The bench of Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan held that the MLAs’ resignations were genuine and that the Speaker was not required to conduct a detailed enquiry. However, it clarified that the resignations would not bar disqualification proceedings and directed the Speaker to complete them within two months.

The court partly allowed a plea filed by AIADMK whip Agri SS Krishnamurthy, challenging the acceptance of the resignations of six MLAs who quit the party after the Assembly elections and joined Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on the same day.

The six legislators whose resignations were challenged were Maragatham Kumaravel (Maduranthakam), S Jayakumar (Perundurai), P Sathyabama (Dharapuram), Esakki Subaya (Ambasamudram), former Health Minister C Vijayabaskar (Viralimalai) and former Transport Minister MR Vijayabhaskar (Karur). Two of them, Maragatham Kumaravel and Sathyabama, later contested and won the October 6 bypolls in their respective constituencies as TVK candidates.

Former AIADMK Minister and party whip Agri SS Krishnamurthy and Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi president ML Ravi filed petitions before the Madras High Court, seeking to quash the Speaker’s orders accepting the resignations of the six MLAs.

During the hearing, senior counsel CS Vaidyanathan, appearing for the Speaker, submitted that an MLA could not be compelled to remain in office if he wished to resign. He said the Speaker could only examine whether the resignation was voluntary, while allegations involving ministerial posts, money or horse-trading could be examined only in the disqualification proceedings. He contended that the Speaker had committed no violation and urged the court to dismiss the petitions.

Senior counsel Satish Parasaran, appearing for the resigned MLAs, submitted that resigning as an MLA and subsequently joining another party was part of democratic politics. He also submitted that the MLAs’ resignations could be questioned by voters of their respective constituencies.

Advocate General Vijay Narayan, appearing for the Assembly Secretary, submitted that once the MLAs had genuinely and voluntarily tendered their resignations, the Speaker could not refuse to accept them.

He affirmed that his party would never align with anyone who joins hands with the BJP. Addressing reporters here, Jawahirullah said the DMK and the BJP operate on diametrically opposite ideological planes.

Highlighting DMK chief MK Stalin’s track record, he recalled that Stalin had taken to the streets against the CAA and spearheaded Assembly resolutions opposing the Centre’s Waqf Amendment Bill to safeguard federal and secular principles.

“Our stand is unequivocal. We are rooted in an ideology that upholds the Constitution and secularism. The BJP seeks to undermine the constitutional framework. We will never align with anyone who aligns with the BJP,” Jawahirullah said, rubbishing recent political commentary suggesting potential alliances.

A Division Bench of Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel upheld the single judge’s order, observing that the government had a duty to recognise the dedicated services rendered by doctors and should not leave pensioners and their families in distress.

“The Government, as a welfare state, has a duty to recognise the loyal services rendered by a public servant. He had committed himself during service, putting his life on the line while treating patients with infectious diseases,” the court observed.

The judges said the government could not reduce sanctioned pension benefits merely by citing financial commitments towards other welfare schemes.

The bench observed that the government could not take away a portion of the pension through an order lacking statutory authority. It also noted that Rule 56 of the Tamil Nadu Pension Rules, 1978, had not been amended to support the government’s action.

The doctors and family pensioners had challenged a government order issued on February 5, 2025, which sought to restore their pensions to the rates applicable before the revision. A single judge quashed the order on December 16, 2025, following which the government filed the appeals.

Justice V Lakshminarayanan raised the question after counsel for Anbil Mahesh argued that prior approval under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act had been obtained from the Government Secretary instead of the Governor. The judge then asked why the DMK, which was opposed to the Governor's powers, was keen on a nod from the same gubernatorial head. The judge also asked when Mahesh was intended to file an anticipatory bail petition.

The case stems from a complaint by the former general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, alleging that its president, BT Arasukumar, and other office-bearers collected money from private schools on the promise of securing no-objection certificates (NOCs), licences, recognition and renewals but failed to fulfil their assurances.

The FIR was initially registered under Sections 316(5) and 318(4), read with Section 3(5), of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Subsequently, the prosecution filed an alteration report before the Metropolitan Magistrate seeking to add Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and name Anbil Mahesh as an accused. The former minister moved the High Court seeking to quash the FIR.

In its counter-affidavit, the Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) denied the allegation that the case was registered after a four-year delay. It said the complaint was received on June 23, 2026, and the FIR was registered on June 27, 2026.

The CCB said the investigation had revealed that money was collected from school managements in the name of party funds and that material had emerged indicating Mahesh’s alleged role in demands concerning private schools.

Maintaining that the Governor’s approval was not required and that the investigation was ongoing, the CCB urged the court to dismiss the petition. It argued that quashing the FIR or staying the investigation would prejudice the collection and preservation of evidence.

The court posted the matter to October 29, 2026.

A Government Order issued by the School Education Department on October 9 authorised the expenditure, to be met from the revised estimates for 2026-27.

The initiative began in 2022-23, when districts were classified into three categories for funding purposes. Under the arrangement, A-category districts received Rs 17.5 lakh each, B-category districts Rs 14 lakh each and C-category districts Rs 12 lakh each. The government sanctioned a total of Rs 4.965 crore for the fairs that year.

The programme continued in 2023-24 and 2024-25, with further sanctions for district-level book fairs.

The latest order provides for the fairs to be conducted annually in every district from 2026-27 onwards. The Rs 8.45-crore allocation will cover the expenditure involved in organising the events across Tamil Nadu.

The initiative is expected to expand access to books beyond major urban centres and provide readers, students and publishers across the state with opportunities to participate in literary events closer to home.

Responding to criticism over the high cost power purchase, the minister said the state had invited bids for up to 3,500 MW but would purchase only 1,500 MW, depending on the rates quoted and the requirement. The procurement would be limited to 6 pm to midnight, when solar generation is unavailable and demand remains high.

The additional procurement is expected to cost the state around Rs 5 crore a day, as gas-based power is currently available at rates of around Rs 35 per unit. Naphtha-based power, which costs about Rs 47 per unit, would not be considered, he said.

Explaining the need for the procurement, Nirmalkumar said Tamil Nadu's peak demand had risen from 16,800 MW during the corresponding period last year to around 21,700 MW this year, an increase of nearly 30%. Persistent heat attributed to El Niño had contributed to the surge, which had not been adequately anticipated in national-level demand forecasts.

The state was also facing a shortfall of around 4,850 MW from its existing power arrangements. Of this, around 1,850 MW was unavailable from the central allocation, while wind power generation had fallen sharply, with only around 500 MW available against 3,500 MW tied up through existing arrangements.

The minister said the government had explored cheaper sources of power, including procurement from Assam, from where it had tied up 430 MW of thermal power. Tamil Nadu had also attempted to secure power through arrangements with other states, but the available supply was insufficient to meet the shortfall.

“Had we not made these arrangements, we would have been forced to impose power cuts for two to three hours, as several other states have done,” he said, adding that the short-term procurement was intended to prevent interruptions to consumers.

Nirmalkumar said the government would issue tenders this month for long-term power procurement of at least 3,500 MW, with the final capacity yet to be decided. It was also preparing a five-year procurement contract for 1,500 MW to 2,000 MW. The government aimed to secure an additional 6,000 MW to 8,000 MW by 2028-29 to improve supply security.

He alleged that the previous DMK government had not entered into any long-term power purchase agreements during its five-year tenure, leaving the state dependent on short-term procurement. The present government would address the gap through longer-term contracts, he said.

The minister also said the government was working to improve the utilisation of the state's installed thermal generation capacity. Against an installed capacity of around 4,300 MW last year, actual generation during the corresponding period was about 2,200 MW. The current generation had risen to around 4,200 MW to 4,300 MW against an installed capacity of approximately 5,300 MW, indicating improved utilisation.

He said the government was examining ways to revive the Uppur thermal power project, where substantial civil works and equipment procurement had already been completed but the project had remained stalled. A detailed project plan was being prepared, and the equipment would be inspected before work resumed. Restarting the project would help strengthen the state's own generation capacity, he added.

The government was also planning to introduce battery storage and revise its renewable energy procurement policy. Nirmalkumar said new solar applications had been kept on hold for four months while the government reviewed the existing arrangements, citing concerns over alleged irregularities and the need to integrate battery storage.

He alleged that the previous administration had entered into solar power arrangements that resulted in financial losses and said the government was examining legal options in the matter. The revised policy would seek to improve transparency, ensure access to real-time generation data and manage surplus renewable power more efficiently.

Responding to criticism over the high cost of short-term power, the minister said the quoted rates reflected the limited availability of gas-based generation. He maintained that the government was procuring cheaper power wherever possible and would buy the higher-cost supply only to cover the remaining shortfall.

Nirmalkumar also denied reports that existing power purchase agreements had been cancelled after the TVK government took office, saying contracts could not be terminated arbitrarily under the applicable national guidelines.

On the power interruption reported at the Secretariat on Monday, he said the issue was confined to an electrical board on one floor, which had reportedly overheated and was repaired within about 15 minutes. He denied that the incident amounted to a power cut affecting the entire Secretariat and said critical facilities, including hospitals, had redundant feeders to ensure uninterrupted supply.

In a statement, Palaniswami flagged the short-term purchase of electricity from private firms at an alleged exorbitant average rate of Rs 35 per unit, and claimed that the mismanagement had plunged Tamil Nadu into darkness and severe distress.

Citing frequent power cuts, he claimed that the inexperience and administrative failure of the TVK coalition government, which came to power five months ago, had left the public severely distressed.

He alleged that the ruling dispensation was exploiting these hardships to engage in systematic corruption.

Reports indicate that the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation has awarded contracts to five private companies to procure 4,400 MW of power daily between October 12 and 31, 2026, Palaniswami said.

Expressing concern over the historic high price, he contrasted it with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, which, he said, had finalised its October procurement at Rs 16–20 per unit well before calling for emergency tenders. He added that market and bilateral peak-hour rates rarely approached such levels.

Recalling the AIADMK governments led by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and himself, during which Tamil Nadu became a power-surplus state, Palaniswami accused the present government of failing to plan.

Palaniswami alleged that the TVK government had cancelled earlier power procurement contracts in May over corruption suspicions and promised low-cost, long-term agreements in June, but had now turned to short-term contracts with private firms at rates of Rs 32 to Rs 37 per unit, nearly twice the earlier rates.

Palaniswami further alleged, citing public complaints, that electricity bills for ordinary consumers had surged from around Rs 1,500 to roughly Rs 4,000 under revised calculation policies.

He warned that high-cost power procurement could push the TNPDC further into debt and pave the way for its eventual privatisation.

The Assembly election results were announced on May 4, with Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) winning 108 seats.

C Ve Shanmugam, who contested on behalf of the AIADMK from the Mailam constituency in Villupuram district, was declared elected with a margin of 30,041 votes.

Challenging his victory, a voter, P Kamalakkannan, had filed an election petition before the Madras High Court.

In this regard, AIADMK MLA C Ve Shanmugam filed a petition seeking the dismissal of the election petition filed against him.

After hearing all sides, Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan allowed Shanmugam’s application seeking the rejection of the election petition and dismissed the case challenging his victory.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the library has been completed at a cost of Rs 300 crore. A stage will be set up on the premises for the inauguration ceremony.

The library has been built by the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department on seven acres of land owned by the Prison Department near the town bus stand on Nanjappa Road in Gandhipuram. Construction began in 2024.

How much did the Periyar Library cost?

Spread across 1.98 lakh square feet, the facility has a ground floor and seven upper floors. Of the total project cost, Rs 245 crore was allocated for construction, Rs 50 crore for purchasing books and Rs 5 crore for e-books. A statue of Periyar has also been installed on the premises.

What facilities will the library have?

The complex is divided into two blocks, A and B.

The ground floor houses:

• A library for persons with disabilities

• A 350-seat auditorium, a science centre with scientific equipment

• A planetarium and a space lift.

On the first floor, there is a reception area along with a Science centre have also been built.

The second floor has a reading area for visitors bringing their own books and a children's library.

The third floor houses a competitive examination training centre, an administrative section and a library.

The fourth floor has sections for history books, Tamil books and periodicals.

The fifth floor houses an English books section and an incubation centre for start-ups, while the sixth floor has an English learning section and an incubation centre.

The seventh floor houses a science centre and a digital library.

What is the inauguration schedule?

Vijay will fly from Chennai to Coimbatore and travel by car to the library in Gandhipuram. He is scheduled to unveil the Periyar statue, inaugurate the library and tour the facility.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan directed the TNSWA to file a report on the proposal and adjourned the hearing to October 12.

CREDAI Chennai has challenged the September 24, 2025, order of the National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone), which directed the authorities not to grant any approvals or permissions within a 1-km "Zone of Influence" around the Pallikaranai RAMSAR site.

The association submitted that the adjoining areas are already substantially urbanised, with Metro Rail, IT parks, government offices, public utilities and private patta lands. It argued that a zero-kilometre buffer in such areas would strike a balance between environmental protection and socio-economic realities.

It further contended that the impugned order imposing a ban on activities within a 1-km radius was wholly unscientific and improper, as it resulted in grave civil consequences by freezing vested development rights over vast tracts of land without acquisition or payment of compensation.

The petitioner has sought a stay on the impugned order passed by the National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone).

The dismissal of the case as withdrawn is significant, as MDMK chief Vaiko had publicly asked him to resign and recontest with TVK support, while the member decided to stay with the DMK as fought polls under the party symbol.

Challenging his victory, a voter, S Vasu, had filed an election petition before the Madras High Court.

Senthilselvan had also filed a petition seeking the dismissal of the election petition against him. Vasu had earlier informed the court that he intended to withdraw the election petition.

When the matter came up for hearing before Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy on Monday, the court permitted the withdrawal of the election petition against Senthilselvan and dismissed the case.

The High Court usually grants 15 days for objections to be raised or for others to file an election petition when a petitioner seeks to withdraw a case.

As no one came forward to challenge Senthilselvan's victory, the court dismissed the case.

In the recently concluded Assembly election, MLA R Senthilselvan, the MDMK candidate who contested from the Sirkazhi (Reserved) constituency on the DMK alliance's Rising Sun symbol, was declared elected with a margin of 11,417 votes.

The petitioner, Advocate K Sivasubramaniam, sought permission to withdraw the petition before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan. The Bench accepted his request and permitted him to withdraw the petition.

Along with the petition over his Assembly utterances, he also sought an independent, thorough, time-bound investigation into the alleged extortion network in T Nagar, Chennai, and regulatory violations involving his educational institutions.

In his petition, Sivasubramaniam stated that during the proceedings and debates in the Assembly on August 24, 2026, Marie Wilson had openly admitted on record that he paid a bribe to a public official/former minister to obtain recognition and permissions for his private educational institution.

He submitted that the alleged admission of bribe-giving by a sitting Cabinet Minister had caused intense public outrage, affected the dignity of the Legislative Assembly and undermined public trust in governance.

Sivasubramaniam further stated that he had sent a formal criminal complaint to the DVAC by speed post on August 27, 2026, seeking registration of an FIR under Sections 8 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, read with Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023

However, he alleged that the DVAC had failed to act on the complaint, register an FIR or initiate an investigation against Marie Wilson.

The staff had planned to hold a hunger strike under the leadership of Bharathi, state president of the Uzhappor Urimai Iyakkam. However, police reportedly denied permission for the protest.

Speaking to reporters, Bharathi said, “We came here today to stage a hunger strike. However, the police action has turned it into a protest. The State government should fulfil our demand for permanent employment, as we have been working for several years.”

Meanwhile, Udhayanidhi Stalin strongly condemned the State government for allegedly placing multi-purpose health workers under house arrest ahead of the planned protest, accusing it of abandoning pre-election promises made to medical staff.

In a social media post, he questioned the “atrocity” of detaining workers at their homes before they could participate in what he described as an unprecedented protest.

Drawing parallels with the detention of youth protesting election irregularities in Delhi, Udhayanidhi asked whether suppressing democratic protests without inviting groups such as farmers, students and nurses for negotiations was what the government meant by “change”.

Describing multi-purpose health workers as the “backbone of medical services”, he demanded their immediate release and urged the “Dummy Chief Minister” to initiate dialogue with the workers and take steps to fulfil their demands.

The poll panel has sent a letter to all Chief Electoral Officers, stating that it will not entertain claims and objections submitted by post or in bulk by individuals.

Following the SIR process, the Election Commission of India is mulling to organise the SSR across the state. In a month, along with special camps at designated polling booths, the Election Commission will carry out name inclusion, correction, and deletion in the voters' list. Once the process is over, a fresh voter list will be issued in January 2027.

In instructions to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), the ECI said that every objection to the proposed inclusion or deletion of a name in a constituency's electoral roll should be filed in Form 7.

"Disposal of Form 7 applications will be made only after verification by the EROs. The number of applications an individual elector can file online has been fixed at six at a time. Electors should not submit physical forms in bulk, the ECI said.

Reiterating instructions to EROs on deleting names from electoral rolls, the Commission said that if an ERO notices an objection, the officer should issue a notice to the objector. The officer should conduct a personal hearing and record the objector's statement separately for each Form 7 application.

This is the highest rate to be paid by the State-run utility, which is battling a serious crisis due to delayed monsoon rains and persistent hot weather that is keeping electricity demand unusually elevated.

On October 6, TNPDCL had invited bids to procure 1,500 MW between midnight and 2 am, and 3,000 MW between 6 pm and midnight from October 12 to 31. It accepted bids ranging from Rs 31.99 to Rs 34.49 per unit for the early-morning slot.

Though the evening peak-hour rates went up to Rs 37 per unit, it still received bids for only 2,001 MW - 100 MW at Rs 33.37 per unit, 1,380 MW at Rs 35.92, 340 MW at Rs 35.93, and 181 MW at Rs 37.

A senior official said the State had been witnessing an unprecedented rise in demand, driven by the impact of El Niño. "Though the peak summer period has ended, power demand has gone up by 15% compared to last year. For instance, the State's peak demand stood at 17,887 MW last October, whereas the demand touched 20,060 MW on Saturday (October 10)," the official said.

The official attributed the increase in procurement costs to the end of the wind power season and poor reservoir storage that affected hydel generation.

"All suppliers who participated in the bidding were gas-based generators, hence the high cost of power. On the other hand, unlike coal-based thermal power plants, which have high fixed costs, gas-based generators have minimal fixed costs of less than Rs 2. If demand falls, they can stop procurement and only pay the fixed cost to the generators. In case of a sudden surge in demand, these companies will be able to supply power at short notice," an official said.

While some states have shunned high-cost purchases and are resorting to load shedding, the State government wanted to ensure uninterrupted power supply and was therefore willing to procure electricity at higher rates, he said.

A retired official wondered why the utility waited so long to float bids on such short notice. “If they had floated the bids earlier, they would have got much cheaper power. There is no point in procuring power at such high costs,” the official said.

Sources said that the investigators gave a questionnaire regarding the actions the two officers took after they received the complaint against Veeramani and recorded their responses. The questioning lasted for about three hours, added sources.

Arun, an Additional Director General of Police-rank officer, and Kannan, an Inspector General of Police-rank officer, were transferred and put on compulsory wait last month after media reports emerged that allegations against the granite baron were brought to the notice of the top brass of the city police as early as in November 2024.

The police had eventually registered a FIR in October 2025, but filed a closure report before the special court in February, which was rejected by the court. The police arrested Veeramani and two of his associates in the last week of August.

Meanwhile, the SIT has booked another case against ‘Gem’ Veeramani, raising the number of cases against the businessman to seven.

Questioning the DMK's claims that voter deletions under SIR contributed to its electoral defeat, Tagore said the party had maintained before the election that the revision exercise had been completed successfully without any major issues.

Alleging irregularities in West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra and Haryana, Tagore claimed that Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry had not reported SIR-related complaints.

Tagore further criticised the DMK for not participating in the Delhi protest demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, even as leaders of the Left parties, VCK and MDMK from Tamil Nadu took part in the agitation and were arrested.

He alleged that the DMK's absence from the protest stemmed from its reluctance to antagonise the BJP. If the party was genuinely concerned about Tamil Nadu's interests, democracy and secularism, it should join the agitation, he said.

In a statement, the DMK alleged that Congress leaders Manickam Tagore, Girish Chodankar and Praveen Chakravarty, who were part of the DMK-led alliance, had made adverse remarks about the alliance and acted as "sleeper cells" during the Assembly elections.

The party said it had no reason to participate in protests organised by the INDIA bloc as it was no longer part of the tie-up. It also said that the bloc had no right to compel the DMK to join its protests.

Questioning Tagore, the DMK said that if he had self-respect, he should ask Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay why he was not participating in protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The DMK has described the Congress as a "rotting corpse" and argued that its vote share had declined because it had carried the latter party along with it. The DMK claimed that its support among the people had since increased, referring to the bypoll performance.

Explaining its decision to quit the INDIA bloc, the DMK alleged that Congress leaders had betrayed the alliance and acted against alliance dharma to pursue ministerial posts.

Speaking to reporters after submitting the petition at the grievance day meeting, the drivers said women had stopped boarding autos since the scheme was extended to outstation buses, with a 40 km distance restriction.

If they spot a bus, they immediately give up the idea of taking an auto and board the bus instead, the drivers lamented.

They said nearly 16,000 auto drivers and their families depend on their meagre income of Rs 500 per day to manage household expenses and pay their children’s school fees.

The government should therefore review the scheme in a way that does not affect auto-driver families, they said.

The Report Card on the Performance of Information Commissions in India, 2025-26, published by Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) (Society for Citizens Vigilance Initiatives (SCVI)) in October 2026, found that 27 Information Commissions registered 2,61,669 cases, while 28 disposed of 2,41,627 during the year. The national backlog stood at 3,85,716 cases across 28 commissions.

TN's commission registered 22,946 appeals and complaints and disposed of 23,808 between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Tamil Nadu had the fifth-highest pendency among the commissions assessed.

Though disposals exceeded registrations by 862, the figures do not establish whether its overall backlog increased or decreased during the period.

Maharashtra had the highest backlog at 77,397 cases, followed by Chhattisgarh with 52,559 and Bihar with 42,243. The Central Information Commission (CIC) had 39,121 pending cases, a 62 per cent increase.

Tamil Nadu ranked third in disposals, behind Maharashtra with 54,985 and Karnataka with 38,656.

The estimated waiting time for a fresh appeal was two years and three months at the CIC, compared with one year and seven months in Tamil Nadu.

The projected delay was six years and seven months in Bihar, 18 years in Chhattisgarh, and 19 years and two months in Madhya Pradesh. Fourteen commissions were estimated to take at least a year to dispose of an appeal filed on July 1, 2026.

SNS attributed the delays largely to vacancies in commissions and the slow rate of disposal by commissioners.

The report also identified serious institutional failures in Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh. Jharkhand's and Himachal Pradesh's commissions had been defunct since July 2025.

The assessment also questioned the practice of returning appeals and complaints without passing orders. Nine commissions returned 37,701 cases during the year, including 14,603 by the CIC and 14,140 by Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu reported no cases returned under this category.

The RTI Act does not prescribe a format for filing appeals or complaints. However, the Central Government and some State governments have prescribed formats and accompanying-document requirements through their rules.

SNS argued that deficiencies such as the absence of an index or page numbering should not become grounds for summarily returning cases, and called on commissions to help applicants correct such shortcomings.

Based primarily on 146 RTI applications filed with 29 Information Commissions, along with commission websites, annual reports and court filings, the assessment argued that prolonged delays undermine the RTI Act's objective.

It said the consequences were particularly serious for people dependent on government services who need information to secure basic entitlements.

The Chennai Division transported 24,910 cars manufactured by Hyundai and Toyota during the financial year, earning Rs 39.74 crore. The shipments involved 204 rakes and 5,083 wagons.

The division also transported 494 Daimler (BharatBenz) trucks from Singaperumal Koil to Farrukh Nagar in Haryana covering 2,291 km, involved eight rakes and 255 wagons and generated Rs 1.88 crore. Between April and September 2026, the goods shed handled 4,300 cars: 4,024 Hyundai and 276 Toyota vehicles  generating Rs 7.04 crore in revenue.

During the same six-month period, the division transported 384 BharatBenz trucks to Farrukh Nagar, earning Rs 1.51 crore. This was about 80.3% of the Rs 1.88 crore earned from truck transportation during the whole of 2025–26.

Justice Vijay Kumar also directed the police to provide protection to the victim, Sasikala.

Sasikala (37), a sanitation worker in Kambur panchayat, alleged in her petition that the panchayat secretary, Roopa, of Kambur panchayat in Kottampatti panchayat union, humiliated and threatened her by referring to her caste.

She alleged that Roopa, who belongs to a dominant caste, forced her and a few other sanitation workers to clean the Scheduled Caste streets on July 21 with the intention of ill-treating and humiliating them.

She further claimed that on July 24 the secretary forced her to carry her footwear in her hand, and that a two-tumbler system was followed in the panchayat.

Sasikala filed a complaint with the Block Development Officer and the police on August 31.

She later attempted to end her life, allegedly because some persons had threatened her to withdraw the complaint. She was rescued and is undergoing treatment at the Melur Government Hospital.

In her petition, she asked the court to direct the police to conduct an impartial inquiry and to collect CCTV footage and attendance register records for the investigation.

Based on her complaint, Melur police registered a case against Roopa under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. A Deputy Superintendent of Police is investigating the case. The district administration has suspended Roopa from service.

Working women have urged the state government to extend the free travel scheme to mofussil express buses to avoid the inconvenience of changing buses during their daily commute.

Commuters travelling between Tiruvallur and Kanagamma Chatram said that mofussil ordinary buses had been charging them Rs 20, the prescribed express bus fare, instead of the applicable ordinary fare of Rs 15 for the 23-km journey. According to civic activist Senthil, the state government revised bus fares in 2018, increasing the per-kilometre fare for mofussil ordinary buses from 42 paise to 58 paise and that for express and deluxe buses from 56 paise to 75 paise.

Based on the revised rates, mofussil ordinary buses operating on the Tiruvallur-Kanagamma Chatram route should have charged Rs 15, while express buses were to collect Rs 20. However, he alleged that ordinary buses had continued to collect the higher fare for eight years despite repeated complaints to the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC).

S Anwar, a resident of Kanagamma Chatram, said, “Mofussil ordinary buses, including routes 197 and 105 operating between Tiruvallur and Tiruttani, routinely charge Rs 20 instead of Rs 15. We submitted multiple complaints to TNSTC over the years requesting it to collect the correct fare from the public, but no action was taken until now,” he said.

The fare correction came after the expanded Vettri Payanam scheme was implemented on October 2. Mofussil ordinary buses on the routes have since started collecting the correct fare of Rs 15 from male passengers travelling between Kanagamma Chatram and Tiruvallur. The minimum fare for single-stop journeys has also been reduced from Rs 10 to Rs 7.

Meanwhile, working women have sought the inclusion of mofussil express services in the scheme, citing the additional time and inconvenience involved in changing buses to access free travel.

M Yuvarani, a Tiruvallur resident, said, “Women are eligible for free travel on ordinary town and city buses, express, Limited Stop Service (LSS) and deluxe buses, as well as mofussil ordinary and hill-area ordinary buses, under the existing guidelines.”

However, the exclusion of mofussil express buses has left many daily commuters struggling to access the benefit. “A large number of working women commute daily on route 82C between Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu. To benefit from the scheme, women currently have to board two ordinary buses instead of taking a single direct express bus. Changing buses consumes extra time and causes hardship,” Yuvarani said. “Including mofussil express buses in the scheme would benefit thousands of daily commuters who currently pay Rs 55 for a one-way journey from Tiruvallur bus terminus to Chengalpattu. Authorities should also ensure that digital ticketing devices function without glitches.”

According to TNSTC officials in the Tiruvallur division, 232 buses operate under its jurisdiction, including 75 town ordinary and deluxe buses and 157 mofussil ordinary and express buses. A senior TNSTC official in Tiruvallur confirmed that fares had been corrected in 59 mofussil ordinary buses in line with the state government’s directives aimed at promoting public welfare in rural areas.

“Free travel for women will soon be rolled out across 98 mofussil express buses, including route 82C,” the official said.

Sambath, a resident of Singaperumal Koil, had applied for six new electricity connections in his son's name and submitted the application at the Tamil Nadu Electricity Distribution Corporation office in Singaperumal Koil. Assistant Engineer Jayarani demanded Rs 20,000 from Sambath to issue the connections.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, he approached the Chengalpattu unit of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department and lodged a complaint. Following the complaint, a case was registered, and a trap was organised on Monday.

During the trap operation, Foreman Saravanan demanded and accepted the Rs 20,000 bribe from Sambath on the instructions of Assistant Engineer Jayarani.

The DVAC, who were monitoring the proceedings in plain clothes, caught them red-handed, and both of them were arrested and they were remanded in judicial custody.

A new case has been registered against him based on complaints from a woman who stated that she was abused by the businessman when she was a minor.

On Sunday, police teams also conducted searches at Veeramani's house, which has been identified as a scene of crime in the cases.

Earlier this week, SIT arrested three longtime drivers of the businessman for aiding him by ferrying minor girls to the houses where they were abused.

The arrested persons were identified as Lasar, Parthiban and Babu. Lasar was with Veeramani for 23 years, while the two others were employed with Veeramani for eight years. Police said that survivors are also approaching them through the SIT's WhatsApp helpline, 9345319676.

Earlier, Greater Chennai Police (GCP) Commissioner A Amalraj had issued orders directing that Veeramani and two of his associates, Mahendra Simhan (63) and Shanthi (60), be detained under the Goondas Act.

Veeramani, who ran GEM Granites and Group of companies and his associates have been in prison since August 29.

In a reply to Dhanapal, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the demand for stoppages of the Tirupati Express and four other trains, along with other requests, had been sent for examination.

Further action would be taken after the feasibility report, he said in a letter dated Sept 23, responding to the MP's letter of Aug 29.

Dhanapal has sought one-minute stoppages at Ambattur for the Tirupati Express, Garudadri Express, Chennai-Ashokapuram Express and Chennai-Mumbai Express, besides two fast suburban EMU services.

He had also sought the construction of a 4th platform, saying its absence prevents several express trains and fast suburban services from stopping at the station.

Ambattur currently has 3 platforms, two serving suburban slow lines in both directions and the third catering to express and fast local trains on the Chennai-Tiruvallur section.

The lack of a platform for trains in the return direction has inconvenienced passengers travelling towards Central and Beach stations. They have to get down at Villivakkam or Perambur and continue their journey by road.

The MP has also sought a ticket counter at the northern entrance towards Venkatapuram and the market, arguing that residents on that side have to cross to the southern entrance to purchase tickets.

He has sought bulk reservation facilities and reclassification of the station from the Suburban Group (SG) to the Non-Suburban Group (NSG) category to facilitate infrastructure improvements.

In his letter, Dhanapal said that Ambattur station handled more than 1 crore passengers in 2022-23 and needed better facilities to meet passenger demand.

The State government had transferred Prem Anand Sinha, who was serving as the Commissioner, Tambaram City Police, on Friday, to head the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).

DVAC had been without a Director for the last three months after the government shunted out ADGP A Arun from the post after a term of one and a half months.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) C Mageshwari was holding full additional charge as the anti-corruption agency's chief.

Prem Anand Sinha has previously served as Additional Commissioner in Chennai, Inspector General of Police-South Zone and Commissioner of Avadi City Police.

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Trade Unions’ Joint Action Committee, comprising 17 unions, including the DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), AIADMK-affiliated Anna Thozhir Sanga Peravai and CITU-affiliated Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees (COTEE), announced a series of protests against the government’s proposals.

The unions alleged that the smart meter project would adversely affect poor households, farmers, and traders, and curtail employment opportunities for young people.

They demanded the withdrawal of the smart meter tender and urged the government to abandon its plan to implement power generation and transmission projects under the PPP model, insisting that these should remain under public ownership.

As part of the agitation, demonstrations will be held in front of executive engineers’ offices across the state on Oct 12, 13 and 14.

Chennai-based union branches will hold a separate demonstration in front of the electricity board headquarters on Anna Salai at 5.20 pm on Oct 13.

Further protests are scheduled in front of superintending engineers’ offices across all electricity circles on Oct 15. The unions will also organise public outreach campaigns across electricity circles from Oct 26 to 31.

The committee warned that all electricity board employees would go on strike after Nov 2 if the government failed to address their demands.

Apart from opposing the smart meter project and the proposed privatisation of power generation and transmission through the PPP model, the unions demanded the withdrawal of the five-year fixed-term employment system and the filling of existing vacancies.

They also sought parity with government employees in retirement gratuity and family welfare benefits.

The unions demanded that the gratuity ceiling be raised from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for electricity board employees, effective from Jan 1, 2024, in line with the benefit extended to government employees.

They further sought an increase in the family welfare fund from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, with retrospective effect from Sept 1, 2021, instead of Dec 20, 2024, the date from which the benefit was made applicable to electricity board employees.

The committee also demanded the withdrawal of Board Proceedings No. 2 dated April 12, 2022, and urged unions across all electricity circles to coordinate the protests and ensure the success of the agitation.

The leaders are preparing to question EPS’s leadership and demand accountability for the party’s successive electoral setbacks, with the recent by-election defeats in Maduranthakam and Dharapuram adding to the discontent. Their earlier attempt to rope in MLAs to function as a separate unit in the Assembly failed.

Sources said the faction is likely to seek to convene the AIADMK general council to review the party’s electoral performance and decisions taken under EPS’s leadership. The leaders are also expected to press for organisational changes, arguing that the party needs a course correction after its repeated electoral reverses.

If EPS refuses to convene the general council, the leaders are said to be exploring ways to push for a meeting to discuss the party’s performance and leadership.

The latest deliberations signal a renewed attempt by the Velumani and Shanmugam camps to mount pressure on EPS from within the party, with the outcome of Monday’s meeting expected to shape their next course of action.

Earlier, the two factions had explored the possibility of functioning as a separate group within the AIADMK in the Assembly. They had sought the support of 32 MLAs for the move, but the effort did not materialise.

The leaders are also preparing to highlight the party’s electoral setbacks since 2019, including the latest by-election defeats, to bolster their case for a review of the party’s leadership and functioning.

Sources said the Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project and the release of Krishna river water are expected to be the key subjects of discussion.

With Chennai and its surrounding areas experiencing continuous heatwaves, the possibility of water scarcity during the summer has become a concern.

Against this backdrop, the Tamil Nadu government is seeking its due share of water from Andhra Pradesh to address the potential shortage.

Krishna river water plays a crucial role in meeting Chennai’s drinking water needs. Under the 'Telugu Ganga' project (also known as Krishna water supply project), Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have an agreement to supply 12 thousand million cubic feet (TMC ft) of water annually to the latter in two installments.

Under this agreement, Andhra Pradesh is required to supply 8 TMC ft of water from the Kandaleru Dam between July and October, and another 4 TMC ft between January and April.

This supply helps meet a portion of Chennai's drinking water requirements.

However, there have been persistent complaints that Tamil Nadu does not receive the stipulated amount of water.

Vijay will leave Chennai on a chartered flight to Gannavaram Airport, and will proceed to meet Chandrababu Naidu.

He will first proceed to the Kanaka Durga Temple for darshan. Later, he is scheduled to meet Chandrababu Naidu at the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's residence between 6 pm and 7 pm.

This is the second time that Vijay is reaching out directly to a neighbouring chief minister.

Earlier, he was scheduled to meet Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar to discuss and resolve the dispute over Cauvery water.

However, the meeting was postponed on Shivakumar’s request, as protest was raging in his State over water scarcity.

Police said K Kumar (43), M Kithyan Raja (34) and R Rajkumar (35), all from Vanapuram near Thiruvidaimarudur in Thanjavur, went to a Tasmac outlet functioning at Aduthurai on Sunday late evening and approached the outlet supervisor Palanivel and demanded liquor on credit.

When Palanivel did not pay heed to their demands, they damaged the furniture in the shop, attacked Palanivel and escaped.

Based on the complaint by the supervisor, the Tiruvidaimarudur police arrested the trio on Monday. Further investigations are on.

According to the weather department, under the influence of a twin upper-air cyclonic circulation over the south Andaman Sea and its neighbourhood and the Gulf of Mannar and the adjoining south Tamil Nadu coast, light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40–50 kmph, is likely at isolated places on Tuesday (October 13) across Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, and Kanniyakumari districts, and the Karaikal region of Puducherry.

On Wednesday, moderate rain with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds 40–50 kmph at isolated places is expected over Chennai, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi, Theni, Virudhunagar, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Karur, Tiruchy, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Dindigul, Madurai, Puducherry, and Karaikal.

Heavy rainfall is forecasted across the state from October 15 to October 18.

On October 15, heavy rain is expected over the ghat areas of Tirunelveli and Coimbatore districts, as well as the Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Theni, and Kanniyakumari districts.

On October 16, heavy rain is likely to cover the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Tirupur, Salem, Dharmapuri, Tiruchy, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Madurai, Dindigul, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Namakkal, Karur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, and Sivaganga districts, and Karaikal region.

In Chennai, the maximum temperature on Tuesday is expected to hover around 36 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may be around 26 degrees Celsius, with light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning likely in some areas.

Southwest monsoon concluded 12.6 per cent below the normal average of 868.6 mm, primarily driven by strengthening El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific, said the India Meteorological Department

Meanwhile, India's Southwest monsoon concluded with 759.4 mm of rainfall, 12.6 per cent below the normal average of 868.6 mm, primarily driven by strengthening El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Global weather agencies, including the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), predict this El Niño event could peak in December, potentially becoming the strongest recorded since 1950.

Experts warn that these severe conditions are expected to persist through February 2027, continuing their significant impact on global climate patterns.

The appointment, announced as part of a six-state gubernatorial reshuffle by President Droupadi Murmu, comes against the backdrop of the new TVK government’s evolving relationship with the BJP-led Centre.

Arlekar, who was serving as Governor of Keralam while discharging the functions of Tamil Nadu Governor, will be succeeded in Keralam by Om Prakash Mathur, the Governor of Sikkim. Dushyant Gautam has been appointed Governor of Sikkim.

The other appointments are Braj Mohan Ram as Governor of Odisha, Sudha Yadav as Governor of Karnataka and Dhal Singh Bisen as Governor of Uttarakhand. The appointments will take effect when the appointees assume charge.

Arlekar’s tenure in Tamil Nadu began at a politically sensitive juncture. Following the Assembly election results in May, he sought documentary proof of majority support from TVK president C Joseph Vijay before inviting him to form the government. The party, which emerged as the single largest force with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, initially fell short of the 118 required for a majority.

After securing the support of other parties, Vijay was invited to form the government.

A BJP veteran, Arlekar has served as Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Keralam. His appointment now formalises his role in Tamil Nadu’s constitutional administration.

The meeting of the CRRC was held in Thanjavur on Monday, in which several resolutions were passed.

While speaking to reporters, the CRRC coordinator Maniarasan said Karnataka has been planning to construct a dam across Mekedatu, which would turn the Cauvery Delta region into a desert, and the state government should initiate all possible steps to stop the project.

Stating that the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay released water from Mettur without consulting the farmers, and the released water has not yet reached the tail-end areas, Maniarasan charged that the storage in Mettur has depleted, and the fate of samba is hanging in the balance, but the State government, instead of taking constructive steps, is involved in mere publicity.

He urged the state government to approach the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee on the issue and put forth a strong fight for the welfare of the farmers.

Maniarasan also said that the farmers from the Delta region have lost kuruvai and the fate of samba and thalady is also unimaginable due to water shortage, and so the government should declare the Delta as a drought-hit region and distribute compensation of Rs 35,000 per acre.

It is said that Tamil Selvan (45), a resident of Melamathur in Kumbakonam, working as a driver in the TNSTC Kumbakonam division, was said to be irregular to his duty, and so the Branch Manager Suresh (58) had transferred Tamil Selvan from Kumbakonam to Karaikudi branch recently.

On Monday, it is said, Tamil Selvan came to the Kumbakonam branch office and had reportedly picked up a quarrel with the branch manager, Suresh. The verbal quarrel had snowballed into an assault, and suddenly, Tamil Selvan, who grabbed a knife in his possession, attacked Suresh, who sustained a cut injury on his hand.

On hearing the screaming of Suresh, the transport employees ran to the spot and rescued Suresh. When the staff attempted to secure Tamil Selvan, he escaped from the spot.

The employees who rescued Suresh rushed him to the Kumbakonam GH, where he has been undergoing treatment.

Kumbakonam West police registered a case and are searching for Tamil Selvan. 

In a petition submitted to the Joint Commissioner of the temple on Monday, Kampur Selvaraj and Meiyappan of the Tamil Protection Federation, representing Tamil movements, people’s movements and Tamil enthusiasts, said the State follows a two-language policy that gives priority to Tamil. 

They pointed out that circulars issued by the Tamil Development Department stress that Tamil must be given due prominence on government orders, institutional name boards and advertisement boards.

The petitioners questioned why Hindi had been added to the board, which is against the state language policy. They also said the Tamil text at the entrance was not clearly visible and could be read only from close quarters.

Stating that the temple is an ancient institution closely tied to Tamil Nadu’s history, culture and spiritual traditions, the petitioners urged that Tamil should be given the foremost place there.

They urged the department to remove the Hindi text within two weeks and ensure that the board carries information only in Tamil and English.

The petitioners warned that if no action was taken within the stipulated period,  they would unite the likeminded people and stage a protest.

Launching an intensive awareness campaign on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections at Kalaivanar Arangam here, he said that TN was strengthening prevention and awareness initiatives through educational institutions, schools and district administrations.

“Though we’ve substantially reduced HIV prevalence in Tamil Nadu, our work is not yet complete. We must all work together to achieve an AIDS-free society by 2030,” he told reporters. “More than 1.63 lakh people in TN are receiving HIV treatment. We have 51 centres providing free HIV testing and treatment services, besides medical care and counselling.”

Under enhanced financial assistance announced for 2026-27, children living with HIV who have lost both parents will receive Rs 3,000 a month, those who have lost one parent Rs 2,000, and those living with their parents Rs 1,500. An additional Rs 1.21 crore has been allocated for the scheme, with the revised assistance set to be disbursed from November.

The campaign includes awareness programmes through red ribbon clubs in 2,329 colleges and life-skills education in schools to reach adolescents. Arunraj also flagged off a two-wheeler rally and released an awareness video as part of the initiative.

On the protest by healthcare personnel, the minister said that resuming the agitation within five days of talks with the government was not justified. “Another round of negotiations will be held. Steps will be taken soon to establish the nursing colleges announced in the Assembly,” he added.

Responding to a question about Kolathur MLA VS Babus health condition, Arunraj said that the legislator was doing well and continuing to receive treatment in hospital.

According to police, the deceased, Bosik, was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Government Hospital in Tirunelveli but died shortly afterwards as treatment failed.

The injured are Sennilavan (29) of Pudhu Nagar, Virudhachalam, Cuddalore district, his wife Deepa (32); and relatives Gunasundari, Pappa (86) and Mallika. All of them are receiving intensive treatment in the hospital. Bosik was the son of Sennilavan's brother Silambarasan, a police source said.

The six had set out for Tiruchendur by car at midnight on Sunday. On Monday morning, while travelling near Gangaikondan, Sennilavan, who was driving, unexpectedly rammed into the rear of a lorry parked by the roadside.

Based on the information, Gangaikondan police rushed to the spot, rescued the six trapped in the wreckage and sent them to the hospital. Police have registered a case and are questioning the lorry driver, Umalraj of Indira Colony, Virudhunagar district.

According to an official order dated October 12, Monday, issued by the Kancheepuram district cooperative department, saleswoman K Yuvarani was suspended over the alleged sale of onions that did not meet the prescribed quality standards.

The order stated that a separate charge memorandum would be issued to the employee on the alleged lapse.

The government has introduced onion sales through fair price shops to provide relief to consumers as prices rise in the open market. The initiative aims to make the essential kitchen staple available at a more affordable rate.

The bench also directed the hospital Dean to file a report on whether mosquito nets have been fitted on the windows of the hospital, and adjourned the case.

The division bench of Justices Velmurugan and KK Ramakrishnan issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by V Karthi, a law student from Madurai. He sought court intervention over alleged shortages of critical cardiac-care equipment and manpower at GRH, contending that denial or delay of timely medical treatment in government hospitals violates the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The petitioner, a second-year law student at the School of Law, Christ University, Bengaluru, submitted that the Head of the Department of Cardiology, GRH, had sent a letter dated July 2026 to the Director of Medical Education and Research, Chennai. It detailed a requirement of 32 categories of equipment described as necessary for the life-saving, immediate, essential and critical management of patients under the department's care.

For instance, the department has only 24 ICU cots against a documented requirement of 56, and only 16 multiparameter monitors with invasive BP against a requirement of 34. Even when a patient survives an acute cardiac event, the department may lack adequate monitored critical-care bed capacity to safely observe the patient during the following 24 to 72 hours, when cardiogenic complications may recur, he submitted.

The human resources requirement statement also shows that the department has only eight faculty members against a proposed requirement of 18, and lacks adequate numbers of dedicated cath lab, ECG, echo and EP technicians, he pointed out.