Such measures could provide 207-253 MW of flexibility during the evening peak hours between 6 pm and 10 pm, said a study by the Centre for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy (CSTEP), adding that another 60-73 MW could be made available during the morning peak.

However, this does not mean the State will permanently save 253 MW of electricity. Instead, consumers can change the time at which they use electricity. For example, geysers and washing machines can be used during periods when demand is lower, while offices can pre-cool buildings before the evening hours when the load peaks.

The study estimates that these measures could shift or save around 156 million units (MU) of electricity a year and provide an estimated benefit of Rs 313 crore annually by reducing power purchase costs, transmission losses, and the need for new capacity.

The study comes at a time when Tamil Nadu's power demand has been rising steadily. Peak demand increased from 16,386 MW in FY20 to 20,830 MW in FY25. It stood at 20,211 MW in FY26 and is projected to reach 27,090 MW by FY30 and 35,263 MW by FY35.

Renewable energy accounts for nearly 58% of Tamil Nadu's installed capacity. As of June, the State has an installed capacity of about 47,978 MW, including 27,648 MW of renewable energy.

The study said this creates a problem because solar power is available mainly during the day, while electricity demand rises sharply in the evening. Shifting some consumption to daytime could, therefore, help the State make better use of renewable power.

The study covered 2.5 lakh households, 1.7 lakh commercial buildings, 10,000 EVs and 500 public EV charging stations.

Among the various consumers, households could provide 61-75 MW of flexibility during the evening peak by managing air-conditioners, geysers, washing machines, and water pumps. Commercial buildings could provide the biggest share, at 126-154 MW, mainly by managing air-conditioning. The study estimates annual benefits of around Rs 102-125 crore from these measures.

Managed charging of electric vehicles could provide another 20-24 MW, with an estimated annual benefit of Rs 18-22 crore.

The study has recommended starting with pilot projects, including automatic controls for geysers and air-conditioners, delayed charging of EVs, and shifting electricity use to periods of high solar generation.

It has proposed expanding such programmes over the next three to five years and eventually treating demand flexibility as another resource for meeting Tamil Nadu's power requirements.

What is demand flexibility?

Demand flexibility means shifting or adjusting electricity use to reduce pressure on the power grid during peak-demand hours

Examples:

Use geysers during the day when solar power is available
Pre-cool offices before the evening peak and reduce AC use during peak hours
Shift washing machines usage to non-peak hours
Charge vehicles during the afternoon or late night instead of the evening peak

Toor dal recorded one of the steepest increases among pulses, with the wholesale price rising from Rs 126 a kg in September to Rs 143 in October. Urad dal climbed from Rs 120 to Rs 128, moong dal from Rs 106 to Rs 112 and gram dal from Rs 80 to Rs 90.

R Punniyappan, a trader at the Koyambedu Wholesale Food Grain Market, said pulse prices have increased by Rs 10 to Rs 15 a kg this month due to rainfall deficits.

"Crop failures across major cultivation regions in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have drastically reduced stock levels. Increased festive season demand has further aggravated the shortage. Price relief depends entirely on rainfall and is unlikely before Pongal," he said.

Spice prices have also risen sharply. Gundu chilli leaped from Rs 330 to Rs 420 a kg, while long chilli went from Rs 275 to Rs 290. Coriander increased from Rs 190 to Rs 210.

The price of fine varieties of rice, including Ponni, commonly consumed in Tamil Nadu, has crossed Rs 70 a kg from Rs 55-60 previously. Basmati rice is now at Rs 122 from Rs 113.

K Vedhavalli, a homemaker, said the rise in grocery and vegetable prices was making it difficult to manage the monthly household budget.

"The prices of rice, pulses, oil, onion and tomato, besides various other essentials, including milk, have gone up in the past two to three months. Our monthly budget has increased by 20% to 30%, affecting other expenditures," she said.

Meanwhile, cooking oil prices showed a mixed trend. Idhayam gingelly oil increased from Rs 425 to Rs 440, Gold Coin from Rs 330 to Rs 340 and Mantra groundnut oil from Rs 270 to Rs 280.

In contrast, sunflower oil prices declined. Gold Winner fell from Rs 182 to Rs 170, Sunland from Rs 178 to Rs 168 and Fortune from Rs 180 to Rs 170.

Ghee prices saw an upward trend. Idhayam ghee rose from Rs 680 to Rs 825, while GRB increased from Rs 800 to Rs 825 and Dodla from Rs 600 to Rs 620.

P Saravanan, a grocery store owner in Vadapalani, said higher wholesale acquisition costs and stockists holding large inventories were contributing to the price rise.

The price rise has also changed buying patterns, Saravanan said. Families that earlier purchased 1 kg of essential staples were now buying only 250 grams, while purchases of toor dal had fallen from 2 kg to 1 kg. Consumers were also increasingly switching from rice to vermicelli to reduce their grocery expenditure.

With festive demand adding to supply pressures, traders expect prices of several staples to remain high in the coming months, with any significant correction dependent on improved agricultural output and supply.

Madurantakam recorded 86.26% turnout as of 8.30 pm, 7% lower than that in the general elections, which saw 93.22% turnout. Though polling began sluggishly in the morning, it picked up pace later. Glitches in EVMs were reported at two polling stations. At booth 26 in Sithandi, the control unit had to be replaced twice. At booth 55 in L Endathur, the ballot unit was changed after polling agents objected to a mark visible on the name of one of the candidates.

Of the 27 candidates in the fray, the prominent faces are TVK's Maragatham Kumaravel, AIADMK's S Kanitha Sampath, DMK's I Paranthaman, CPI(M) 's P Suganthi and NTK's G Janakiraman.

In Dharapuram, where the AIADMK, DMK and ruling TVK are the frontrunners, 22 candidates are in the fray.

The prominent faces are P Sathyabama (TVK), K Banumathi (AIADMK), S Suganya (DMK), M Karthika (NTK) and P Lakshmanan (CPI).

Voting was halted at Kolinjivadi booth in Dharapuram town for about half an hour after a voter, Jaithun Beevi, reportedly claimed she was prompted by a polling official to choose the TVK's Whistle symbol.

The turnout in Dharapuram stood at 80.31% as of 8.30 pm, compared with 89.89% in the general election.

Asked about the viral video, she said, “I did not speak like that. Everything in the video has been fabricated. I do not know who circulated it. Such videos are being circulated because I have a strong chance of winning.” Our team has identified those responsible for releasing it, and I will definitely lodge a complaint with the Election Commission, she said.

She said the video would not affect polling, as voters had already made their choice. “I will win the Dharapuram constituency by a margin of one lakh votes,” she said.

Meanwhile, the video is going viral on social media, with claims and counterclaims. The Opposition DMK has appealed to the Election Commission to add the figures purportedly shared by the former AIADMK legislator and present TVK candidate to the poll expenditure accounts.

DMK MLA S Austin on Tuesday urged the Election Commission to launch an inquiry based on the video clip shared on social media. He demanded stern action if irregularities are found in her election expenditure accounts.

"The election authorities must verify whether Satyabhama has submitted her election expenditure statements. If she has failed to do so or exceeded the permitted limits, appropriate action must be initiated against her under the Representation of the People Act," Austin demanded.

He further noted that a formal complaint has been lodged with election officials regarding the matter.

"Nobody usually admits on camera that it is their voice in such videos. She has also mentioned spending Rs 31 crore in the previous election. Legally speaking, she should have been disqualified for that," the MLA added.

Sathyabama had won the Dharapuram seat as an AIADMK candidate in the Assembly election. She subsequently resigned as MLA, quit the AIADMK and joined the TVK, prompting the by-election.

Appearing before Justice V Lakshminarayanan, the APP said the judge's order led to immediate government intervention and the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.

"The judge deserves credit. But for her, this would have been given a silent burial, and nobody would have known about it. We immediately swung into action," he said.

The submission was made during the hearing of a petition filed by Tulir Charitable Trust, represented by its managing trustee Vidya Reddy. The NGO has approached the High Court seeking directions to the Commissioner of Police to prevent further circulation of a video allegedly containing Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM), besides protecting the identity and privacy of the victims.

The petitioner has also sought directions to identify and remove the video, screenshots, clips and other derivatives, prevent their further publication or circulation, preserve relevant electronic evidence and ensure that no information identifying the victims is disclosed.

The APP said that after the SIT took over the investigation, it had registered four FIRs. He further submitted that the police were probing certain other angles in the case.

The investigation also led to more victims coming forward, he said. Three more victims have lodged complaints so far following the SIT's intervention. Their identities were not disclosed.

The APP said the latest press release on the investigation was issued on October 5 and submitted that the probe was proceeding in the right direction.

According to police, a nine-year-old boy from Thiruvidaimarudur in Thanjavur was staying in one of his relatives' houses. On Monday, when he went to the house of another relative in Cuddalore, he was found to be unwell, and soon, the relatives took him to the hospital, where the doctors found that he had undergone sexual abuse.

Subsequently, the family members inquired with the boy, who narrated the incident. Soon, the relatives lodged a complaint with the Thiruvidaimarudur All Women Police. A case was registered against three minor boys in the age group between 13 and 14.

Subsequently, they arrested the minors and sent them to the Government Observation Home.

The government had increased the monthly pension for anganwadi workers and nutrition organisers from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,400 in January. The retirement benefit was also enhanced from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh.

However, retired workers said that the problem was not merely the quantum of pension but the uncertainty over when it will reach their bank accounts. “Payments are sometimes held up for months, forcing elderly beneficiaries to depend on family members or borrow money to meet essential expenses,” rued a retired worker. “When even the small amount of Rs 3,400 is delayed for months, it becomes extremely difficult to manage household expenses.”

Another pensioner added that the delay was particularly painful for elderly workers who have no other steady source of income. “The government announces increases and benefits, but what matters to us is whether the money reaches us on time. We cannot wait for months for every payment,” another retired worker said.

Retired workers have urged the Social Welfare Department to streamline the pension disbursement process and ensure that arrears, wherever pending, are cleared immediately. The pension issue is also part of the larger concerns such as working conditions, pay and post-retirement security, etc they have raised.

The workers have called for timely implementation of government announcements and a mechanism to prevent delays in pension payments. The department officials did not respond when contacted.

Hailing from Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district, Kuppusamy completed his schooling at Government Higher Secondary School in Vedaranyam. He is a Tamil folk and playback singer, lyricist, writer and music composer.

The Tamil Nadu Sangeet Nataka Sangam was established by the State government in 1955 to achieve, at the State level, the objectives of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi and to promote traditional Tamil arts.

The organisation was renamed the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram in 1973.

The Manram implements various schemes with grants sanctioned by the Tamil Nadu government for the promotion and development of arts and artists.

The gang first came under the police radar in December 2025 after a group of college students was waylaid in Kuniyamuthur and robbed of cash and jewellery at knife-point. When a patrol team attempted to intercept the suspects, they threw chilli powder at the policemen and sped away in a car.

Police said the gang members later moved to Theni district, where its members broke into the house of a police sub-inspector and stole around 100 sovereigns of gold jewellery, before fleeing to Delhi.

The gang first came under the police radar in December 2025 after a group of college students was waylaid in Kuniyamuthur and robbed of cash and jewellery at knife-point

Last month, the gang flew down to Tamil Nadu and murdered a man in Keeladi in Sivaganga district before returning to Coimbatore. Acting on the directions of Coimbatore City Police Commissioner Ramya Bharathi, a police team analysed mobile phone numbers and surveillance camera footage and traced them to Ukkadam. The police surrounded their hideout and arrested them

The accused were identified as Aakash (23) of Sivaganga, Manojkumar (26) of Thanjavur, Muthupandi (24) of Dindigul, Annamalai (25) of Sundarapuram in Coimbatore, Arunpandi (27) and Bhuvanesh (22) of Madurai, Arun (20) of Sivaganga, Ramar (23) of Madurai and Gopinath (23) of Dindigul.

Police said Aakash had 25 criminal cases against him, while Arun and Muthupandi had 31 and 18 cases respectively. The other members of the gang were also facing cases in different parts of the State. Following their arrest, police also seized ganja and methamphetamine from their possession. They were produced before a court and remanded to Coimbatore Central Prison.

The previous DMK government had envisaged a new complex to come up near the Madras Race Course to address the space constraints at the current Collectorate inside Singaravelar Maligai on Rajaji Salai. However, land for the final destination was eventually identified at Guindy.

According to an order issued by the Revenue Department on November 10, 2025, the government approved 1.43 hectares of vacant government poramboke land at Guindy for a new Collectorate. The land was identified for developing a dedicated campus for the district administration.

The TVK-led government has now initiated steps to construct the new campus.

"The government has estimated Rs 83 crore to construct the new Collectorate complex. The building has been planned as a three-storey structure with all necessary facilities, including parking and conference halls. Construction work will commence very soon," an official said.

The official added that the portions of the existing building currently being used by the Collectorate would be handed over to the Law Department after the Collectorate shifts to the new campus. Besides the Collectorate, Singaravelar Maligai accommodates several government offices and judicial establishments. The first floor houses the civil and additional sessions courts. The second floor accommodates the offices of the District Adi Dravidar Welfare Department, District Backward Classes Welfare Department and TAHDCO, besides a Civil Court.

The government is expected to utilise the existing Collectorate premises for additional court-related requirements after the Law Department takes over the space.

MOVING OUT

• 1.43 ha of government poramboke land approved at Guindy for the new Collectorate

• The current Collectorate located inside Singaravelar Maligai on Rajaji Salai has been functioning from a crammed space

• Singaravelar Maligai also houses several government offices and judicial establishments, besides the Collectorate

• Once the Guindy facility opens, the government will reportedly handover the current complex to the Law department, which will repurpose the space

Stalin alleged that the TVK had supported the nurses' protest when it was not in power and had promised job security during the Assembly election campaign.

"Now, what does Chief Minister Vijay have to say about this incident? What do his Cabinet colleagues, who support the Chief Minister's inefficient administration, have to say?" Stalin asked.

He said the staff nurses had continued their protest even at night using mobile phone torches after a power shutdown at the protest venue.

"But the police arrested them at night itself. Is this the change promised by the ruling government?" he asked.

Stalin also alleged that the ruling party had made promises merely as an eyewash and failed to fulfil them after coming to power.

"Are the nurses now victims of the TVK government's backstabbing and betrayal?" he asked.

A Division Bench comprising Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice GK Muthukumaar posted the matter to October 13.

Earlier, DMK general secretary Duraimurugan had filed a civil suit before the Madras High Court against Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) over alleged defamatory statements concerning the party's handling of the R Veeramani case.

The plea alleged that TVK ministers Aadhav Arjuna and R. Nirmal Kumar accused the DMK of inaction in the R Veeramani case on September 21, 2026. It further alleged that the TVK Headquarters IT Wing and the party's official social media accounts on X, Instagram and Facebook had published, reposted and circulated the statements and materials, thereby causing injury to the party's reputation.

The DMK submitted that the police received a complaint relating to the alleged offence on October 6, 2025, and registered an FIR on October 7, 2025. It contended that the police had acted promptly and that there was no delay or interference on the part of the party.

The DMK contended that the publications were false, baseless and without lawful justification, and amounted to civil defamation. It sought damages of Rs 1,01,00,000, stating that the actual damages could not be quantified.

After hearing both sides on October 5, 2026, Justice K Govindarajan Thilakavadi granted leave to the DMK, represented by its general secretary Duraimurugan, to institute a Rs 1 crore defamation suit against TVK ministers and the TVK IT Wing over alleged defamatory statements accusing the party of inaction in the R Veeramani case.

Aggrieved by this order, TVK Ministers Aadhav Arjuna and R Nirmalkumar filed an appeal before the Madras High Court.

State president Nainar Nagenthran alleged that the government had failed to honour the TVK's election promise to regularise temporary nurses from day one in office and criticised the alleged police action against nurses who staged a peaceful protest demanding permanent employment.

"When the government is in a hurry to provide cars to MLAs, why does it seek more time only when it comes to appointing nurses?" he asked in a statement.

He alleged that thousands of nurses protesting peacefully were subjected to police action and claimed that they were made to wait for hours before being taken for talks and confined at a marriage hall. "How can nurses trust a government that says one thing and does another?" Nainar asked, alleging that the government's request for time until November 3 was an attempt to defer the issue.

The BJP leader also questioned Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's priorities, saying the government was moving swiftly on providing cars to MLAs and constructing a new Secretariat but was 'dead slow' on regularising government employees. "Why is the Chief Minister acting with great speed on providing cars to MLAs and constructing a new Secretariat, but 'dead slow' when it comes to regularising government employees?" he asked.

Nainar also recalled the TVK's election promise to regularise temporary nurses from the first day of its government and questioned the delay in fulfilling the assurance.

Speaking to reporters at Keelaeral village in Thoothukudi district after inspecting ongoing flyover construction works, Kanimozhi said, “We are witnessing several crimes, murders and sexual offences against women and children every day. But this government does not appear to be taking any action to address these incidents.”

“It is not known whether they are behaving in this way because they have developed arrogance after assuming power,” she said, alleging that they believed they could do whatever they wanted and that no one would question them.

In a separate social media post, Kanimozhi said her party was receiving “disturbing reports” of multiple voices critical of the TVK government facing repeated restrictions and reduced visibility on Instagram.

She said freedom of expression should not become “collateral damage in political competition” and alleged that if reporting mechanisms were being systematically or maliciously misused to silence lawful political criticism, the issue deserved a serious and transparent investigation.

Referring to the Information Technology Rules, Kanimozhi said they recognised the need for safeguards against the misuse of grievance mechanisms and provided protections for users to challenge platform action.

She urged the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the appropriate cyber authorities and Meta to examine the complaints, ensure transparent enforcement and protect lawful democratic expression.

“No Government or political party should fear criticism. And no citizen should have to fear losing their digital voice for criticising those in power,” she said, adding, “Democracy must remain louder than those who seek to silence it.”

In a statement, Anbumani said the police action against nurses who were peacefully protesting for their rights was strongly condemnable. He said Intermediate Health Workers, including nurses, were being paid extremely low wages despite serving for several years and repeatedly demanding job security and better wages.

Anbumani pointed out that the TVK had promised that temporary employees who had served for more than five years in various departments would be regularised if the party came to power. He said the protesting nurses were demanding the fulfilment of the same promise.

"Instead of respecting their concerns and addressing their demands, unleashing repression against them is unjustifiable," he said.

Following an assurance from the Health Secretary that their demands would be considered, the nurses have temporarily suspended their protest until November 3.

Anbumani urged the Tamil Nadu government to fulfil their demands within the period and ensure that the nurses were not forced to launch another protest.

Palaniswami, in a social media post, described the police action against the protesting nurses as "cruel" and questioned the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government over the arrests.

He questioned how Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, who had spoken against "fascism" before coming to power, could allow such action against nurses protesting for their demands.

Recalling the assurances given by TVK leaders before the Assembly elections, Palaniswami said the party had promised nurses that they would be made permanent if the TVK came to power.

He also criticised Health Minister Arunraj for not intervening in the issue. Palaniswami questioned why the minister had not held talks with the protesting nurses and attempted to find a solution to their demands.

Alleging that the government had handled the protest in an undemocratic manner, he said electricity at the protest venue was cut and the nurses were subsequently called for talks before being arrested.

Palaniswami demanded the immediate release of the arrested nurses and urged the government not to register cases against them. He also called for talks with the nurses to resolve their demands.

Dhinakaran also condemned the arrests, stating that the TVK government should address the grievances of nurses fighting for their rights instead of using the police against them.

He alleged that calling representatives of the nurses for talks and subsequently arresting them amounted to a betrayal by the government.

Dhinakaran urged the government to hold talks with the nurses and address their demands, including job security and equal pay for equal work.

According to the police, Roslin Vedhakhan (55), a former serviceman, had been working as a Bible class teacher at a local church in Palapallam. The victim, a Class VII student from the same locality, regularly attended the Bible class on Sundays, police said.

The police said that when the boy attended the class on September 20, Roslin Vedhakhan allegedly sexually assaulted him. Traumatised by the incident, the boy stopped attending the class.

When his father questioned him, the boy revealed the incident. The boy’s father lodged a complaint with the Colachel All Women Police Station. The police registered a case against Roslin Vedhakhan under the Pocso Act and arrested him. He was subsequently produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.

The Dindigul police secured four persons in connection with the murder and are questioning them.

According to the police, a gang intercepted Veerapathiran, a key accused in the murder case, while he was travelling with his wife on a two-wheeler near Nochiodaipatti village and hacked him to death. During the attack, Veerapathiran’s wife fell from the two-wheeler and suffered serious injuries. She was rescued by the police and taken to the Dindigul Government Medical College Hospital in a 108 ambulance.

Following the orders of Dindigul Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar, a special police team led by Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manjima seized a Scorpio vehicle allegedly used by the assailants to escape and recovered deadly weapons from it.

The police suspect that the murder could be an act of revenge and are questioning four relatives of ‘Bathroom’ Murugan in connection with the case.

According to police, ‘Bathroom’ Murugan, a Dindigul Corporation contractor and DMK functionary, was allegedly abducted in a car and hacked to death inside the moving vehicle in July 2025. The murder was reportedly linked to previous enmity over a dispute concerning the accounts of the Kaliamman Temple at Mettupatti.

Police had arrested eight persons, including Murugan’s car driver, in connection with the murder. All of them had been released on bail recently. Veerapathiran, a resident of Mettupatti, was named as an accused in the murder case.

In his petition, advocate K Sivasubramaniam recalled that during the proceedings and debates in the Assembly on August 24, Marie Wilson made an open and official admission on record that he had paid a bribe to a former minister to obtain necessary approvals for his educational institution.

The admission of bribe-giving by a sitting Cabinet Minister had caused intense public outrage, affected the dignity of the Legislative Assembly, and compromised public trust in governance, he submitted.

Sivasubramaniam added that on August 27, he sent a formal written criminal complaint to the DVAC by Speed Post, seeking immediate registration of an FIR under Sections 8 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, read with Section 173 of the BNSS, 2023. However, it failed to act on the complaint, register an FIR, or initiate an investigation against Marie Wilson, he alleged.

The petitioner sought a direction to the DVAC to register an FIR against Marie Wilson based on his public admission, and conduct an independent, thorough, and time-bound investigation into the alleged extortion network in T Nagar, and regulatory violations surrounding his educational institutions.

The matter is expected to be listed for hearing shortly.

According to the officials, Nivanidha, a resident of Chetty Veedhi near Karambakudi in Pudukkottai, developed labour pain on Monday night, and soon, her husband contacted 108 ambulances, which came to the spot and took Nivanidha to the GH.

However, when they were nearing Thriuvalankulam, her pain intensified, and soon the emergency medical assistant Muthukumar and the ambulance driver Balamurugan acted swiftly and readied the ambulance for the delivery.

With support from the medical staff, Nivanidha delivered a baby girl weighing 2.8 kg, and the mother and the baby were later rushed to the Raniyar Government Reproductive and Child Health Hospital, Pudukkottai, where the mother and the baby were admitted for post-delivery treatment.

The officials, the family members and the public lauded the ambulance staff.

The association, which is affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Employees Union, has been demanding a wage hike for the past several years, but it is said their demands went unnoticed by the officials, and so they declared a protest for the wage revision.

Accordingly, more than 100 members of the association, led by the Tiruchy district president Aruna Devi, who assembled in front of the district collectorate, raised slogans in support of their demands. They said that they were appointed on a daily wage basis, but the wage has not been revised for the past 15 years.

They said that while the employees of other departments in the city corporation are given a periodical increment, the workers in Amma Unavagam were not allowed to get the benefits.

They demanded proper wage revision every year and appealed to the corporation to provide the provisions so that they could serve quality food. They also appealed to the Municipal officials to treat them honourably when they visit the canteen for inspection.

Later, they submitted a petition to the district collector mentioning their demands.

The woman died on the spot, while her two sons succumbed to their burn injuries at the Palayamkottai Government Hospital on Tuesday morning.

As most of the villagers had gathered at the Vadakasi Amman temple for the festival, the incident was not noticed immediately.

The deceased were identified as Mariammal (28) and her two sons, Kabineswaran (6) and Rabineswaran (4).

Mariammal, a native of Devathanam village in Virudhunagar district, had married Kalipandi (32) of Vadakusathiram near Sivagiri around seven years ago. Kabineswaran was studying in Class I at a local school, while Rabineswaran was attending an anganwadi centre.

Kalipandi, who worked as a painter, had a drinking habit and would frequently quarrel with and allegedly assault his wife after consuming alcohol, police said.

On Monday night, Mariammal took her two sons to the Vadakasi Amman temple to participate in a traditional kummi dance programme organised as part of the Purattasi month celebrations.

Meanwhile, Kalipandi allegedly arrived at the temple in an inebriated condition, picked a quarrel with Mariammal and assaulted her in public, police said. Upset over the incident, Mariammal took her two sons and returned home.

She allegedly locked the house from inside, took kerosene and poured it over herself and her two sons. She then allegedly lit a matchstick and set fire to her saree, police said. The flames quickly engulfed all three.

People returning from the festival around midnight noticed the fire at Mariammal’s house and alerted the Sivagiri police.

Police rushed to the spot and found Mariammal’s charred body. Her two sons were found seriously injured, but died despite treatment.

The Sivagiri police have registered a case and are questioning Mariammal’s husband, Kalipandi, in connection with the incident.

The division bench comprising Justices P Velmurugan and KK Ramakrishnan issued the direction on a petition filed by Anburaj of Iluppai Oorani village in Thoothukudi district. He alleged that the land allotted to 118 beneficiaries under the free house-site patta scheme was encroached upon and that when 21 of them attempted to construct houses in January this year, the encroachers prevented them and threatened them with dire consequences.

The petitioner said free house-site pattas were distributed to 280 persons belonging to the Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities in the Kovilpatti area of Thoothukudi district in 2002. However, as many of the beneficiaries failed to construct houses on the allotted sites, their pattas were cancelled and the district administration subsequently issued pattas to 118 new beneficiaries.

According to the petitioner, the beneficiaries are required to construct houses within one year of receiving the pattas, failing which the pattas could be cancelled.

He further stated that the new beneficiaries had submitted complaints to the District Collector and the police seeking action against the encroachers, but no action was taken.

When the matter came up for hearing before the division bench, the Government Advocate submitted that the encroachments had already been removed.

The judges, however, observed that the scheme was intended to provide land to poor and landless people to construct houses.

“Is it not a prerequisite for the revenue officials to inspect the condition of the land before taking a decision to issue pattas?” the judges questioned.

The court directed the Collector to appear in person with all documents relating to the issuance of the pattas and explain the decision.

The case was adjourned to October 12.

The secretary of the Tamil Nadu Tasmac Salesmen Welfare Association filed a petition before the High Court challenging a circular issued by the managing director of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) on July 24.

The impugned circular prescribes penalties for overcharging customers, and provides for apportioning the penalty amount between the salesperson and supervisor under certain circumstances. It also provides for progressive disciplinary action for subsequent infractions, including temporary removal from service, punitive transfer, and other disciplinary measures.

For a third alleged instance, the circular prescribes issuing a charge memo, conducting a formal inquiry and, upon proof of the alleged misconduct, termination of service.

When the matter came up for hearing before Justice K Surender, the petitioner's counsel contended that the circular imposes punitive consequences without ensuring a reasonable opportunity of being heard to the employees concerned. The petitioner argued that the summary procedure contemplated under the circular was arbitrary, violates the principles of natural justice, and runs counter to Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.

After hearing the plea, the court observed that no punitive action can be taken against a workman without following the principles of natural justice. It directed that any disciplinary action under the impugned circular dated July 24 must comply with the relevant service rules and statutory provisions. No worker should be penalised, transferred or terminated without a fair opportunity of defence through a proper inquiry, the court instructed before disposing of the petition.

After the TVK-led government came to power, the State-run liquor corporation brought in punitive action as part of its measures to curb instances of overcharging by salesmen at its retail stores. Adopting a carrot and stick strategy, it also hiked their salaries twice.

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister C Ramesh and Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Minister A Srinath inspected the arrangements at the temple and surrounding areas.

Speaking to reporters after the inspection, Ramesh said the Kulasekarapattinam Mutharamman temple festival was celebrated on a grand scale by people from the southern districts.

He said officials were reviewing arrangements for devotees' safety, entry and exit routes, basic amenities, the temporary bus stand, vehicle parking areas and the beach where the Mahishasura Samharam would be held.

The minister said a review meeting involving officials from various departments would be held at the district Collectorate to discuss arrangements and basic facilities for devotees.

He said all necessary basic amenities would be provided before the festival and steps would be taken to ensure the festival was conducted smoothly.

During the inspection, the ministers visited the Mutharamman temple premises, the Chidambareswarar temple beach area where the Mahishasura Samharam is held, the Karungali Amman temple area and the Aram Valartha Nayagi Amman temple area.

Temple authorities accorded the ministers a purna kumbha welcome before the inspection. The ministers also had darshan along with the general public.

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Commissioner Vinay, Collector Vishi Mahajan, Superintendent of Police Siva Prasad, Tiruchendur Revenue Divisional Officer Gautham, District Revenue Officer Guru Chandran, District Rural Development Agency Project Director Saravanan and joint commissioners Rojali Sumatha and Arunachalam, among other officials, were present during the inspection.

Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan observed that dowry received before, during, or after marriage should be handed over to the parents of the deceased woman if she has no children.

A Rithanya from Avinashi in Tirupur district died by suicide on June 28, 2025, allegedly due to dowry harassment. Before her death, she sent voice messages to her father alleging that her husband and his parents abused her mentally and physically. The husband and parents were arrested by the police, but were released on conditional bail granted by the High Court.

Even as the case is going on, her father, Annadurai Ramasamy, approached the High Court seeking the appointment of an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police as the new investigating officer.

He alleged that the Deputy Superintendent of Police had failed to summon the accused family members to record their statements and had not collected relevant evidence, including witnesses' mobile phones and CCTV footage from the accused's house.

He further alleged that the police had not seized the gold jewellery and car or produced them before the Judicial Magistrate, Avinashi. Annadurai claimed that the investigation was not conducted fairly and effectively due to the influence of political and communal persons, and was prejudiced and suspicious.

During the hearing, the court observed that whatever dowry was received before, during, or after the marriage shall be transferred to the parents of the deceased if there are no children.

In the present case, the deceased had no children through Rithanya's husband. Therefore, the entire dowry, comprising 100 sovereigns of gold and a Volvo car given as dowry to Rithanya's husband, ought to have been recovered by the police inspector, said the judge.

Accordingly, the inspector was directed to seize the 100 sovereigns of jewellery given as dowry and the Volvo car registered in the name of the deceased, and hand them over to the petitioner in accordance with law.

The court also permitted the petitioner to mark the hard disk containing the CCTV footage along with the audio during the trial before the trial court.

With these directions, both criminal original petitions were disposed of.

Palaniswami, in a social media post, described the police action against the protesting nurses as “cruel” and questioned the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government over the arrests.

He questioned how Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, who had spoken against “fascism” before coming to power, could allow such action against nurses protesting for their demands.

Recalling the assurances given by TVK leaders before the Assembly elections, Palaniswami said the party had promised nurses that they would be made permanent if the TVK came to power.

He also criticised Health Minister Arunraj for not intervening in the issue. Palaniswami questioned why the minister had not held talks with the protesting nurses and attempted to find a solution to their demands.

Alleging that the government had handled the protest in an undemocratic manner, he said electricity at the protest venue was cut and the nurses were subsequently called for talks before being arrested.

Palaniswami demanded the immediate release of the arrested nurses and urged the government not to register cases against them. He also called for talks with the nurses to resolve their demands.

Dhinakaran also condemned the arrests, stating that the TVK government should address the grievances of nurses fighting for their rights instead of using the police against them.

He alleged that calling representatives of the nurses for talks and subsequently arresting them amounted to a betrayal by the government.

Dhinakaran urged the government to hold talks with the nurses and address their demands, including job security and equal pay for equal work.

The Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant kept the substantial questions of law open for adjudication in an appropriate future case.

Besides the CJI, the bench comprised Justices Aravind Kumar, Prashant Kumar Mishra, Joymala Bagchi, Vipul M Pancholi, Shree Chandrashekar and V Mohana.

“The writ petitions are disposed of as having become infructuous. However, the questions of law are kept open to be pursued in future in appropriate proceedings,” the bench said in its order.

The proceedings concerned a reference arising out of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly's action against journalists, including N Ravi, in 2003 over articles and editorials published in The Hindu and Murasoli relating to proceedings in the assembly.

At the outset, senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, appearing for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, brought to the bench's attention an affidavit dated August 24, 2004, recording a subsequent unanimous resolution of the assembly of July 30, 2004.

The July 30, 2004 resolution had withdrawn the earlier resolution of November 7, 2003, passed against the petitioners.

The CJI said that this subsequent development had apparently not been specifically brought to the notice of the bench when the matter was referred to a seven-judge bench.

"Even before the discussions could appear before the House, the legislative assembly passed a resolution on November 7, 2003," the bench noted while recording the details of the case.

The bench referred to news articles published in The Hindu newspaper on April 12, 13, 24 and 26, 2003, describing the events that took place in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

“Similarly, on April 26, 2003, Murasoli carried a literal Tamil translation of the editorial published in The Hindu on April 25, 2003,” the bench noted.

The publication of these articles led to a reference to the Committee of Privileges by the speaker under the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules for examination and report, it said.

“The Committee of Privileges convened on May 5, 2003 and examined the subject news items, articles and editorials in question. The committee opined that the statements contained therein indicated a breach of parliamentary privilege and called for an explanation,” it said, adding that even before the discussions could appear before the House, the legislative assembly passed a resolution on November 7, 2003.

The bench said on December 8, 2003, an order was passed by the apex court noting the substantial questions of law as to the interpretation of Article 194(3), Article 19(1)(a), the interplay between these two Articles, Article 21, and also as to the interpretation of other provisions of the Constitution.

The matter was referred to a five-judge bench, the order said, adding that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on July 30, 2004.

“It seems that the most relevant subsequent event, namely the resolution dated July 30, 2004, whereby the legislative assembly unanimously resolved to withdraw its previous resolution dated November 7, 2003 passed against the petitioners, was not specifically brought to the notice of this court. It also escaped notice,” the CJI said.

The order then said that on December 8, 2004, this court noted certain observations made in the case of ‘Pandit M.S.M. Sharma v. Shri Sri Krishna Sinha and Others’, reported in 1959, a five-judge Bench decision of this court, were in conflict with the powers, privileges and immunities of legislators as explained in another case of 1964.

“This prompted the bench to make a reference to a seven-judge bench. This is how…,” the order said.

“In light of the above subsequent resolution, the previous resolution dated November 7, 2003, stands recalled,” the bench noted, adding that the subject matter has been rendered infructuous and there is no cause of action which survives for adjudication.

“They have, however, pointed out, and rightly so, that there are certain questions of law briefly touched upon by this court in the order dated 8th December 2004, and otherwise also, which arise for consideration and which need to be left open to be adjudicated in appropriate proceedings,” it said. One of the pleas -- N Ravi and others versus Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Tamil Nadu -- raises the question whether fundamental rights override legislative privileges.

The case pertains to 2003, when journalist N Ravi and others approached the top court after the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s then speaker K Kalimuthu ordered their arrest for alleged breach of privilege and contempt.

The top court had stayed the arrest of six journalists and later referred the matter to a seven-judge bench in view of conflicting verdicts.

One of the judgments had held that fundamental rights should prevail, while the 1965 verdict said fundamental rights were subservient to parliamentary privileges.

Meanwhile, high drama unfolded as protesting groups claimed that leaders of the struggle were arrested after being told they were being taken for discussions.

Union president N Sundari said the government had assured them it would address most of their demands at the next meeting, prompting the protesters to temporarily suspend the agitation.

"Our demands are legitimate, and that is why thousands of employees have joined the protest. The government's intention appears to be to disperse the protesters without resolving our grievances," she told reporters after the meeting.

Sundari said the protesters hoped their demands would be fulfilled during the November 3 talks. "If the assurances are not fulfilled after November 3, we will all unite and launch a massive protest across the State," she said.

Former DMK minister Mano Thangaraj met the protesting nurses and extended his support. He said he had also participated in the talks with the Health Secretary.

Mano Thangaraj condemned the government's handling of the agitation and alleged that police took some protesters, including the union leader, for talks after assuring them their demands would be considered, but later told them they had been arrested and asked them to disperse. "I strongly condemn the government's indifference to the nurses' legitimate demands and the use of police action against those staging a legitimate protest," he added.

The by-election was necessitated after Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who contested and won two assembly seats in the previous election, chose to vacate the Thattanchavady assembly seat to retain the Mangalam assembly constituency.

Thattanchavady has long been considered a bastion of Rangasamy.

Voting was underway smoothly across all polling booths. There are 31 polling stations and people turned up enthusiastically to exercise their franchise, official sources said.

There are 11 contestants, including five Independents. The main contest is between AINRC candidate Ashok Anand, the Congress candidate E Vinayagam and DMK's K Sedhu Selvam.

The by polls hold immense political significance as a crucial litmus test for the ruling TVK and opposition in Tamil Nadu.

Madurantakam is located in the Chengalpattu district while Dharapuram is located in the Tiruppur district. Both reserved constituencies fell vacant after sitting AIADMK MLAs K Maragatham and P Sathyabama resigned from their posts to switch allegiance to actor Vijay's TVK.

Meanwhile, a bypoll is also underway in Thattanchavady constituency, located in the Union Territory of Puducherry, which was necessitated after Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who contested and won two assembly seats in the previous election, chose to vacate the Thattanchavady assembly seat to retain the Mangalam assembly constituency.

Serving as a high-stakes battle, the bypolls mark a multicornered contest between the TVK, DMK, AIADMK, Left parties, and NTK.

Voting commenced at 7 am and would go on till 6 pm across 285 polling stations in Madurantakam and 320 polling centres in Dharapuram, where a total of 49 candidates are totally in the fray.

The votes polled in Madurantakam, Dharapuram and Thattanchavady will be counted on October 9, with the results expected to be announced the same day.

Madurantakam bypoll

The Madurantakam SC-reserved constituency has 2,13,788 voters, including 1,04,926 men, 1,08,797 women and 65 transgender persons. There are 285 polling stations.

Twenty-seven candidates, including 17 independents, are in the fray. The key candidates are S Kanitha Sampath (AIADMK), I Paranthamen (DMK), K Maragatham Kumaravel (TVK), P Suganthi (CPM) and G Janakiraman (NTK).

A total of 342 EVMs, including a 20% reserve, will be used for the bye-election.

Dharapuram bypoll

The Dharapuram SC-reserved constituency has a total of 2,23,306 voters, comprising 1,07,285 men, 1,16,013 women and eight third-gender voters, are eligible to vote at 320 polling stations across 186 centres.

Twenty-two candidates are in the fray, with the main contestants being TVK’s P Sathyabama, AIADMK’s K Banumathi, DMK’s S Suganya, CPI’s P Lakshmanan and NTK’s M Karthika.

Speaking to reporters after casting her vote at the Madukkampalayam polling station, Sathyabama said she was confident of her electoral prospects.

“People have made up their minds and it will not have any impact on the election. Such fabricated videos are being circulated only because of my strong electoral prospects. I will definitely lodge a complaint with the Election Commission,” she said.

Sathyabama had won the Dharapuram seat as an AIADMK candidate in the assembly election. She subsequently resigned as MLA, quit the AIADMK and joined the TVK, prompting the by-election.

The organisations, in a joint representation submitted to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and concerned government authorities, sought clarity on the circumstances under which five elephants Durga, Rupsing, Shiva, Hiralal and Bijuli were transferred to temples and religious institutions in Tamil Nadu.

The groups have questioned whether the elephants were gifted, donated or purchased and sought details of their ownership history, payments, acquisition documents and the chain of ownership and transfer.

They have also raised questions over the birth dates and Ownership Certificates of the elephants. According to the representation, Ownership Certificates for three elephants were issued in October November 2025, despite their recorded dates of birth being several years earlier. The groups have also sought verification of the Ownership Certificate of the elephants, which they claim is around seven years old despite a five-year renewal requirement.

They have sought an independent veterinary assessment of the elephants’ age, height and physical condition, besides verification of their suitability for use in temple rituals and processions under the Tamil Nadu Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2011.

Additional Chief Secretary to the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, reviewed the precautionary measures for the ensuing Northeast monsoon with Chennai Corporation officials.

During the meeting, the official issued several instructions on precautionary measures.

"Water hyacinth should be removed from all waterways in and around Chennai, including the Cooum and Adyar. Officials of the TNEB should also ensure that there is no loss of life due to electrical short circuits, " Bedi said in a statement.

He also said dredging works should be completed at 28 small bridges belonging to the Railways Department. He added that subways should remain free from waterlogging so that transportation would not be affected during the monsoon season.

"Volunteers will be involved in flood mitigation and monsoon precautionary works. Around 5,000 volunteers will be involved in these activities," Bedi said.

Chennai Corporation Commissioner GS Sameeran and Chennai Metro Water Managing Director T Anand participated in the meeting.

The accused allegedly went into hiding after learning that a police team was searching to arrest him.

According to the police, the accused, Anthony Jennifer, 34, attached to A Company of the 9th Battalion at Manimutharu, is currently serving as a head constable in Kanyakumari. He is a native of South Agasthiyarpuram near Ambai.

Recently, Anthony Jennifer had come to his native place on leave. According to the complaint, the 15-year-old from Sivanthipuram near Vikramasingapuram had gone to a shop to buy sweets when the head constable allegedly noticed him.

He took the boy to a secluded place and sexually assaulted him, according to the complaint lodged by the boy’s parents.

The boy, who was reportedly in pain following the alleged assault, informed his parents about the incident. They subsequently lodged a complaint with the Ambai All-Women Police Station.

Based on the complaint, the police conducted an inquiry and examined CCTV footage from the area around the shop.

The footage showed Anthony Jennifer taking the boy away. The police subsequently registered a case against him under the Pocso Act.

Jennifer was selected for the Tamil Nadu Police Youth Brigade around 2013 and joined the Tamil Nadu Police in 2016.

Even though the prices of dyes and chemicals had increased by more than 100 per cent, dyeing units continued to grapple with an acute shortage of essential raw materials.

“Shortage and unprecedented price escalation could be mainly attributed to the export of raw materials used in dye manufacturing from India to neighbouring countries. It has become difficult for dyeing units to complete the existing job work orders and accept new ones, thereby affecting both domestic and export-oriented textile businesses,” said P Gandhirajan, president of Dyers Association of Tirupur (DAT).

The dyeing units have sought the intervention of the state and central government in imposing curbs on export of essential raw materials used by the dyeing industry to ensure adequate domestic availability and prevent further price escalation. The one-day strike was supported by the textile processing association in SIPCOT in Perundurai in Erode and units across Erode and Namakkal districts.

Eighteen common effluent treatment plants and private facilities in Tirupur also remained non-operational in view of the strike. “Around 2,800 tonnes of fabric is dyed every day in the dyeing units, generating dyeing charges of about 16.8 crore a day. The shutdown also resulted in an estimated loss of Rs 84 lakh in GST revenue to the government. The units employ more than 50,000 workers,” Gandhirajan.

The decision was taken at a meeting on jewel loans provided by various cooperative institutions functioning under the control of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies. Under the revised norms, the loan amount has been fixed at a maximum of Rs 10,000 per gram or 75 per cent of the market value of the jewellery.

The enhanced loan ceiling will apply to both fresh jewel loans and existing loans that are renewed, the government said. Earlier, loans were provided up to 75 per cent of the gold’s market value, subject to a maximum of Rs 7,000 per gram for loans with a six-month tenure. The maximum interest rate had been increased from 12 per cent to 13 per cent last year.

The government has also moved to address the disparity in interest rates between District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies (PACCS). The interest rate DCCBs charge PACCS on jewel loans must be at least 1.25 percentage points lower than the rate charged on jewel loans through DCCB branches.

Further, the government has capped PACCS's margin at 2.25 per cent.

It is said that Raja (54), a resident of Thirunellikaval Puthur village in Tiruvarur, was sowing paddy seeds in his field while his son Adityan (24) was tilling the land with the support of a tractor. Suddenly, the high-tension power line that was passing over the land snapped and fell onto the tractor, and Aditya was struggling for his life. Soon, his father, Raja, ran to rescue him, and he too was electrocuted. The tractor was reduced to ashes in the impact of the electrocution.

The public who witnessed the incident passed on the information to the Tiruvarur Taluk police, who rushed to the spot after suspending the power line, retrieved the bodies and sent them to Tiruvarur Medical College Hospital.

The information about the death spread among the farmers and residents. Subsequently, the leaders from farmers’ associations visited the family members of Raja at the medical college and consoled them.

The farmer leaders, along with the CPM functionaries, met the Collector V Mohanachandran and appealed for compensation of Rs 25 lakh each and a government job for the family members of the deceased. The Nagapattinam MP V Selvaraj also accompanied the members.

Karuppu Muruganandam, in his anticipatory bail petition, denied the allegations levelled against him by Divya Seshadri of Bengaluru in her complaint lodged at the Tiruchy police commissioner’s office on September 24, alleging that he had been in a close relationship with her, uploaded morphed photographs and videos intended to defame her on social media, and cheated her.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case against him.

Muruganandam claimed that Divya Seshadri was living separately from her husband, had sought his help and had expressed an interest in joining a political party. He said she had been introduced to him and that he had extended various forms of assistance to her.

When the case came up for hearing, counsel for Muruganandam sought anticipatory bail for him. However, counsel for Divya Seshadri opposed the grant of anticipatory bail and sought to implead her as a respondent.

The court refused to grant interim protection from arrest. It then directed the police and Divya Seshadri to file their respective counter-affidavits and adjourned the case to Friday.

Within the next few days, all of them will move into secure housing units in the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) tenement complex in Kotturpuram.

To rehabilitate the residents of Chitra Nagar (VAMBAY) living in dilapidated structures near the Kotturpuram housing project, the Housing and Urban Development Department issued Government Order (4D) 25 in August. Given their low-income background, beneficiaries requested categorisation under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS). They sought to fix their financial contribution at Rs 1.50 lakh per dwelling unit, aligning with existing standards.

While the beneficiary contribution for EWS category tenements works out to Rs 10.49 lakh/dwelling unit, residents expressed their ability to pay only Rs 1.50 lakh. Consequently, the remaining Rs 8.99 lakh/dwelling unit will be covered through additional government funding support.

Nithya added that the condition of the houses had deteriorated drastically since the 2015 floods. During every monsoon, portions of the ceiling in these single-room units frequently collapse. “We spend sleepless nights dealing with rainwater mixed with sewage backflow that enters our homes through the toilets. We’re forced to live and carry out daily activities in cramped, unhygienic conditions,” she shared.

Concurring with was Ganesh, another resident, who explained, “Every year, crumbling roofs injure all of us. In May, we organised a road blockade to press our demands. Now, we’re happy that we’ll finally get a safe home before the monsoon sets in.”

Residents collectively thanked Ward 170 Councillor KR Kadhirmurugam (AIADMK), Saidapet MLA M Arul Prakasam, and members of the CPM for their continuous support, and Minister for Housing and Urban Development B Raj Kumar, who is likely to hand over the allotment order to residents.

Councillor Kadhirmurugam averred, “Over 190 families have already paid their share via demand draft, and the remaining will do so shortly. Our collective efforts have finally paid off.”

A senior official from the TNUHDB confirmed to DT Next, “The allotment orders are ready. After the by-poll, orders will formally hand them over to the residents.”