due to unavoidable reasons. The national general secretaries of the three Left parties are expected to participate.

The rally will be held under the slogan “Tamil Nadu towards the Left”, Shanmugam said. He said the objective was to strengthen Left ideology across Tamil Nadu and mobilise people in support of Left politics.

He said the rally would focus on the aspirations and demands of working people and oppose economic inequality, caste discrimination and various forms of oppression. A statewide campaign for the rally will begin on Sunday, with the Left parties planning to take their message and demands to villages, towns and households.

CPI state secretary M Veerapandian said the Left parties had begun a separate political journey through the coordination committee and would join hands with democratic forces to defeat the BJP when circumstances required.

“We support good schemes and governance, but oppose those against the public without compromise. Our voice will always be on the side of workers, the poor and the weaker sections,” he said.

Speaking to reporters at the Chennai airport, Parande said Tamil Nadu's birth rate had fallen to 1.3 and urged every Hindu family to have at least two to three children.

He alleged that Christian conversion activities had increased in Tamil Nadu and called for a law similar to those in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Citing Article 25 of the Constitution, he said it protected the freedom to profess and propagate religion but did not permit forced conversions through inducement or threats.

Parande sought scrutiny of foreign funding for conversion activities and action under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act if violations were found.

He said the VHP had conducted 7,500 anti-drug awareness programmes nationwide in the past five to six months and would intensify such efforts in coastal Tamil Nadu.

Welcoming the ban on mobile phones in temples, he opposed the Rs 5 safekeeping charge, saying the facility should be free. He also demanded that temples be handed over to the Hindu community and their funds used only for Hindu religious purposes.

A membership drive from November 22 to December 6 would target one crore members across two lakh villages, he added.

Justice K Surender, while hearing a petition filed by the Retailers Association, observed that one year had already lapsed and directed the petitioners to complete the changes to their name boards by November 1. Failure to comply would invite action by the concerned authorities, the court said.

The association had approached the court challenging the GCC’s direction requiring shops to display their names in Tamil, followed by English and a third language. The direction also provided for a Rs 2,000 penalty for non-compliance under Rule 18 of the TN Shops and Establishments Act, 1947.

The retailers submitted that they had already made substantial investments in name boards featuring their trademarks and global branding. Immediate redesigning, they argued, would disrupt brand uniformity and cause confusion among customers. They also contended that the directions caused undue hardship and violated their fundamental right to carry on trade under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.

The association sought directions to the authorities to consider its representation and grant additional time to comply with the directions.

During the hearing, counsel for the petitioners, Vijayan Subramanian, submitted that the retailers would comply with the orders passed by the authorities. However, he sought three months from the date of the hearing.

The court granted time till November 1 as a last chance and disposed of the petition.

During the Purattasi-Rabi season of 2025-26, farmers in Thoothukudi district cultivated millets, pulses, crops, oilseeds and cash crops. Due to a deficit of rain, the farmers did not get the expected yield.

In 2025, farmers staged protests seeking compensation for severely affected crops. However, co-operation societies reportedly said that no compensation would be provided, alleging that the farmers gave incorrect statistics, showing that the yield was higher than average last year.

Meanwhile, farmers obtained crop loans from primary agricultural cooperative credit societies by submitting crop records and by pledging jewellery. They continued to urge the government to waive the crop loans.

The newly formed TVK government also announced in its election promise that crop loans obtained by farmers from cooperative credit societies would be waived. Based on this, the government announced various waiver slabs amid changes to its position.

Farmers who had borrowed up to Rs 75,000 were to receive a full waiver, while those who had borrowed Rs 1 lakh were to receive a waiver of Rs 75,000. Those who had borrowed more than Rs 1 lakh were to receive a waiver of Rs 35,000, according to the announcements.

Some farmers had obtained loans of up to Rs 2 lakh by submitting crop records, while others had obtained crop loans by pledging jewellery from their homes.

Despite two months since the waiver was announced, farmers have not been issued loan-free certificates. Further, the jewellery pledged as security for the crop loans has not been returned to them.

When asked, cooperative society secretaries reportedly said that they had not received an order from the Tamil Nadu government to return the farmers' jewellery.

The next cultivation season is due to begin within 20 days. Farmers will require their jewellery to pledge them again for crop loans.

Karisal Bhoomi Farmers' Association president Varadarajan has urged the State government to display a list of farmers who benefited from the crop loan waiver on a notice board so that it is accessible to everyone.

The latest action comes after hundreds of Tasmac employees were suspended within two days following complaints of liquor being sold above the maximum retail price (MRP).

On September 2 (Wednesday), 67 employees were suspended for three months, followed by the suspension of more than 100 employees the next day.

The suspensions triggered protests by Tasmac employees, who shut shops in opposition to the disciplinary action.

Despite a government warning that employees participating in the protest would face action, shop closures have continued in several districts.

“There are protests in Kancheepuram, Tambaram, Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Theni and many other districts. Since the tussle is increasingly becoming volatile, we’re discussing further course of action,” a department source said.

The developments have left the department facing a difficult situation.

Disciplinary action over alleged overcharging has triggered an employee agitation, while action against those participating in the protests could potentially widen the confrontation.

Meanwhile, Prohibition and Excise Minister K Vignesh defended the government’s action against employees accused of overcharging customers.

“The government has already provided employees with a salary hike and other benefits, including advances and shop maintenance charges. Even after this, if they are overcharging customers, it’s not right. We had to take action,” Vignesh added.

The government’s crackdown comes against the backdrop of a 25% pay hike announced by Tasmac on July 7.

During the Assembly discussion on the demands for grants for the Prohibition and Excise Department, Vignesh said that the revision was decided after taking into account the concerns of Tasmac employees, many of whom had been working in the outlets for nearly 23 years.

He had also cautioned employees against selling liquor above the MRP, warning that violations would invite strict disciplinary action.

Under the revised pay structure, Tasmac supervisors will earn a monthly salary of Rs 33,033, while salesmen and assistant salesmen will receive Rs 30,284 and Rs 28,680, respectively.

The government held four rounds of discussions with trade union representatives before finalising the revision.

The revised salaries are applicable from September 1, and will entail an additional expenditure of Rs 486.96 crore to the exchequer.

"As our leader said, we will neither touch public money nor allow anyone to touch it, and will not spare those who have touched it," he said. It was up to the senior politician to prove his innocence through the court, he added.

Meanwhile, he criticised NTK chief coordinator Seeman's Bigg Boss jibe at the Assembly proceedings, saying there was no need to belittle a television programme to elevate political proceedings and asserting that the growing interest in the House was drawing an entire generation towards politics.

Responding to Seeman's criticism, he said there was no need to demean a television programme to elevate political proceedings. "He might have said it as an analogy," he added.

Rajmohan said videos of children discussing Assembly proceedings were going viral on social media and being widely shared. "From children to elders, everyone is now waiting for 9.30 am," he said, referring to the time when Assembly proceedings commence.

"Those who used to make reels of cinema dialogues and punchlines are now making reels of Assembly proceedings. A leader who is politicising an entire generation is something you should welcome," he said.

On the sanitation workers' agitation, the minister said the government had to hold discussions with several unions and described a recent meeting as cordial.

The minister also paid floral tributes to VO Chidambaranar at the Gandhi Mandapam in Guindy on his birth anniversary. He thanked actor Ajith for appreciating Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's announcement to establish a Motor Smart City.

Issuing a statement while the raids were underway, Stalin said the matter was pending before the Madras High Court and the Assembly session was also in progress. In such circumstances, the TVK-led government conducted the raids on Nehru's premises for political reasons, he alleged.

Stalin said people in the State were aware that the DVAC had not registered any cases regarding allegations of MLA poaching against the ruling government. He was referring to an open claim filed by the party's Tiruchendur MLA, Anitha Radhakrishnan, who alleged that the police asked him to defect to the TVK. It was also a veiled reference to AIADMK's charges that their MLAs are being poached by the ruling party.

Stalin alleged that the raids on Nehru's premises were part of the "reels" government's usual diversionary tactics. Stalin said the DMK and Nehru would not be intimidated by the new government's tactics and would face and overcome them through legal means.

The state-level Teachers' Day celebration was held at the Anna Centenary Library here on Saturday and was attended by Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Advertising, A Rajmohan.

According to the details released for the programme, teachers from various categories have been accorded the honour. The list includes 171 teachers from the School Education department and 171 from the Elementary Education department. In addition, 38 teachers from private schools across the state also received the award.

Two teachers each from Anglo-Indian schools, Social Welfare Department schools and teachers serving students with disabilities were also awarded by the minister. Further, 10 teachers from the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) were also honoured, taking the total number of awardees to 396.

In his keynote, the minister said, "The celebrations are aimed at recognising teachers who play a crucial role in shaping students' academic and personal development. The Dr Radhakrishnan Awards serve as a mark of appreciation for their commitment, innovation and service to education."

He added, "The event is expected to bring together teachers and education officials to celebrate the profession and underline the importance of educators in building the next generation."

The minister stressed that teachers focus only on teaching, and the department will ensure their concerns are addressed.

The Mines department has permitted a crusher unit at Rettamalai near A-Thoppupatti in Manapparai, and the works for the proposed crusher unit is under way.

Sources said the crusher unit is sanctioned against the norms as there are houses and religious places within the 500-metre radius of the site.

The villagers have protested the proposal as it would harm agricultural activities in the area and even met Minister for Mines TK Prabhu and Manapparai MLA R Kathiravan, but to no avail.

They also tried to meet Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday (September 3) but were stopped by the officials.

On Saturday, four school students - Suba (14), Jeeva (13), Vettrivel (10) and Karuppasamy (14) from Rettamalai climbed atop the Rettamalai hillock around 7 am and staged a protest and threatened to end their lives if the crusher unit work continues.

Their parents rushed and urged the children to climb down, followed by the revenue officials and Vaiyyampatti police. But the students continued to stay put and demanded officials' response.

Two parents - Sathya and Nithya - fainted due to dehydration and were rushed to the Manapparai GH.

The revenue officials and the police assured the protesting students that they would stop the ongoing work for the crusher until the court gives a verdict.

Subsequently, the protesting students climbed down.

Sivakumar, a contractor undertaking works for the Public Works and Water Resources departments of the State government, has submitted a complaint to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).

In his complaint, Sivakumar alleged that Duraimurugan received Rs 1 crore from him when he was the Water Resources Minister, in exchange for contract works under the department. However, he claimed that no work was subsequently awarded to him.

Sivakumar also levelled allegations against Kathir Anand, claiming that the Vellore MP received Rs 1.25 crore from him after promising to award contract works under the MP's Constituency Development Fund.

"He also failed to fulfil his promise. I have submitted a complaint to the DVAC. If the department fails to take any action, I will approach the courts," Sivakumar said.

Sivakumar had earlier lodged a complaint with DMK top brass seeking action against Duraimurugan. He had also alleged that he was cheated of another Rs 75 lakh with an assurance that his wife would be given the post of union chairman. However, neither the contract works nor the post was given, he alleged, adding that Duraimurugan had been evading repayment despite repeated requests.

The latest target was a white-label ATM situated along the Chennai–Tirupati National Highway, in Avadi City Police limits. 

White-label ATMs are automated teller machines set up, owned, and operated by non-banking companies rather than traditional banks.

Members of the public who arrived to withdraw cash on Saturday morning noticed that the machine was missing and immediately alerted the authorities. A police team headed by Poonamallee Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) inspected the crime scene and launched an investigation.

Investigators are scrutinising CCTV footage from surrounding commercial units to establish the exact time of the heist, identify the number of suspects involved, and trace the vehicle used to haul away the heavy machine.

Unlike the previous two ATM robberies, where gangs broke open the cash kiosks, the perpetrators in Saturday’s incident fled with the entire machine. Preliminary inquiries indicate that the ATM contained over Rs 5 lakh at the time of the theft.

Police are now probing whether the same inter-State network was behind the earlier strikes at Somangalam under Tambaram City police limits and near Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district two weeks ago.

In the Somangalam incident in Kancheepuram district, a gang targeted an ICICI Bank ATM on the Sriperumbudur–Kundrathur highway, using a gas-welding torch to cut open the vault before escaping with Rs 10 lakh. A similar modus operandi was employed in Gummidipoondi, where thieves made off with Rs 11.5 lakh.

The vehicle used in the Somangalam heist was intercepted at the Telangana–Maharashtra border on August 25, but four suspects managed to flee during the operation. Special teams tracking their movements learned they had escaped to Haryana.

Meanwhile, one of the key suspects, Pawan Kumar, was arrested by Jaipur Police in connection with a case registered at the Vaishali Nagar station. Interrogation by Tambaram police confirmed that Kumar had visited the crime scene along with four accomplices who remain on the run.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has proposed new rules under which renewable energy plants commissioned after July 1, 2027 will have to ensure that at least 15% of their inverters, devices that convert electricity generated by solar panels or wind turbines into a form that can be supplied to the grid, can work in a ‘grid-forming’ mode. Battery storage systems will also have to have this capability.

For new ground-mounted solar and on-shore wind projects commissioned after July 1, 2027, the CEA has proposed a minimum battery storage capacity equal to 10% of the project’s installed capacity. The batteries should be able to store electricity for at least two hours. For example, a 100 MW solar plant would need a battery system capable of storing 10 MW of electricity for two hours.

The requirement will become stricter for projects commissioned after July 1, 2029 and up to June 30, 2031. These projects will have to provide storage for at least four hours, while the storage capacity will remain at 10% of the plant's installed capacity. A 100 MW project, for example, would need 10 MW of storage for four hours.

The CEA said it may change the required percentage of grid-forming inverters or the storage capacity from time to time. The draft rules have been issued for public comments. Stakeholders and members of the public can send their suggestions and objections to the CEA by October 4, 2026.

The Rs 13,076-crore project at Udangudi comprises two units of 660 MW each. Unit-1 initially commenced power generation on March 13, 2026, generating between 300 MW and 400 MW daily during preliminary operational testing.

Following instructions from Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to expedite commissioning at full commercial capacity, officials conducted a series of test runs to establish the plant's operational stability at its rated output.

As part of the mandatory commercial operation declaration process, a continuous full-load trial run was conducted from 4.16 pm on September 2 to 4.15 pm on September 5. Throughout the 72-hour run, the unit consistently sustained generation at its full 660 MW capacity, prompting TNEB to officially declare commercial operations on Saturday.

With the commissioning of Unit-1, TNEB's total installed thermal power capacity has increased from 4,460 MW to 5,120 MW. The steady availability of firm power from the new facility is expected to help the utility cut down its reliance on expensive short-term power purchases from private suppliers, offering financial relief to the power board.

Meanwhile, construction work on Unit-2, which also has a capacity of 660 MW, is progressing rapidly, with efforts underway to begin power generation soon.

The letter of award for the main plant was issued to EPC contractor BHEL in December 2017. Unit-1 was originally scheduled for commissioning in January 2021 and Unit-2 in March 2021. However, project execution faced delays due to various hurdles, including the COVID pandemic, severe labour shortages, and legal disputes.

Power and Law Minister R Nirmalkumar commended TNEB Chairman V Arun Rai, Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Managing Director M Govindarao, Director (Projects) M Sethuraman, Udangudi Chief Engineer (in-charge) K Rajakumar, and the project staff for achieving the milestone.

The event was held in Chennai, where messages from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and DMK president MK Stalin were read out.

Hailing the contribution of the print media, Radhakrishnan said newspapers often sold copies at prices that were about half the cost of printing. Despite this, the service rendered by newspapers could be considered an excellent form of social service, he said.

A short film showcasing Dinamalar’s 75-year journey was screened during the event.

The event was presided over by M Manoj, Director of the Postal Department, Chennai City. Publishers of Dinamalar, including L Athimoolam and RR Gopaljee, participated in the event.

Dinamalar began its journey on September 6, 1951, from Thiruvananthapuram.

One suspect has since been detained near Ulundurpet.

Police are probing whether the cash was hawala money and suspect that the gang may have known the 65-year-old businessman, Thamun, was travelling to Coimbatore with the money.

They are also investigating whether the gang had followed him from Hyderabad before carrying out the robbery.

Thamun frequently visits Coimbatore for business and boarded a luxury bus in Hyderabad on Thursday (September 3) night with cash in a bag. When he got off and walked a short distance on Friday morning, a car approached him from behind.

Four men got out, allegedly snatched the bag with the cash and fled in the same vehicle. The robbery was carried out within five minutes of Thamun getting off the bus, leaving him shocked.

Thamun lodged a complaint with the Race Course police about two hours after the robbery.

Police officials reached the spot and examined CCTV footage from the area, which reportedly captured the gang getting out of the car, snatching the bag and fleeing.

Four special teams have been formed on the orders of city police commissioner Kannan to trace the suspects.

Based on information that the gang was fleeing in a car near Ulundurpet, the teams, with the help of local police, intercepted the vehicle.

Police said one person was inside and detained him for questioning.

The other three suspects remain at large. Police are questioning the detained person to establish the identities of the others, their place of origin and the whereabouts of the stolen cash.

The Race Course police have registered a case and are continuing their investigation.

The 10.30 am to 11 am slot had only 10 seats available as of 7.30 pm on Saturday (September 5).

Assembly officials said students and the public were eager to watch the Chief Minister's reply on Monday in person. Hence, the demand for passes among college and school students was high.

"The 11 am to 11.30 am slot has been completely booked for Monday. After the TVK-led government assumed charge, the footfall in the Assembly hall has been very high during the sessions. If the Chief Minister comes to the Assembly, the footfall doubles as people want to see him. Around 2,000 to 3,000 people watch the proceedings every day," an Assembly official said.

People can watch the Assembly proceedings through two types of viewing facilities in the hall: eight box-type viewing galleries, each with five seats, and benches that can accommodate around 100 to 150 people on both sides of the hall at a time.

School or college students eager to watch the proceedings should register via the Assembly website's dedicated registration facility.

It is said that a couple of days back, a gang of four boys from the Gandhi Market police jurisdiction took a 16-year-old girl from the locality to a nearby school and sexually assaulted her.

The girl, who managed to escape from them, passed on the information to the village elders, who lodged a complaint against the boys with the Fort All Women Police Station.

The residents also took the boys to the station while complaining.

The police, who conducted an inquiry, confirmed the offence and registered a case against the four under various sections, including the Pocso Act and arrested them.

Subsequently, they were lodged in the Government Observation Home in Thanjavur.

The residents said that ganja peddling has been widely witnessed in the locality and the peddlers target the minors and force them to consume it to make them addicted to it.

Those four boys who were studying classes 9 and 10 were said to be regular customers, and the offence had taken place under the influence of drugs.

The deceased was identified as B Niranjan. His father, Balaji, worked at a fish farm in Chennai while his wife, Saraswathu, worked at a private firm.

The family lived at Veppampattu. Niranjan was a Class 3 student at a government school, and his elder brother is in Class 8.

On Friday, his parents had gone to work.

Around 3 pm, his grandmother and the two boys returned home and went to sleep. Niranjan later woke up and started playing with a towel hanging from the window frame.

While playing, the towel got wrapped around his neck and tightened.

On hearing his screams, his grandmother and brother rescued him and later rushed him to a hospital where he was declared ‘brought dead’.

Further investigations are underway.

In Mylapore, an 18-year-old college student died of electrocution after he touched the Corporation street light pole while crossing a road divider near his hostel in Mylapore. The deceased was identified as A Jayachandran (18).

A native of Tiruvannamalai, he was a second year student at Government Arts College, Nandanam, and was staying at a government hostel in Kabali Thottam, Mylapore.

Police said that Jayachandran had gone out with a friend on Friday (September 4) night and returned to the hostel during the early hours of Saturday.

While crossing the centre median, he had held the electric pole for support when he suffered an electric shock and was thrown to the ground.

Public rushed to his aid and moved him to the GH in Royapettah, where doctors declared him as brought dead.

In Gummidpoondi, a 12-year-old boy was electorcuted inside the Gummidipoondi GH campus. The deceased has been identified as Kaushik, 12, a Class 6 student from Kottakkarai near Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur.

Police said since it was a holiday, Kaushik was playing with his friends inside the hospital premises when he accidentally touched a high-mast light pole.

He was electrocuted and collapsed on the spot. He was rushed inside the hospital for examination, but doctors declared him brought dead.

On hearing the news, his relatives and other residents gathered inside the hospital and entered into a heated argument with the staff.

They questioned how a light pole in a public place like a GH could have an electrical leakage and demanded strict action against staff for negligence.

Police pacified the protestors and made them disperse. A case has been registered and further investigations are on.

Out of the 305 tourists from Tamil Nadu who went on a pilgrimage to Nepal and were trapped in the August 26 tragedy, 220 have been rescued, and 85 are still missing. The State and the Centre have been making constant efforts to bring them home safely.

The Nepal government have urged nations from which the tourists belong to conduct DNA analysis of the victims' family members. Accordingly, the State government appointed officials to collect DNA details of the family members of the tourists from Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Thanjavur.

A team of doctors from Thanjavur Medical College Hospital led by Rajmohan, the joint director of the Thanjavur Regional Forensic Science department, collected blood samples from 23 family members of flood victims from Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruchy and Karur. Thanjavur District Collector R Revathi monitored the drive.

"Based on the need, we would continue the collection of samples for two more days and submit the analysis report to the state government within a week," Rajmohan told reporters.

Meanwhile, Collector Revathi said the fate of the 16 tourists from Thanjavur is yet to be verified, but the district administration is in constant touch with their families and has been cooperating in tracing the victims.

A sand-laden lorry from Tiruchy ran amok among workers laying paver blocks at a petrol bunk in Samayapuram.

Two workers identified as Ganesan and Andi were crushed to death.

On information, the Samayapuram police rushed to the spot, retrieved the bodies and sent them to the government hospital.

The police also registered a case and arrested lorry driver Satheesh.

Initial probe found that driver Satheesh, who was overspeeding, lost control while negotiating a turn and crashed into the workers.

Further investigations are under way.

The advertisement was posted in June while Ganeshan was in Guangdong, China. The South Chennai cybercrime unit, led by inspector Sujatha, registered a case based on a complaint from a social activist.

Police initiated an investigation and issued a Look Out Circular (LOC). When Ganeshan arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi from Hong Kong early on Saturday, Immigration officials detained him

Police produced him before a magistrate’s court in Delhi and obtained a transit warrant to bring him to Chennai. He is expected to be questioned and produced before a court on Sunday for remand in judicial custody.

Ganeshan posted about his detention on X at around 3 am on Saturday, and sought the assistance of a criminal defence lawyer in Delhi-NCR to plead his case.

Addressing cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, researchers and medical experts from India and abroad, Radhakrishnan said the convergence of clinical expertise, scientific inquiry, innovation and collaboration marked an important step in the service of humanity.

He said every medical procedure, clinical decision and scientific advance ultimately concerned a patient seeking to live longer, healthier and with dignity.

Noting the advances in cardiovascular medicine, he said valvular and structural heart diseases remained an important and growing challenge.

He stressed that medical progress must be accompanied by a commitment to ensuring its benefits are inclusive and accessible, asserting that healthcare is a human right.

Describing the registry as an important initiative, Radhakrishnan said that the systematic, secure, and de-identified collection of data on patients undergoing valve interventions, their treatment, and outcomes could transform individual clinical experience into collective medical knowledge.

"Such registries will help create our country's own data for our own countrymen," he said, adding that India-specific evidence would help the medical community understand outcomes, identify gaps and improve patient care.

Referring to national registries established in several countries, he welcomed the collaborative effort in India.

Citing India's COVID-19 response, Radhakrishnan said the country had developed vaccines and supplied them to around 100 countries, demonstrating its medical and technological capabilities. "Our doctors, scientists and healthcare professionals have earned respect across the world," he said. The goal of building a Viksit Bharat by 2047 must also mean building a Swasth Bharat, he added.

Health Minister KG Arunraj and cardiologists G Sengottuvelu, Ashok Seth and Praveen Chandra were among those present.

Nainar warned that the House was not a platform for cinema dialogues and urged him to address issues concerning the State.

Reacting to Joseph Vijay's remark that no one should get up and run away during his reply on the debate on demands for grants for the Home Department on Monday, Nainar Nagenthran asked whether Vijay would come to the Assembly with a sickle and a stick and wondered what he would speak about.

Talking to reporters here, he said Joseph Vijay should respond to more than 400 rape incidents reported in the State, including cases involving children. He also asked whether Vijay would raise the killings reported in Coimbatore and elsewhere. "Speaking cinema dialogues in the Assembly is not appropriate," Nainar said, describing the claim that Vijay could be a prime ministerial candidate as strange beyond imagination.

On the Assembly resolution seeking the declaration of Tamil as a language of proceedings in the Madras High Court, Nainar said, "Tamil should be there in Tamil Nadu. There is no difference of opinion on this."

The BJP leader urged the state government to hold talks with all cleanliness workers' unions to resolve their grievances, rather than negotiating with only one union.

Nainar alleged that farmers had not received complete loan waivers and criticised the delayed opening of the Mettur dam, saying it should have been opened on June 12. He claimed Rs 5 crore was spent on Vijay's recent visit to Mettur.

Nainar also criticised the continuing increase in electricity tariffs and said that the Energy Resources Minister, R Nirmalkumar, doesn't respond to charges.

According to the police, Isakkiyappan's house did not receive water during the supply, and he questioned the water pump operator. When an argument broke out, panchayat president Maharajan (68) intervened. Isakkiyappan allegedly picked up a brick lying nearby for construction and hit Maharajan on the forehead before fleeing on a two-wheeler.

The police said Maharajan's relatives took him to a private hospital at Parappadi. The doctors provided first aid and referred him to Nanguneri Government Hospital. However, he died on the way.

Preliminary inquiry pointed out that the incident followed a dispute over water supply. The police are investigating whether previous enmity was also a factor.

Sudalai (45) of Azad Nagar was involved in buying and selling firecrackers for temple festivals and a woman named Thangam assisted him by storing some of the crackers at her house.

Around 1.40 am on Friday, the crackers stored at her house exploded, injuring Thangam's younger daughter Krithika (7), who was sleeping inside the house.

Thangam and her eldest daughter Balasoundarya (13) managed to escape, but the latter sustained injuries.

The girls were admitted to Tirunelveli GH, where Krithika succumbed to her burns.

The Courtallam police arrested Sudalai and seized firecrackers worth Rs 1 lakh.

The van was travelling towards Courtallam with 13 tourists from Sivakasi, and the car was travelling from Courtallam to Sivakasi.

Late Friday (September 4), the car and the van, coming from opposite directions, collided head-on near Ilathur Vilakku.

Both vehicles caught fire following the impact. The car's driver, Vijay Anand (34), an assistant bank manager, was returning from taking a bath at Courtallam.

Trapped in the fire, Vijay succumbed while the 13 tourists managed to escape.

Three passengers in the van, Nargis Banu (18), Balkis Banu (21) and Haseena Banu (42), suffered serious injuries and were admitted to Tenkasi GH.

The fire affected traffic on the highway and police diverted vehicles to an alternative route.

Addressing the controversy over the omission of the names of the temple's current trustees from the invitation for the consecration ceremony scheduled for September 17, Energy Resources and Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar said the missing names were "not a result of a deliberate plan or conspiracy, but rather an administrative oversight".

Speaking to reporters here, the minister dismissed allegations of intentional exclusion and attributed the omission to a lack of consensus among the current committee members.

He reiterated the government's policy of non-interference in temple administration and contrasted it with previous regimes, which he alleged had routinely appointed party functionaries and family members to temple trustee boards.

"It is an insignificant issue being blown out of proportion," the minister said.

Responding to the viral video, officials swiftly intervened in the matter on Friday. In the clip, the woman, identified as Vanitha, pleaded for her life and talked about extreme cruelty, starvation, and unpaid wages she endured at the hands of her overseas employers.

"I am Vanitha, who had sought the Indian Embassy's help to rescue me. Now, I am in the Indian Embassy. Thank you, Indian Embassy. I have good dress and good food now," she said in a follow-up video, supposedly recorded inside the embassy.

The ordeal came to light when Vanitha, a mother of two, recorded her initial SOS message from a cramped room with her head covered. She stated she had traveled to Kuwait three months ago, but was denied her salary for the past two months. With folded hands, she made a direct appeal to the Kallakurichi District Collector and Superintendent of Police to rescue her before her employers could kill her.

Following the widespread sharing of her video online, authorities in Tamil Nadu quickly traced her family. Her mother, Vennila, lodged a formal complaint with the district administration, stating that the employment agent had deceived her daughter regarding the nature and safety of the domestic work abroad.

Kallakurichi Superintendent of Police Shahnaz confirmed that district officials verified the family's identity based on the video.

An FIR has been registered against the agent based on Vennila's complaint, and local police have initiated legal action against him.

In a statement, Anbumani said the government's decision to ask people to state their caste and record it manually could lead to severe discrepancies.

He said the PMK had earlier demanded that the caste Census application include the official OBC lists, allowing respondents to select their caste and the corresponding code.

The PMK president said the Centre's claim that categories such as beggars and locally born people were included in some OBC lists could not justify abandoning the list-based method.

Such categories, he said, were included to extend social justice benefits to socially and economically disadvantaged communities.

Anbumani warned that asking people to self-report their caste could result in millions of variations in caste names, undermining the very purpose of the exercise.

He urged the Centre to withdraw its August 14 statutory order, SO 4505 (E), and issue a fresh order incorporating OBC caste lists into the census application.

When the matter came up before a division bench of Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice K Rajasekar, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden filed a status report.

According to the report, the Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department had notified three elephant corridors on August 27 – Jawalagiri-Thaggatti Elephant Corridor, Jawalagiri-Anchetty Elephant Corridor and Bilikkal-Jawalagiri Elephant Corridor.

Venuprasad, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and chairman of the committee, constituted for the purpose, submitted that the Wildlife Trust of India had originally identified 17 elephant corridors, while a committee constituted by the state government had identified 41 corridors. “A study is under way to determine whether all the identified areas need to be notified as elephant corridors. The study includes detailed assessment and field inspections to ascertain the requirement for notifying the areas as corridors.”

Seeking more time to complete the exercise and submit a comprehensive report, Venuprasad said the assessment was still in progress. The bench granted the State 3 more months to identify the areas requiring notification and adjourned the matter to December 14.

The Election Commission of India (ECI), in an order issued under Sections 77 and 78 of the Representation of the People Act, held that Maulaana had failed to account for expenditure incurred on newspaper advertisements published during his campaign.

Maulaana had declared his total election expenditure at Rs 17,03,548. During scrutiny, however, the Chennai district election authorities found that advertisements published in 10 newspapers had not been included in his account.

The District Election Officer (DEO) had sought an explanation from Maulaana on whether the advertisements published by the Congress were intended to promote his election. Maulaana denied authorising the advertisements and contended that the Congress had independently borne the expenditure.

The DEO and Expenditure Observer, however, found that the advertisements prominently carried Maulaana's name, photograph and the Congress party's hand symbol, besides an appeal to voters to support the "Velachery Congress candidate Aassan Maulaana JMH". The symbols of other parties in the alliance did not figure in the advertisements.

The DEO consequently determined that Rs 32,05,915 spent on the newspaper advertisements had been understated in Maulaana's election expenditure account.

The ECI accepted the finding and held that the expenditure should have been included in the candidate's account. This would have taken his total election expenditure to Rs 49,09,463, well above the prescribed ceiling of Rs 30.80 lakh for an Assembly constituency.

The Commission concluded that Maulaana, who was elected from Velachery in the 2021 Assembly election, had failed to lodge a true and correct account of his election expenses within the time and in the manner prescribed by law.

Accordingly, the ECI disqualified him for three years from being chosen as, or being, a member of either House of Parliament or of the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council of a state or Union Territory.

No effect on former MLA benefits

The three-year disqualification will prevent Maulaana from contesting elections but will not affect the benefits available to him as a former MLA, including his pension.

Maulaana was elected Velachery MLA in 2021 and served a full five-year term. Election Department officials said the disqualification imposed by the ECI only bars him from contesting elections for three years and does not affect his eligibility for benefits available to former MLAs.

"He need not return the salary and other perks that he received during his tenure as an MLA," officials said.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, several people across Tamil Nadu are currently applying for new ration cards through district-level e-Sevai centres. However, applicants in some areas were reportedly being asked by local Taluk Supply Officers to attach a gas cylinder connection receipt along with their applications.

The requirement had caused confusion among applicants as a gas cylinder connection can generally be obtained only after securing a ration card. As a result, people applying for a new ration card were finding it difficult to provide a document that they were being asked to submit as part of the application process.

Gas receipt not mandatory for ration card

Following several complaints, Ragini Ravichandran, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Civil Supplies, issued an order clarifying that there is no requirement to mandatorily attach a gas cylinder connection receipt while applying for a new ration card.

The department has stated that a gas cylinder connection receipt is only one of the documents that applicants can submit, if available. It is not a compulsory document for the application. The clarification is expected to provide relief to applicants who were unable to proceed with their applications because they did not have a gas cylinder connection receipt.

Aadhaar cards mandatory for all family members

According to the clarification, applicants must upload the Aadhaar cards of all family members along with the new ration card application.

In addition to the Aadhaar cards, applicants can attach any one of the following documents, if available:

• Property tax receipt

• Rental agreement

• Electricity bill

• Gas cylinder connection receipt

New ration card to be issued in 60 days

The Civil Supplies Department has also stated that a new ration card is generally issued within 60 days after the application is submitted, subject to the necessary verification and processing. The department's clarification comes as applications for new ration cards continue to be submitted through district-level e-Sevai centres across Tamil Nadu.

According to a Maalaimalar report, the explosion occurred at the Chinnathambi Fireworks factory. Fire and Rescue Services personnel reached the spot and began efforts to douse the fire and carry out rescue operations.

The rescue operation was affected by repeated explosions at the unit. Firefighters were unable to enter the affected area due to the continuing blasts.

The deceased was identified as Madasamy.

On September 3, three workers were killed in explosions at firecracker manufacturing units in the district. The latest incident has resulted in the death of another worker.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the deceased was identified as Maharajan, president of Kannanlur Panchayat in Valliyur Union.

Police are searching for the accused, Isakkiyappan (40), a labourer from Thamaraikulam, who allegedly fled the spot after the incident.

Why did the worker argue with the panchayat president?

Isakkiyappan's house had not received water from the overhead reservoir tank in the area for the past few days. He reportedly went to Maharajan's house on Friday evening and complained about the issue.

An argument subsequently broke out between the two. In a fit of anger, Isakkiyappan allegedly picked up a brick kept at the house for construction work and threw it at Maharajan.

Maharajan suffered a severe head injury and collapsed.

The injured Maharajan was taken to the Nanguneri Government Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, Valliyur police rushed to the spot, recovered the body and sent it to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

According to police, the deceased were students of an engineering college in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, and were travelling from Guruvayur towards Kodungallur along NH-66.

Police have identified six of the deceased. Four of them—Surya, Yuvasanjith, Vishva and Johua—were from Dindigul, while Santhosh and Prasanna were from Madurai.

Police said the identities of two others are yet to be confirmed.

The accident occurred at around 11.40 pm on Friday, police said.

The car, which had a Tamil Nadu registration, collided with a Maharashtra-registered lorry parked on the highway at Panambikkunnu in Kaipamangalam near here.

Six students died on the spot, while two others were declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital, police said.

The youth were pulled out of the car during a rescue operation carried out by residents, fire and rescue personnel and police. Their bodies were taken to the mortuary of Thrissur Medical College, police said.

Kaipamangalam police have registered a case against the lorry driver under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide.

The lorry driver went into hiding soon after the accident, police said.

According to the FIR, the lorry was illegally parked on the right side of the highway, and the car rammed into its rear.

Police said the lorry was parked near a barricaded section where traffic had been diverted as part of ongoing construction work.

The car was travelling at high speed, and the driver apparently failed to notice the diversion barricade before hitting the rear of the lorry, police said.

Police contacted the families of the deceased using the student identity cards recovered from the bodies. Some of the families were unaware that their children had travelled to Keralam, police said.

Postmortem examinations will begin after the families of the deceased reach Thrissur Medical College, police said.

Searches at 19 Chennai locations

The searches began in the morning and were carried out at locations in Chennai, including Mylapore, Adyar, Thiruvanmiyur, Anna Nagar and Abiramapuram. Searches were also conducted at Nehru’s residence and other premises in Thillai Nagar, Tiruchy.

A team of DVAC officials arrived at Nehru’s Thillai Nagar residence in four vehicles. Nehru later reached the residence after learning about the searches. Former minister Anbil Mahesh and other DMK functionaries gathered outside the house, leading to tension in the area.

Stalin alleges political motive

Reacting to the searches, DMK president and former Chief Minister MK Stalin alleged that the action against Nehru was politically motivated.

In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Stalin said the searches were being conducted even as a case was pending before the High Court and the Assembly session was underway.

Stalin alleged that the ruling TVK government had resorted to the action for “purely political reasons”. He also accused the government of having allegedly induced legislators from other parties to resign and join the ruling party on the Assembly premises, and alleged that the DVAC had not registered an FIR on complaints relating to the alleged horse-trading.

Stalin further accused the government of using the searches as a diversionary tactic and described them as a continuation of what he termed the “dark side” of Indian democracy.

“Nehru and the party will not be intimidated by such threats from the new government. We will face everything through legal means and emerge victorious,” Stalin said.

What is the case against KN Nehru about?

The case stems from allegations of irregularities in appointments and tender allocations during Nehru’s tenure as MAWS minister. The Enforcement Directorate had alleged that bribes amounting to several crores were collected in connection with the appointment of 2,538 officials, while also alleging irregularities worth around Rs 1,020 crore in recruitments and tenders.

The Madras High Court, in February, directed the DVAC to register a case based on materials supplied by the ED, observing that they prima facie disclosed cognisable offences.

The DVAC subsequently registered an FIR in June under Section 7(c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, naming Nehru, the DMK's principal secretary, his brothers and several officials.

Nehru currently represents the Tiruchirappalli West Assembly constituency and is the DMK's deputy floor leader in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He is also a prominent DMK leader in central Tamil Nadu.

(With Bureau inputs)

The ruling, passed by Judicial Magistrate N Moorthy, relates to animals seized during a forest department inquiry into the possession of exotic wildlife at the farmhouse of SK Keshavanathan (53). He had two Lar gibbons, seven cats and two tufted capuchins.

An investigation was launched after a video of actor Vikram with a Lar gibbon surfaced on social media. Following the inquiry and examination of the documents submitted by him, the Forest Department registered a case against Kesavanathan under relevant provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.

The court has directed Keshavanathan to execute a surety bond agreeing to produce the animals whenever required. He has also been prohibited from selling, gifting, transferring, relocating or otherwise changing ownership of any of the animals. The forest department can inspect the animals periodically at their place of residence. A qualified veterinarian must examine the animals every month and submit a report to the court.

The order provides for further action if the investigation establishes that the animals were obtained unlawfully or that the farmhouse owner was involved in illegal trade. In such circumstances, the forest department may initiate steps to move the animals to the zoological park at Vandalur. Any birth or death among the animals must be reported immediately to the forest department.