Addressing a felicitation function organised by the Dravidar Kazhagam in Coimbatore to honour him for establishing Periyar Arivulagam, Stalin said the power outages are a drama enacted to justify its purchase of electricity at higher rates.

“The government had cancelled long-term power procurement agreements secured by the previous DMK regime at cheaper rates and is now buying electricity at nearly double the cost,” he said.

Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, calling him the ‘weakest Chief Minister’ Tamil Nadu had ever seen, Stalin claimed that some power centres were controlling the state administration from behind the scenes.

“When he assumed office, Vijay claimed that there would be no parallel power centres in his government. But he has now become a dummy, with some corporate power centres behind him taking control of the administration,” Stalin said. He further claimed that people who voted for Vijay had lost their livelihoods and were now regretting their decision.

Referring to the escape of prisoners from jails in Theni, Chennai and Coimbatore, Stalin said that while it had earlier promised to open files against the DMK, it was now opening the prison gates.

Claiming that Tamil Nadu's economic performance had deteriorated within five months of the new government assuming office, Stalin said the Chief Minister had failed to take corrective measures. He also expressed concern over investments moving to other States.

“The Chief Minister's job is not like a cinema shoot, with working hours from 10 am to 5 pm and holidays on Saturdays and Sundays,” he said.

Stalin also criticised the government over what he described as a deterioration in law and order, citing murders, sexual offences against women and children, and the growing prevalence of drugs. He accused TVK functionaries of being involved in several criminal offences.

Referring to the repeated raids at the residence of former minister KN Nehru as an act to cover up the government’s wrongdoings, Stalin said, “We will not be intimidated or retreat. We will only rise stronger. That is the DNA of the DMK.”

Questioning Vijay's silence on several issues, Stalin also accused the Chief Minister of refusing to take responsibility for administrative lapses.

Seventeen inmates escaped from the prison at Thekkampatti in Theni district on the night of October 26, allegedly after assaulting prison personnel. Of them, Meenakshi Sundaram, Thirupathi and two other injured remand prisoners, Solai Mugileswaran and Sabarinathan, surrendered before the police.

Subsequently, K. Arumugathammal of Madurai, mother of Meenakshi Sundaram and Thirupathi, filed a petition before the Madras High Court.

In her petition, she stated that police personnel attached to Chinthamani Police Station in Madurai had taken her sons from their residence on October 9, 2026, citing possible law and order issues ahead of Thevar Jayanthi. They were later allegedly falsely implicated in two criminal cases involving the robbery of Rs. 500 and possession of 300 grams of ganja, and remanded to Theni District Prison.

She further alleged that prison personnel assaulted all 17 remand prisoners who escaped, using lathis and kicking them with their boots while they were in the custody of the prison authorities.

Her son Meenakshi Sundaram sustained multiple injuries, including an injury to his toe that resulted in the loss of his toenail, torn skin and swelling. Her other son, Thirupathi, also sustained multiple injuries, particularly to his feet. The other prisoners, Solai Mugileswaran and Sabarinathan, too, sustained injuries in the alleged assault by prison warders.

The petitioner sought a direction to refer the four injured prisoners, who are presently lodged in different prisons, to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital for a complete medical examination and necessary treatment, including specialist care wherever required.

She also sought an independent judicial inquiry into the alleged custodial assault and ill-treatment by prison authorities.

The petition came up for hearing before a Division Bench of Justices A.D. Jagadish Chandira and B. Karthikeyan. The police informed the court that three of the prisoners were lodged in Salem Central Prison, while Thirupathi had been lodged in Palayamkottai Central Prison in Tirunelveli.

Following this, the Bench directed a team of three doctors from the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem, to visit the Central Prison, accompanied by the Chairman and Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), and examine prisoners K. Meenakshisundaram, N. Solai and P. Sabarinathan. The team was also directed to provide medical treatment if required.

The Court further directed a medical team from the Tirunelveli Government Medical College to visit Palayamkottai Central Prison, examine K. Thirupathi and provide treatment if required.

The Bench ordered the medical teams to examine the prisoners on Wednesday (November 4), provide necessary medical treatment and file a report before the court by November 6. The matter was posted to November 13.

The service, suspended since October 24, was scheduled to resume on Thursday.

However, continued rainfall and fresh mudslides along the route have forced the railway authorities to extend the cancellation by another three days.

Heavy rain on the night of October 23 triggered a landslip between Adderly and Coonoor railway stations, causing huge boulders to roll onto the tracks.

Railway personnel have been carrying out restoration work to clear the affected stretch. They blasted and removed massive boulders obstructing the tracks as part of efforts to restore services.

Class 10 boy severely injured after leaping off school building

A Class 10 boy leapt from the second floor of his school after exam invigilator found him exchanging papers during a model exam on Wednesday.

According to reports, CBSE students in Class 10 and 12 were now involved in preparing for model examinations. On Wednesday, while an examination was going on, a Class 10 boy reportedly exchanged his paper with a classmate, which was found by the invigilator. He was caught red-handed and the invigilator inquired with him.

While the invigilator was talking with him, the boy suddenly ran out of the classroom and jumped from the second floor of the school.

On impact, he sustained severe fractures in his hand and hip. The school authorities rushed to his rescue immediately and moved him to a private hospital. He is currently undergoing treatment.

The E-Pudhur police registered a case and are investigating.

DMK man hacked to death over financial dispute

A DMK functionary, identified as Lakshmanan, was hacked to death by a gang near Kodaikanal in Dindigul district.

Police suspect that a dispute over money between Lakshmanan and one Ajith of Meenatchipuram led to the murder. According to the initial information, the gang had first attacked Lakshmanan's son in an attempt to murder him.

However, he escaped and lodged a complaint with the police. The assailants subsequently targeted his father, Lakshmanan, and hacked him to death. Following the incident, police have launched a search for Ajith and other suspects who fled the scene.

Dindigul Superintendent of Police Jayakumar is conducting an intensive investigation into the murder.

14-yr-old boy succumbs to fever after falling unconscious in school

A Class 8 boy who fell unconscious on his school premises died after undergoing treatment in the hospital in Tiruchy on Wednesday.

Sources said that on October 31, S Mohammed Yasin (14), studying in a private school near Pullambadi in Tiruchy, fell unconscious on the school premises after vomiting. Soon, the school authorities took him to a private hospital for treatment. The boy reportedly developed a fever for a couple of days, and the temperature failed to subside.

He was shifted to another hospital at Kallakudi near Lalgudi, but his condition had worsened. The boy was shifted again to the Tiruchy Government Hospital to continue treatment. Unfortunately, the boy's treatment failed, and he succumbed.

Based on the complaint by Mohammed Yasin's father, Seit Mohammed, the Kallakudi police registered a case and are investigating. The police also conducted an inquiry at the school and with the doctors who treated him.

Man gets triple life term for wife's murder

Karur Mahila Fast Track Court on Wednesday awarded a triple life sentence to a man who murdered his wife over a domestic quarrel and burnt the body to destroy evidence.

On November 9, 2023, Sivakumar of Kulathupalayam quarrelled with his wife, Palaniammal, and later took her on a drive in their car to pacify her. Sivakumar later severely assaulted her, and she died on the spot. He then burned her body to destroy evidence.

After a few days, Palaniammal's parents lodged a missing person complaint with the Aravakurichi police. Subsequently, the police arrested Sivakumar following a probe.

The Mahila court judge Thangavel, who heard the case, awarded triple life term and a fine of Rs 10,000 to Sivakumar. He has been lodged in Tiruchy Central Prison.

History sheeter hacked to death in Madurai

A notorious history-sheeter was hacked to death by an unidentified gang near Samayanallur in Madurai district in the wee hours on Monday, police said.

The deceased, identified as Surya alias ‘Kuttisaku’, a resident of Sadachiamman Nagar in Samayanallur, had over 10 pending criminal cases against him, including charges of murder and assault. According to the police, the incident occurred when Surya was consuming alcohol at the old panchayat office complex located on the Madurai-Dindigul National

Highway around 2 am. An armed gang confronted him and attacked him with lethal weapons. His face was severely disfigured in the attack, and he died on the spot before the assailants fled the scene.

Upon receiving information, the Samayanallur police rushed to the site, recovered the body, and sent it to the Madurai Rajaji Government Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Preliminary investigations suggest that prior enmity and retaliation could be the motive behind the murder.

The police have launched an intensive investigation and are currently on the lookout for the absconding gang members, officials added.

VCK man’s murder: DMK cadre among 5 held

Five people, including a DMK functionary, have been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of a VCK functionary at a petrol pump here, police said on Monday.

The Police apprehended all five suspects within six hours of the incident after reviewing CCTV footage from the fuel station. The deceased, Balamurugan (40), was a former VCK union secretary for Ottapidaram who ran a vegetable shop and worked as a van driver.

According to the police, the murder was the fallout of a dispute over the placement of flex banners on the Sottaiyan Thoppu main road. The fatal attack occurred around 6 am on Sunday. Balamurugan had gone to a fuel outlet on Sethupathi Road to refuel his two-wheeler when a five-member gang arriving on two motorcycles surrounded him. They hacked him with sickles, and he died on the spot.

The Thalamuthunagar police recovered the body and sent it to the Thoothukudi Government Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Based on a complaint filed by Balamurugan’s wife, Sudha, a case was registered at the Thalamuthunagar police station.

The incident triggered tension in the highly populated area. Hundreds of locals and relatives of the victim staged a road blockade on the Sottaiyan Thoppu main road, disrupting traffic and demanding immediate action against the killers. The protest was withdrawn after senior police officials held talks and assured them of swift arrests. Over 200 police personnel have been deployed in the area as a precautionary measure.

Woman smuggles 800g gold, held in Coimbatore airport

A woman passenger from Sharjah was arrested for smuggling 808.27 grams of gold, valued at around Rs 1.15 crore, at the Coimbatore International Airport on Monday. Acting on a tip-off, officials of the Customs Intelligence Unit intensified surveillance and screened over 200 passengers. During the checks, they found that the woman had concealed gold in paste form inside her garments. The officials recovered 808.27 grams of gold, valued at approximately Rs 1.15 crore, from her possession. The woman was detained, and the seized gold was confiscated. An investigation is ongoing to ascertain whether others were involved in the smuggling operation.

Ennore: Week after son's arrest in Pocso case, father held for similar offence

Days after his 32-year-old son was arrested for alleged sexual assault on a two-and-a-half-year-old girl child in Ennore, his 61-year-old father was arrested in a similar complaint.

The arrested person was identified as Desingh. He had allegedly behaved inappropriately with a 7-year-old girl in June, according to the police. The police said the two families had earlier tried to resolve the matter through a local community meeting, and no complaint was filed at that time.

The matter came to light again after the accused's son was taken into custody last week in a separate case registered under the Pocso Act concerning a toddler from the same locality.

Following the recent arrest of his son, the mother of the 7-year-old survivor approached the police and lodged a formal complaint. Based on her complaint, Ennore police registered a case and arrested Desingh on Saturday. He was produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.

Earlier, Desingh's son, Ranjithkumar, was arrested on October 26 after he allegedly lured a child to his house twice last week and had allegedly sexually abused her.

63-yr-old woman killed as tanker rams bike near Pallikaranai

A 63-year-old woman died on the spot, and her husband was injured after a private water tanker hit their two-wheeler from behind near Pallikaranai on Saturday.

The victim was identified as Indumathi (63) of Radha Nagar, Perumbakkam. She was riding pillion with her husband Balachandar (67).

According to the Pallikaranai Traffic Investigation Wing, the couple was heading home on Velachery Main Road when the tanker rammed their bike near Mayilai Balaji Nagar.

Due to the impact, both fell on the road. Indumathi was run over by the tanker and suffered fatal injuries. Balachandar escaped with minor injuries.

Residents rushed them to a nearby private hospital, where Indumathi was declared brought dead. The police sent the body to Tambaram Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. The police registered a case and arrested the driver, Chinnarasu (31) of Tiruvarur

5 held for circulating counterfeit notes in Vellore

The Vellore police arrested five people for circulating counterfeit currency notes.

Rafiq Ahmed (46) of Gudiyatham had paid for a Flipkart delivery using two counterfeit Rs 500 notes.

The delivery agent tipped off the police, and Rafiq was arrested. He told the police he acquired the notes from Zubair Ahmed (52), who in turn revealed that Gopal (47) and Kamaraj (48) were his suppliers.

The duo named Babu (65) as their supplier. Further probe revealed that Babu had been arrested in counterfeit currency cases in West Bengal around 10 years ago and had served a prison term.

Police have seized counterfeit currency notes worth Rs 1.50 lakh and are Babu's connections in West Bengal.

Chennai: 26-year-old Siddha medical student dies by suicide

A 26-year-old postgraduate Siddha medical student dies by suicide at the girls hostel of the National Institute of Siddha in Tambaram on Thursday. The deceased was identified as T Shenbagavalli, who was pursuing her third year of postgraduate Siddha medicine at the institute and was staying at the college hostel along with two other students.

Police said that Shenbagavalli was also preparing for central government recruitment examinations. The question papers were difficult, and she was worried about whether she would clear the exam and secure a government job.

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12-year-old FSC detainee accused of sexually abusing infant in Tiruchy

 A 12-year-old Bangladeshi boy, lodged as an alleged illegal immigrant at the Foreigners Special Camp (FSC) in Tiruchy, has been accused of sexually abusing a one-year-old girl inside the facility.

Sources in the Centre said the incident occurred because the boy, who should have been housed in the men’s block, was instead allowed to stay with his mother in the women’s block. The child he allegedly abused belongs to another Bangladeshi family lodged in the women’s block, they said.

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Thanjavur: 3-yr-old girl sexually abused; mother, lover held

Thanjavur police arrested a man for sexually abusing a three-year-old child.

The police also arrested the child’s mother for supporting the accused on Friday. Yogaraj (32), a collection agent in a finance firm in Kumbakonam, had an extramarital affair with a 24-year-old woman whose husband was said to be working abroad.

On October 26, Yogaraj, who went to the woman’s house, had reportedly sexually abused the woman's three-year-old child. Yogaraj had also bitten the baby in several places.

When neighbours inquired about it, the mother gave an evasive response. Based on the alert, the Natchiyarkoil police found that the child was sexually abused and arrested Yogaraj and the baby’s mother.

Tamil Nadu: 3 assault cop and HG personnel, held

A gang of three arrested for attacking a policeman and a home guard personnel after being warned against consuming alcohol in a public place in Ariyalur in the wee hours of Friday.

When Raja Kannan (37), a policeman from Thalavai station near Sendurai, along with home guard personnel Venkatesan (47), were on routine patrol in the late hours of Thursday, a gang of three were consuming alcohol at a shed along the main road.

Both personnel urged them to leave the spot immediately. However, they picked up a quarrel and hurled abusive words at the personnel.

Soon, the police constable Raja Kannan contacted the Thalavai police station and passed on the information. Suddenly, the trio attacked the duo and escaped.

However, the police secured the trio, identified as Mathivanan, Thamaraikannan and Elamparithi, all from Silappanur village.

Tiruchy: 3 held in separate ganja peddling cases

Three persons, including a woman, were arrested for peddling ganja across Tiruchy City.

Based on a tip-off, the City Commissioner of Police Rupesh Kumar Meena ordered an elaborate raid across the city.

When a team from E-Pudhur police were searching at Panjapur, they found one Pavithran (22) from Ramji Nagar selling ganja.

Soon, the police arrested him and seized ganja packs. Similarly, another team found Sakthivel (24) from Ramji Nagar selling ganja in Rettamalai and arrested him.

A 35-year-old woman selling ganja was arrested from a house in Ariyamangalam.

Jewellery dealer cheated of 7.3 kg gold; man arrested in Triplicane

A 30-year-old man was arrested for allegedly cheating a jewellery dealer of 7.30 kg of gold ornaments worth several crores of rupees in Triplicane.

The accused, Masook Jain of Vepery, was arrested by the Triplicane police on Wednesday and remanded in judicial custody.

According to the police, the complainant, Seerak (25), runs a jewellery shop and workshop on Irulappan Street in Sowcarpet. Jain had reportedly been collecting gold ornaments from him on a commission basis, claiming that he would sell them to jewellery shops operated by his contacts.

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Chennai man, Bangladeshi mother-in-law held for serial robberies

Thanjavur police arrested a Chennai man and his Bangladeshi mother-in-law for stealing 30 sovereigns of gold jewellery from a house. The duo were habitual offenders involved in a series of theft cases across the state, targeting houses locked for a long period.

On October 23, K Karthi, who runs a finance firm at Pillayarpatti near Tiruvidaimaruthur in Thanjavur, returned home in the evening after work, and he found the front door of his house broken and 30 sovereigns, 250-gram silver articles and Rs 2.50 lakh cash were missing. A complaint was filed.

During a vehicle check, on suspicion, the police secured B Gunasekar (40) from Choolaimedu in Chennai and his mother-in-law Hannah Begam (59) from Bangladesh. The probe found that the duo had been involved in the robbery at Karthi's house, and valuables were recovered. The duo was lodged in prison.

Further investigation revealed that Gunasekaran had befriended Hannah Begum's daughter on social media and managed to go to Bangladesh illegally and married her. He returned with his mother-in-law and they targeted several locked houses in a similar manner in Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Tiruchy.

Villupuram man strangles 14-year-old daughter to death for having a relationship

A 14-year-old Class 10 student was allegedly strangled to death by her father following an argument over her relationship with a young man in Villupuram district's Vanur on Thursday night (October 29).

According to a Maalaimalar report, the accused, identified as Sivasastri (40), a lorry driver, later surrendered before the Vanur police and was arrested.

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Poverty drives Panruti woman to sell newborn boy for Rs 4.5 lakh; auto driver arrested

A three-day-old baby boy allegedly sold for Rs 4.5 lakh by his mother, who was struggling with poverty, was rescued by the police from a woman in Tiruchy.

An auto driver, identified as Zafar Khan (41), who allegedly acted as a middleman in the transaction, has been arrested.

Fatima (30), from Thattanchavady near Panruti, gave birth to the boy at the Panruti Government Hospital on October 19. Already having two daughters and living separately from her husband, she reportedly struggled to raise the children.

Taking advantage of Fatima's financial difficulties, Zafar Khan, an auto driver from Panruti, allegedly persuaded her to sell the baby. Through him, the child was handed over to Renuka Devi of Tiruchy for Rs 4.5 lakh on October 22.

Zafar Khan allegedly took a major portion of the money, leaving Fatima with only a small amount. This led to a dispute between the two. Fatima later asked Renuka Devi to return the baby. However, Renuka Devi allegedly refused.

Fatima subsequently lodged a complaint at the Panruti police station on October 28. The police registered a case and formed a special team, which went to Tiruchy, rescued the baby from Renuka Devi and safely handed him over to Fatima. The police have arrested Zafar Khan in connection with the case.

Two arrested in separate Pocso cases in Ambattur, Guduvanchery

Two men were arrested and remanded in judicial custody on Thursday in separate cases involving the alleged sexual assault of minor girls in Ambattur and Guduvanchery.

In the first case, the Ambattur All-Women Police arrested Mohammad Rafeeq alias Sarphul Dewan (40), a native of Jharkhand, for sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl who had gone to a mosque to attend Quran classes.

According to the complaint lodged by the girl’s father, the accused had assaulted the child while she was returning from the mosque after her classes. The girl later informed her parents, who approached the police.

In the second case, Kilambakkam All-Women Police arrested Manoharan (50), a financier, for sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl at her house near Guduvanchery in Chengalpattu. Police said Manoharan, a resident of Thailavaram, runs a small chit fund business.

On October 24, he visited the house, located two streets away from his residence, to collect money. The child was alone at the time, and he sexually assaulted her. Following a complaint from her parents, police registered a case, arrested Manoharan and produced him before a Chengalpattu court, which remanded him in judicial custody.

20-year-old son beats woman to death after quarrel in Dharmapuri

A 20-year-old construction worker, who was released on bail three days ago, beat his mother to death with an iron rod following a quarrel at their house in Dharmapuri district on Thursday night.

The police identified the accused as Devaraj of Old Indur village. Earlier on August 3, the Indur police had arrested him for creating a public nuisance while wearing a police cap and brandishing a knife. He had chased passers-by on the road and attempted to attack a man identified as Veeramani, according to the police. After a complaint, police arrested him and remanded him in judicial custody at Salem Central Prison. On October 28, he secured bail and returned home.

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Villupuram man argues with wife, then throws six-year-old son into well; arrested

A 40-year-old man was arrested for allegedly throwing his six-year-old son into an agricultural well following an argument with his wife over money near Senji in Villupuram district.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the deceased boy, identified as Sanjay, was the couple's only son. His father, Selvaraj, allegedly threw him into a well behind the government hospital in the area after a prolonged argument with his wife, Devi, over the spending of borrowed money.

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Two arrested for murdering 19-year-old, burying body near Pulicat

Two men from Cuddalore were arrested for murdering a 19-year-old youth at Thirupalaivanam near Ponneri and burying his body on Sathankuppam beach near Pulicat. The arrested men were identified as G Dinesh (23) and S Devarasu (18), both from Siruvathur village in Cuddalore.

The body was exhumed on Friday following their confession, police said. The deceased, Prashanth (19), was working as a tile layer along with his maternal uncle Ramesh in Cuddalore. He is the son of Ezhilarasi, a domestic help working at actor Radhika Sarathkumar’s house in Chennai.

On October 27, Prashanth informed his uncle that he was travelling to Chennai to meet his mother. The following day he went missing. Based on a complaint lodged by Ramesh, Cuddalore police registered a missing person case and launched an investigation.

During the probe, police found that Prashanth was in a relationship with Devarasu’s wife. During interrogation, the accused confessed to assaulting Prashanth to death at Thirupalaivanam before burying his body at Sathankuppam beach near Pulicat.

Following the confession, Cuddalore police, with the assistance of Thirupalaivanam police, exhumed the body on Friday. It was subsequently sent to the Ponneri GH for a postmortem examination.

Kancheepuram: Three, including school student, killed in accident

CHENNAI: Three people, including a school student, were killed and three other school students injured in two separate road accidents in Kancheepuram district on Wednesday night.

In the first incident, four school students — Sanjay (16), Joshua (15), Jaswanth (14) and Chandru (14) from Echur near Sriperumbudur — were travelling on a bike towards Panrutti near Sunguvarchatram on Wednesday night. 

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Rashly driven MTC bus kills woman on way to hospital near Puzhal

CHENNAI: A 49-year-old woman who was on her way to a hospital for a health check-up was killed in a road accident at Kathirvedu near Puzhal on Wednesday after a rashly driven MTC bus hit the two-wheeler she was travelling on.

The deceased woman was identified as K Savithri, a resident of Sholavaram. On Wednesday, Savithri, along with her husband, Kumar, were on their way to a hospital, police said.

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22-yr jail for kidnap, assault of minor

CHENNAI: The Tiruvallur Pocso court on Wednesday sentenced a 22-year-old man to 22 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2018. Police said that the incident occurred on Dec 28, 2018.

The accused, Peter (aged 21 at the time) lured a 13-year-old girl on the pretext of marrying her and sexually assaulted her. Based on a complaint from the victim’s mother, a case was registered at the All Women Police Station, and the accused was arrested and remanded. After investigation, a charge sheet was filed before the Pocso Court.

Retired Warden killed inside CSI school in Sivaganga

A woman was murdered by unidentified persons who allegedly broke into her house inside the premises of the CSI School in Manamadurai, Sivaganga district, on Thursday evening. Vasantha Mallika, wife of Easwaran, was killed, and the assailant snatched the jewellery she was wearing before fleeing the scene. The incident occurred while the school was functioning. The deceased had worked as a warden at the school. The incident came to light only after her husband found her dead upon his return home. Sivaganga Superintendent of Police Abhishek Gupta inspected the spot. Further probe is under way.

5-member armed gang robs car dealer of Rs 1 crore in Erode

A five-member armed gang robbed a used-car dealer of Rs one crore at knifepoint near Perundurai in Erode on Thursday.

The police said Arun Kumar (55) of Rajendra Prasad Street in Perundurai was engaged in the used-car business and was also overseeing the construction of a temple on a 55-cent plot on Kanjikovil Road through receiving donations.

The police said a businessman from Tirupur had donated Rs one crore towards the temple's construction. On learning about the cash, some unidentified persons contacted Arun Kumar over the phone and offered to give him Rs 1.15 crore through online transfer in exchange for Rs one crore in cash.

Tempted by the prospect of making an additional Rs 15 lakh, Arun agreed to the deal and asked them to come to Perundurai. “Arun Kumar was counting the cash using a currency-counting machine at a house on Kanjikovil Road when five men arrived armed with knives and iron pipes on Thursday. When he attempted to raise an alarm, the gang threatened to stab him to death. The assailants then fled with the Rs one crore kept in a suitcase,” the police said.

Following the robbery, Arun Kumar lodged a complaint with the Perundurai police, who registered a case and special teams have launched a search for the accused.

Theni jailbreak: Last four inmates nabbed, all 17 back in custody

The police on Wednesday recaptured four more inmates, bringing all 17 inmates who escaped from the Theni District Jail on Monday night after assaulting three prison staff back into custody. The inmates had pretended that one of them was suffering from an epileptic seizure to trap the guards and carry out their escape plan.

On Wednesday morning, around 100 police personnel intensified their search in the Amachiyapuram hills to trace four inmates: Rejin from Kanyakumari, and Tirupathi, Meenatchisundram and Ponmuthuselvam from Madurai.

The police team recaptured Rejin and Ponmuthuselvam from the hills. The other two, Tirupathi and Meenatchisundram, who are brothers, allegedly fled after learning that police had entered the area where they were hiding. They allegedly assaulted a motorist who was passing by on a motorcycle, seized his bike and escaped, a police source said.

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Trio snatches gold chain from home alone woman

An unidentified trio robbed a home alone woman of a 2.5-sovereign gold chain in Tiruchy on Wednesday after gaining entry into the house and locking it from inside.

The victim, a 41-year-old woman, lived alone in KK Nagar and works as a domestic helper. On Monday evening, while the woman was cooking, three unidentified persons had reportedly gained entry into the house and locked the doors from inside.

On seeing them, the woman raised an alarm, but one of them gagged her. They snatched her 2.5-sovereign gold chain and fled. She immediately ran out of the house, raising an alarm, but the trio had escaped. She lodged a complaint with the KK Nagar police, who registered a case and are searching for the culprits.

Thanjavur ganja peddler nabbed in Ariyalur

A notorious peddler from Thanjavur was arrested in Ariyalur while attempting to smuggle ganja from Odisha on Wednesday evening.

A police team led by Jayankondam inspector Balaji conducted a vehicle check following a tip-off and suspected a youth, who fled. After a chase, the man was caught and identified as R Shanmuga Ganapathi (29) of East Street, Thanjavur.

They found 6 kg of ganja concealed in his belongings and arrested him. Further probe revealed that the accused sold to regular customers in the neighbouring districts and procured the contraband from Odisha. He faces several pending cases in Thanjavur.

Two murdered in Otteri, Avadi

Two people were murdered in separate incidents in Chennai and Avadi on Tuesday night. In one incident in Otteri, an elderly man was beaten to death after an argument with a neighbour.

The deceased has been identified as S Ponnurangam (69), a resident of Rettaimalai Srinivasan Street in Otteri. Police said there was an existing enmity between Ponnurangam’s family and the family of his neighbour, Subramani.

A few days ago, Ponnurangam’s daughter-in-law was cleaning the entrance of their house when Subramani’s sons – Sathish (27) and Santhosh (25) – allegedly spat near the spot, which triggered an argument between the two families. On Tuesday night, an argument broke out between Ponnurangam’s son Kandhan and Sathish and Santhosh.

Hearing the commotion, Ponnurangam came out of the house and reprimanded the brothers after which they attacked him and pushed him to the ground. Ponnurangam was severely injured, and collapsed after which he was rescued and rushed him to the Kilpauk Government Medical College Hospital.

Doctors who examined him declared him brought dead. The Otteri police have registered a case and are searching for the duo, who fled after the incident.

In another incident in Thirumullaivoyal in Avadi city police limits, a 30-year-old man was hacked to death by his friend during a drinking session in the victim’s house on Tuesday night. The deceased was identified as Gokul.

Police said that Gokul and the accused, Rajesh (25) lived in the same neighbourhood and would argue often. On Tuesday, Rajesh made fun of Gokul, which had infuriated him and both of them argued and left.

The same night, the duo gathered again for a drink when Gokul questioned Rajesh about his comments and took a knife from the kitchen and attempted to attack him. Rajesh dodged the attacks, managed to retrieve the weapon from Gokul and stabbed him to death. On information, Thirumullaivoyal Police arrested Rajesh.

Man arrested for kidnap, murder of a Chennai woman

A 45-year-old man was arrested for kidnapping and murdering a woman from Aminjikarai and dumping her body in a farm well in Sirunagalur village near Melmaruvathur in Chengalpattu district.

Police said the murdered woman had failed to repay the loan which she had borrowed from him. The deceased was identified as Manimegalai (41), wife of Gurunathan, and a resident of Aminjikarai in Chennai.

Two days ago, the body of an unidentified woman with a slit throat was found in a private farm well in Sirunagalur village near Melmaruvathur. The Melmaruvathur police recovered the body and sent it to the Chengalpattu GH for a postmortem.

During the investigation, the police found that Manimegalai had borrowed money at interest from Jani Anbu Das (45), a resident of Egmore. He had allegedly threatened to kidnap her when she failed to repay the loan.

A special police team from Melmaruvathur detained Das for questioning. During interrogation, he confessed to kidnapping Manimegalai and murdering her by slitting her throat over the unpaid debt. Police said that the accused also allegedly removed the gold earrings and silver anklets worn by the woman, along with her mobile phone, before dumping her body in the farm well and escaping from the spot.

Following that, the Melmaruvathur police arrested Das for the murder, and he was remanded to judicial custody and sent to Puzhal prison.

Kanniyakumari: Four arrested for murdering panchayat staffer after he refused to steal lotuses from ponds

Four people, including Cyrus (32), have been arrested for allegedly murdering Kavin (27), a temporary electrician with the Alagappapuram Panchayat, after he refused to help them steal lotus flowers from local ponds, according to a Daily Thanthi report.

According to the police, Cyrus, a resident of Alagappapuram, had been illegally cultivating lotus flowers in ponds in the area. He allegedly asked Kavin, who hailed from Achankulam near Kottaram, to switch off the lights to facilitate the theft. Kavin’s refusal reportedly led to a dispute, following which Cyrus allegedly plotted to kill him.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Man hacked to death by friend following argument in Thoothukudi market

A man was allegedly hacked to death with an axe by his friend following an argument at a daily market in Tittangulam near Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district in the early hours of Tuesday (October 27).

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the deceased, identified as Kaliraj, was employed as a load lifter at a private daily market in the area. According to the available information, Kaliraj and his friends were talking at the market premises when a light-hearted exchange of jokes and teasing reportedly escalated into an argument. One of his friends, identified as Ayodhya, allegedly attacked him with an axe, killing him on the spot.

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Newborn rescued from pvt clinic toilet succumbs, cops mull altering case to murder

A newborn girl rescued from a private clinic's toilet succumbed on Tuesday. Police are contemplating altering the case based on postmortem findings.

A 19-year-old girl who was in a relationship with a lorry driver went to a private clinic on October 24 after experiencing labour pains. Despite her parents' knowledge of her pregnancy, she went alone.

She told the clinic staff that she had diarrhoea and locked herself in the toilet for nearly two hours. When the staff checked in on her, they found she had given birth there and shifted both of them to Government Stanley Hospital.

The girl is undergoing treatment; however, the newborn succumbed and was taken for autopsy. The reports indicated injuries, following which officials are considering altering the case to murder. The girl has not been arrested yet. The lorry driver has married another woman. Further probe is ongoing.

Woman arrested for allegedly setting husband on fire after domestic quarrel in Virudhunagar

VIRUDHUNAGAR: A 35-year-old construction worker, Shankar Guru, died after his wife, Sankareswari, allegedly poured kerosene on him and set him on fire following a domestic quarrel at their house in VVR Colony in Allampatti, Virudhunagar, in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to police, Shankar Guru frequently returned home intoxicated and quarrelled with his wife. The couple had divorced in 2022 but later reunited and resumed living together.

On Monday night, Shankar Guru returned home after consuming alcohol and picked up a quarrel with Sankareswari in the early hours of Tuesday. In a fit of anger, Sankareswari allegedly poured kerosene on her husband and set him on fire, said the police source. She subsequently surrendered at the nearby Virudhunagar East police station.

The police recovered Shankar Guru's body and sent it to the Virudhunagar Government Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Virudhunagar SP Gautham Goyal conducted an inquiry.

History sheeter hacked to death in Indira Nagar

Chennai: A 22-year-old history sheeter was murdered in broad daylight in Adyar's Indira Nagar on Tuesday. The police identified the victim as Maithreyan, originally from Mylapore and currently residing in Tiruvanmiyur.

According to officials, Maithreyan was listed as a C-category history sheeter with multiple criminal cases. Last week, he had secured bail in a case with a condition to report at Mylapore police station every day. Around 11 am on Tuesday, he was returning from the station in his autorickshaw when he was intercepted by a gang.

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Missing 7-year-old found dead in Madurai's abandoned house

A seven-year-old boy who went missing while playing near his house at Thaniyamangalam near Melur in Madurai district yesterday was found dead in an abandoned house nearby on Monday.

The deceased, Muthuchelvan, a Class 3 student, had left home around 11 am on Sunday to play and did not return. His relatives and villagers searched for him with police assistance. Police recovered the body and sent it to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai for a post-mortem examination. Senior police officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.

College student killed in clash over wastewater

A 20-year-old college student was hacked to death on Sunday night following a clash between two families over wastewater flowing in front of their houses at Alwarkarkulam near Srivaikuntam in Thoothukudi district.

The deceased, Isakkiraja, son of Mariappan, was a second-year student at an arts and science college near Srivaikuntam. The families of Mariappan and Sundararajan had reportedly been at loggerheads for a long time over the issue, the police said.

During an argument on Sunday night, both parties took to weapons and Isakkiraja was killed during the clash. The police have booked over 10 people in the issue.

Man held after pregnant wife dies by suicide in Otteri

Police have arrested a man on charges of abetment to suicide after the death of his pregnant wife in Otteri. The arrested man was identified as Santhosh (29), who worked in a mobile phone accessories shop.

Santhosh had married Kokila (26) on March 6 this year after being in a relationship with her. The couple lived in a rented house in Pudhu Vazhai Nagar.

Police said differences had developed between them within months of their marriage and the duo had frequent arguments. The couple had an argument on Saturday too after which Santhosh left the house. Kokila had video-called Santhosh on Saturday night and threatened to kill herself.

When Santhosh reached the house, he found her unconscious and rushed her to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. Doctors declared her brought dead after which Otteri Police rescued her and sent the body for a postmortem. 

Meanwhile, Kokila’s family filed a complaint alleging that she had been subjected to dowry harassment by Santhosh’s family and protested demanding his arrest.

After investigations, police arrested Santhosh. As the couple had been married for less than a year, the police have recommended an RDO inquiry.

Man held for sexual assault of toddler in Ennore

Avadi City Police on Monday arrested a 32-year-old man for sexually assaulting a two-and-half-year-old girl child in Ennore. The arrested person was identified as D Ranjithkumar, a fisherman, a neighbour of the victim.

Police said that he was separated from his wife and lives alone, and that he had lured the child to his house twice last week and had sexually abused her.

The child’s parents, who noticed injuries on her body, took her to the Institute of Child Health in Egmore. The incident came to light on October 23, when doctors examining the child suspected sexual abuse and alerted the authorities. 

Based on the information received from the hospital and a complaint filed by the child’s mother, the Ennore All Women Police Station registered a case and launched an investigation on the same day. After investigations, Police arrested the accused under the Pocso Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences).

The child is undergoing treatment. The accused was produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. 

Techie flees after running over sleeping senior citizen in Chengalpattu; nabbed

An elderly man was killed after a techie who was reversing his car from a marriage hall reportedly ran over him, unmindful of the man sleeping on the roadside in Chengalpattu on Saturday.

Visuals showed the victim's friend sitting beside the body, holding an umbrella over it to protect it from the rain while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

The deceased was identified as Kumar (77), who lived in a thatched hut in the neighbourhood. According to local residents, Kumar was sleeping along the roadside when a car reversing from a nearby marriage hall ran over him, killing him on the spot.

Police sources said the techie, who was behind the wheel, got down to check on the man but drove off upon seeing a mob gathering at the scene, as his wife and child were inside the vehicle.

The elderly man was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Meanwhile, the Chengalpattu police traced the car using CCTV footage and arrested the driver, G Saravanan (43), an employee with a private IT firm.

Bizman held under Pocso in Tirunelveli

A 52-year-old real estate businessman was arrested under the Pocso Act at Panagudi in Tirunelveli district for allegedly sexually harassing a six-year-old girl on Sunday.

According to police the accused was found committing the sexual offence after examining the CCTV footage. The accused was sitting in front of a church in the area on the night of October 23 when the girl walked alone on the road, said the police, adding that he allegedly called her over and sexually abused her.

The girl went home crying and told her parents, who lodged a complaint. The police registered a case under the Pocso Act and arrested him.

Special Sub-Inspector transferred to Armed Reserve on bribe charges

Tirunelveli District Superintendent of Police Viswesh Sastri on Saturday transferred a Special Sub-Inspector attached to the Seethaparpanallur police station to the Armed Reserve following a complaint that he accepted a bribe in a sand smuggling case.

According to the police, Special Sub-Inspector Muthupandi (54) is alleged to have received Rs 5,000 from the owner of a lorry linked to a sand smuggling case under investigation.

The money was reportedly transferred through his wife's GPay account.

Guest worker killed over card game in Chennai

A 26-year-old guest worker from Nepal was murdered after an argument during a card game in Perungudi on Saturday. Thoraipakkam police have registered a murder case and launched a search for the absconding suspect.

The victim has been identified as Ganeshkumar, who had been employed at a metal fabrication unit in Perungudi and was staying with his brother-in-law Umesh. The police said the suspect, Saurav (25), also a Nepali national, was working at a private eatery. Ganeshkumar and Umesh had gone to Saurav's house on Friday night. During a card game, a heated exchange between Ganeshkumar and Saurav turned into a physical confrontation. Saurav attacked Ganeshkumar with a knife.

Chennai: Woman dies after pushed to floor while rescuing son

A 62-year-old woman died after she was pushed to the floor while trying to rescue her son, who was being attacked by a group of men during a family dispute in Perungalathur. The deceased, Naseema Bee (62), was the mother of Vasivudeen (43), a resident of Kamarajar Street in Perungalathur.

Vasivudeen lives with his wife, Naseema (40). Police said an argument broke out between Vasivudeen and his wife on Wednesday.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Kancheepuram silk showroom owners arrested in Rs 20 crore fraud case

Two owners of a popular silk saree showroom in Kancheepuram have been arrested by the Kancheepuram District Crime Branch police in connection with an alleged Rs 20 crore fraud involving wholesale saree suppliers from Rajasthan, Chennai and Salem.

Krishnamoorthy (52) and Sathish (50), both residents of George Town in Chennai, jointly operated Murugan and Kalikambal Silks, located near Rangasamy Kulam in Kancheepuram.

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Sathankulam man kills teen lover’s mother for opposing relationship

A 23-year-old man launched a sickle attack on a couple in their house, killing the woman and injuring the man and their minor son, and kidnapped her two minor daughters, at Mudalur near Sathankulam early on Friday. The girls were rescued shortly and the man, Gnanaprakash of Anandapuram, was apprehended by the Thoothukudi police after the girls shared their live location with them via WhatsApp.

The father Muthukrishnan (50) and son Pleasant Raja (12) sustained grievous injuries and are in the intensive care unit of the Government Super Specialty Hospital in Tirunelveli. Muthukrishnan’s condition is said to be critical.

2 lorry drivers confess to murder of coworker in Tiruvallur

Two lorry drivers allegedly confessed to murdering their colleague following a drunken quarrel and burying his body in an isolated spot near Alamathi in Tiruvallur district, police said. The police are scheduled to exhume the remains on Saturday in the presence of a Tahsildar.

The deceased, M Gokul (27), a native of Kanniyakumari district, worked as a lorry driver for a private transport company in Alamathi. His younger brother, Rahul, lodged a complaint with Sholavaram police stating that Gokul had been missing since October 7.

Following the complaint, police registered a case and launched an investigation. They examined CCTV footage from the Alamathi area and identified two suspects, Ayyappan (18), and Sathish (33), who worked as lorry drivers.

READ FULL STORY HERE

According to the tender document, around 60,000 beneficiaries are expected to receive assistance under the scheme during the current financial year. The tender process is scheduled to be finalised on December 8.

The government plans to procure 60,000 gold coins weighing eight grams each, along with silk sarees, from reputed companies. The tender conditions stipulate that participating companies should have at least three years of experience in the gold jewellery business. Each gold coin must carry a BIS hallmark and a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number.

Under the scheme, women belonging to families with an annual income of up to Rs 2.5 lakh are eligible for assistance. The marriage should be conducted in Tamil Nadu to be eligible for the benefits of the scheme. Each eligible bride will receive an eight-gram, 22-carat gold coin and a silk saree as part of the marriage assistance. The purchase price of the gold coins will be determined based on the rate fixed by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA).

The government last month sanctioned Rs 812 crore as the first instalment for implementing the scheme from the current financial year's budget

The government last month sanctioned Rs 812 crore as the first instalment for implementing the scheme from the current financial year's budget. According to the order, the procurement of gold coins will be carried out in accordance with the Tamil Nadu Transparency in Tenders Act.

The tender marks the commencement of the procurement process for distributing the marriage assistance to eligible beneficiaries during the financial year.

The hospital's joint replacement surgery department, which began functioning in 2021 under the leadership of orthopaedic specialist Dr Vernon Lee, offers surgeries at affordable costs. While patients undergoing conventional joint replacement procedures generally take around three months to recover, patients at Naruvi are able to recover within two months, the hospital said.

The hospital has also introduced robot-assisted joint replacement surgery using the US-made CORI surgical robot. This technology has helped reduce recovery time to around one month while significantly reducing post-surgical pain, the hospital said.

Patients from several districts in the state, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and from foreign countries, including the US, Australia, Bangladesh and West Asian countries, have also undergone treatment there.

Naruvi Hospitals provides treatment for a range of conditions, including cardiac and pulmonary diseases, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders and neurological conditions. It is also authorised to perform organ transplantation procedures involving the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, bone marrow and small intestine.

The hospital management said it would soon establish a bone marrow transplant centre to treat blood cancer patients and an assisted reproductive technology (ART) centre to help couples facing infertility.

At an event held on Wednesday, hospital chairman GV Sampath honoured Dr Vernon Lee for leading the department that achieved the milestone. Deputy chairman Anitha Sampath, executive director Dr Paul Henry, head of medical services Dr Aravindan Nair, medical superintendent Dr Jacob Jose, chief operating officer Dr Vikram and general manager Nithin Sampath were among those present.

Officials said 11 premises in the two states were covered by the Kochi office of the central agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

It is alleged that Premkumar misused his influence to divert crores of rupees that the society collected from public depositors to the accounts of his wife and relatives for personal use. The ED claimed he pledged the society's Ragam Theatre without the money reaching the society and acquired about 500 acres at Kancheepuram in his wife's name.

Meanwhile, after coming under the radar of the Kerala police and the Enforcement Directorate, the society claimed that it has been providing appropriate profits to all their members and deposits for the last 20 years.

Terming Premkumar’s arrest by the Kerala police on October 29 as illegal, citing a magistrate order, the group accused the police of planning to register further false cases. "Active efforts are under way to cause damage to the reputation of BLM and its founder," it said in an official statement.

In the statement, BLM added that the annual reports and accounts of the institution were properly audited and approved at the annual general body meeting and filed with the Central Register, Central Multi State Co-operative Society.

A division bench of Justices P Velmurugan and KK Ramakrishnan issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by A Radhakrishnan, a trustee of the Thiruthondar Sabai.

Radhakrishnan alleged that he found an on-duty sub-inspector smoking a cigarette at the checkpoint in the southeastern part of the temple on October 16. He told the officer not to smoke in a sacred place and that he was someone meant to act against such habits and enforce law and order.

The sub-inspector continued smoking anyway and the petitioner filed a complaint at the Meenakshi Amman temple police station and the office of the City Police Commissioner seeking action against the officer. However, no action was taken, and Radhakrishnan approached the court to register a criminal case and impose a fine on the officer, as was the rule for any civilian.

During the petition's hearing, the public prosecutor informed the bench that a charge memo was issued to the officer.

The judges observed that it was unacceptable for the police, who are meant to uphold the law, to engage in such conduct. They asked whether any circular had been issued instructing police personnel not to do so in future, how much fine had been imposed on the officer and whether it had been collected, and whether any departmental action had been taken.

The public prosecutor said appropriate action would be taken. The judges refused to accept this, directed the Commissioner to appear in person and explain, and adjourned the hearing to the 12th.

A division bench of Justices P Velmurugan and KK Ramakrishnan passed the interim order on a petition filed by Radhakrishnan, a trustee of Thiruthondargal Trust, seeking to quash the government order that lifted the ban on registration of the temple lands.

Radhakrishnan submitted that valuable properties belonging to several prominent temples in Karur district, including Balasubramanya Swamy temple, Kalyana Pasupatheeswarar temple and Raveeshwarar temple, were spread across 15 villages. Pattas had been issued in the names of 3,390 individuals in respect of these lands. Registration of documents relating to the properties had earlier been prohibited, the petitioner said.

However, the government recently issued an order lifting the ban on registration of around 3,085 acres of temple land. He contended that this could pave the way for the transfer of pattas and sought to quash the government order and restrain registration of the properties.

The Court gave an opportunity to the government and other parties to file their counter-affidavit, passed an interim order and adjourned the case.

The move comes amid protests by Tasmac employees over the additional workload involved in collecting, verifying and storing returned bottles. The reverse vending machines (RVMs), which have already been introduced on a pilot basis at select outlets in Chennai, will be rolled out across the State in phases. Once implemented, consumers will be able to return eligible bottles at authorised collection points and receive Rs 10 through digital payments, without having to visit the outlet where they purchased the liquor.

According to Government Order No 63 issued by the Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, the system operator will be responsible for arranging manpower, operating the machines, collecting and storing bottles, and transporting them for further processing or disposal.

The order explicitly excludes Tasmac retail shop employees from collecting, counting, verifying, handling, and temporarily storing empty bottles, as well as processing cash refunds. They will also not be required to maintain manual accounts for these transactions. The operator must make its own arrangements for manpower and operations without transferring these responsibilities to shop personnel.

The transition will be carried out region-wise, with the existing arrangements continuing until the new system is commissioned. During the interim period, arrangements must, to the extent operationally feasible, avoid involving retail staff in manual refunds, handling and storage, except for supervision.

As part of the transition, existing region-wise contracts for collecting and disposing of empty liquor bottles, awarded for the period from August 2025 to July 2028, will be pre-closed or terminated in accordance with the applicable contractual provisions.

The members, led by the state general secretary, Sami Natarajan, converged in front of the Tiruvarur district collectorate and staged a protest against the state government, alleging harassment by agriculture department officials. The protestors highlighted the hurdles they face during the process of insuring their crops, as officials mandate identity cards.

Pointing out that farmers who applied for identity cards provided by the union government have been waiting for several months, the farmers said the deadline to apply for crop insurance would end soon.

The protesting members demanded that the Tamil Nadu government issue explicit directives to agricultural officials, instructing them to immediately stop forcing farmers to produce specialised identity cards.

Instead, the association urged that farmers should be permitted to use their Aadhaar card as a standardised, universally accessible document to claim all agricultural benefits and subsidised fertilisers. They raised slogans against the government, highlighting how their livelihood has been hit.

“They said, ‘Take Rs 15 crore now, and when a no-confidence vote is brought, we will offer the Rs 15 crore then,’” he claimed. The MLA said he had informed the party leadership.

Separately, senior TVK leader and Minister R Nirmalkumar accused the opposition DMK and the AIADMK of attempting to poach the ruling party legislators ahead of the upcoming bypolls.

Addressing reporters in Madurai, he said the two Dravidian parties had thousands of crores to spend, and alleged that offers ranging from Rs 60 crore to Rs 70 crore were being made to MLA. Hawala money trails linked to these operations were already surfacing in Bengaluru, he alleged.

The AIADMK rejected the allegations, dismissing the charge as “baseless” and warning ministers and legislators of legal action if they continued to make “irresponsible statements”.

Former minister and senior AIADMK leader RB Udhayakumar said Nirmalkumar and TVK legislators must immediately stop dragging the AIADMK’s name into the issue to divert attention from their own corruption. He described the minister’s charge that the DMK and AIADMK were conspiring to topple the TVK government as baseless and politically motivated. Mustafa, he said, was “making up stories”.

He also alleged that the minister had signed agreements to purchase electricity at Rs 37 and Rs 41.50 per unit, while the Kerala government bought power at Rs 12.50 per unit.

Instead of indulging in “political drama” through baseless allegations, ministers and legislators should focus on resolving people’s problems, Udhayakumar said. The AIADMK, founded to fight corruption, knows how to meet the people democratically and come to power, and has no need to seek political gains through backdoor methods, he added.

The state government conveyed its position during a meeting between the High-Powered Task Force on Examination Reforms, headed by Nandan Nilekani, and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat.

During the meeting, the state government reiterated that NEET and similar examinations should be abolished for admission to medical and other higher education courses.

The government also pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution on August 11, 2026, opposing NEET.

The government maintained that admissions should instead be based on marks obtained by students in the Class 12 examinations, reiterating its stand against common entrance tests for higher education admissions.

The two months before, the Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Union government to do away with the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical courses, citing repeated irregularities in the conduct of the examination, proliferation of coaching centres, and loss of lives.

Udhayanidhi described it as a government that was doing nothing despite being in power. "The government is like an onion. When you peel it layer by layer, there is nothing inside," he said. He alleged that the government had purchased 450 tonnes of onions from NAFED without conducting any proper inspection. The onions, procured from Maharashtra, were allegedly found to be rotten and left without being unloaded at Korukkupet railway station.

Udhayanidhi further alleged that the onions had been covered up without being unloaded, while the Chief Minister is busy in constituencies where by-elections were due instead of addressing the issue.

Questioning the government over the procurement, he asked who had ordered the purchase of the onions and who was responsible for covering up the rotten stock.

He also questioned whether the Chief Minister had answers to these issues and demanded accountability from the government over the alleged irregularities.

“Fortunately, 99.75 per cent of the work on Periyar Arivulagam had been completed during the DMK regime. Had it been left halfway, it would not have been surprising if the present government had shut it down,” he told reporters during a visit to the facility.

Stalin also expressed hope that other library projects initiated by the DMK government would be completed and opened to the public. He referred to the ongoing works on libraries named after freedom fighter Quaid-e-Millath in Tirunelveli and former Chief Minister K Kamaraj in Tiruchy.

Highlighting the DMK's initiatives to create landmark public libraries, he recalled the establishment of the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai during the tenure of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and the Kalaignar Centenary Library in Madurai.

Accompanied by Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani, Stalin toured various sections of Periyar Arivulagam and urged youngsters and students to learn about social reformer Periyar's ideals and the principles of the Dravidian movement. "Youth should understand the Dravidian movement, Periyar's thoughts and his vision for society, and broaden their knowledge," he said.

The Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) has constructed 304 housing Units at Arumbakkam, 216 units at Ashok Nagar, 16 Units at Besant Nagar, 80 Units at Padikuppam and 24 units at Nungambakkam.

The newly constructed housing units are equipped with basic amenities, including lifts, fire alarms, CCTV surveillance systems and solar power facilities.

Under the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board, the Chief Minister also inaugurated 125 housing units at Kulantha Goundanur in Karur district. In another programme, Vijay inaugurated new police station buildings at five locations, including Kothaval Chavadi and Medavakkam in the city.

He also inaugurated two new industrial estates at Perundurai in Erode and Nayanoor village in Villupuram. The two industrial estates are expected to generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for 2,550 people.

Further, he inaugurated a Common Facility Centre for coir clusters at Mudalipalayam in Tirupur, which is expected to provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to 500 people.

In a separate event, Vijay distributed sanction orders to farmers under the special incentive scheme providing Rs 709.50 per tonne of sugarcane. With an allocation of Rs 603.33 crore, around 85,000 sugarcane farmers are expected to benefit under the scheme.

Perarivalan, who was convicted by the designated TADA Court and initially sentenced to death in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, had his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment on February 18, 2014, before he was released by the Supreme Court on May 18, 2022, using its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution.

According to Perarivalan, he had applied for a fresh passport under the normal scheme on May 6, 2024. Though he attended the appointment at the Passport Seva Kendra in Tambaram on October 21, 2024, his application was kept on hold pending police verification.

He also submitted a representation on September 1, seeking its speedy disposal, but no action was taken. Finally, after waiting for two years to get his passport application processed despite completing all necessary formalities, Perarivalan filed a petition before the Madras High Court.

In his plea, he contended that the delay was causing him hardship and affecting his plans to travel abroad for higher studies.

After hearing the petition, Justice PT Asha held that since Perarivalan had been set at liberty by the Supreme Court, the passport authority's reluctance to process his application on the ground that it was awaiting the police report was unjustified. The court also held that the counter affidavit filed by the inspector of Jolarpettai police station in Tirupattur district could be treated as the police verification report, as it contained details of Perarivalan's mother and siblings.

The court observed that Perarivalan's sentence had been modified by setting him at liberty and issued a writ of mandamus directing the Passport Seva Kendra, Tambaram, to dispose of his passport application by treating the counter affidavit filed by the Jolarpettai station inspector as the police verification report.

The court directed the authorities to complete the exercise within four weeks and disposed of the writ petition.

Since he was released by the Supreme Court after spending three decades in prison, most part of it as a death row convict, Perarivalan joined LLB course in Dr BR Ambedkar Law College, Bengaluru, under the Karnataka Law University, and completed the course in 2025. He also cleared the All India Bar Examination the same year. In April, he had enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

BJP councillor Uma Anandan withdrew her complaint citing his public apology and assurance that he would not repeat such remarks, and the need to maintain communal harmony.

She filed a petition along with an affidavit seeking to withdraw the complaint, stating that the accused had publicly apologised for his remarks on Saivism and Vaishnavism and assured her that he would not make such remarks in the future.

She also stated that the accused had personally expressed regret and sought her forgiveness. Citing the need to maintain communal harmony, as well as the accused's age and health condition, she decided to withdraw the case voluntarily, without any pressure or compromise. She expressed no objection to the dismissal of the case or the acquittal of the accused.

After hearing the matter, judge C Sundarapandian, VII Metropolitan Magistrate (FAC), George Town, observed that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges under BNS sections 196 (1) (a), 299 and 302 beyond reasonable doubt. The court acquitted the accused under Section 271 (i) of the BNSS, as the complainant withdrew the complaint and did not wish to pursue the case further.

The case arose from controversial remarks allegedly made by Ponmudy on Vaishnavism, Saivism and women during an event in Chennai in April 2025. The Madras High Court had earlier directed the State to register an FIR and subsequently initiated suo motu proceedings after no FIR was registered, observing that the speech prima facie amounted to hate speech.

The suo motu proceedings were later closed after the State government informed the High Court that the complaints had been investigated and closed for want of material. However, the court granted liberty to the complainants to approach the jurisdictional Metropolitan Magistrate.

Pursuant to the liberty granted by the High Court, BJP Chennai City Councillor Uma Anandan filed a private complaint before the Metropolitan Magistrate under Sections 196 (1) (a), 299 and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

In a statement, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) said that the restrictions, imposed in 2018 following a Supreme Court order, would continue this year.

The State government has advised people to burst crackers only in designated open spaces and encouraged residents’ welfare associations to organise community celebrations with prior permission from local authorities. It has also urged the public to avoid loud crackers and continuous-fire crackers, and refrain from bursting fireworks near hospitals, places of worship, silence zones and fire-prone areas.

The TNPCB will conduct awareness campaigns through schools, colleges, National Green Corps units and voluntary organisations in coordination with district administrations and local bodies.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul Pancholi issued notice on the appeal filed by Dikshitars (trustee and priest) challenging the high court's October 30 judgment.

"Having heard the counsel appearing for the parties, we are of the considered view, the impugned judgment deserves to be stayed," the bench said.

The high court had held that under the management of hereditary priests 'Podhu Dikshitars', there was maladministration of the ancient Lord Nataraja temple in Chidambaram and constituted a board of management to rectify the malady in the administration of the temple.

The high court had flagged non-religious commercial activities, thereby converting the temple premises into a "food court" and failure to preserve the properties of the temple as among the factors that warrant judicial interference to rectify the evil of maladministration.

It had said that a transparent administration which can eradicate the prevailing maladministration is necessary.

"That apart, immediate steps are required to retrieve the temple assets. Hence, the way forward to rectify the malady in the administration of the temple, which is revered by all Hindus, is a transparent administration which can eradicate the prevailing maladministration.

"Therefore, we constitute a board of management consisting of domain experts, who will take over the administration, till the ill is cured," the high court had said.

"Retired Madras High Court judges, Justices V Bharathidasan and R Suresh Kumar shall be the chairman and co-chairman respectively. Retired IAS officer C Rajendran would be the member and secretary of Podhu Dikshitars, Sri Sabanayagar Temple, Chidambaram and secretary to the state government, HR and CE Department shall be the ex-officio members," it had said.

In respect of daily rituals and festivals, it is the exclusive prerogative of the Podhu Dikshitars and the same to be conducted without violating the established customs and practices.

Any investments like fixed deposits and other income of the temple so far handled by the Podhu Dikshitars shall continue to be with them as usual, it had added.

However, the secretary of the Podhu Dikshitars has to ensure that a copy of the accounts is regularly submitted to the board of management by the 5th of every English calendar month, the high court said.

Any donations to the temple must be through a single window e-payment made into the account mentioned by the board of management.

The Tambaram–Manamadurai Unreserved MEMU special will leave Tambaram at 5.30 pm on November 6, and reach Manamadurai at 3.45 am, the next day. Its return service will depart Manamadurai at 6.30 am on Saturday and arrive at Tambaram at 3.45 pm the same day.

The second pair will leave Tambaram at 4.35 pm on November 7 and reach Manamadurai at 1.45 am on November 8. They return from Manamadurai at 10 pm on Monday and arrive at Tambaram at 8.30 am on Tuesday, November 10. The stoppages include Chengalpattu, Melmaruvathur, Villupuram, Vriddhachalam, Ariyalur, Srirangam, Tiruchy, Manapparai, Dindigul, Sholavandan, Madurai and Tiruppuvanam.

The SR will also operate four one-way unreserved MEMU special services between Chennai and Tiruchy, with one train from Egmore on November 6 and another on November 7. The first return service will run from Tiruchy to Tambaram on November 7, while the other will leave Tiruchy for Egmore on November 9.

The Egmore–Tiruchy services will depart at 6.30 pm on November 6 pm and 7 pm on November 7, reaching Tiruchy at 4.45 am the following day. The return service to Tambaram will leave Tiruchy at 5.50 am on November 7 and arrive at 11.30 am. The service to Egmore will depart Tiruchy at 10.45 pm on November 9 and reach Egmore at 6.50 am on November 10.

Trains will stop at Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Melmaruvathur and Villupuram. The route beyond Villupuram will include Panruti, Tirupadiripuliyur, Parangipettai, Chidambaram, Sirkazhi, Vaitheeswaran Koil, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Papanasam, Thanjavur and Tiruverumbur before reaching Tiruchy. The return service terminating at Tambaram will stop at Srirangam, Ariyalur and Vriddhachalam, in addition to Villupuram, Melmaruvathur and Chengalpattu.

Meanwhile, Tambaram–Tirunelveli Express Special will leave Tambaram at 7.30 pm on November 6 (tomorrow), and reach Tirunelveli at 9.20 am on November 7. Its return service will leave Tirunelveli at 7 pm on November 9, and arrive at Tambaram at 9 am on the next day, Tuesday.

It will stop at Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Vriddhachalam, Ariyalur, Srirangam, Tiruchy, Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, Devakottai Road, Sivaganga, Manamadurai, Aruppukkottai, Virudhunagar, Sivakasi, Srivilliputtur, Rajapalayam, Sankarankovil, Pambakoil Shandy, Kadayanallur, Tenkasi, Pavurchatram, Keezha Kadaiyam, Ambasamudram, Kallidaikurichi and Cheranmahadevi.

Transport Minister A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban announced the arrangements on Wednesday after chairing a review meeting with officials of the transport department and other agencies. The regular services will include 6,573 buses, in addition to the special services.

The government has also planned to operate 11,197 buses over two days, November 9 and 10, for the return journey to Chennai. These will comprise 4,382 regular buses and 6,815 special buses.

To streamline operations, buses will be operated from five locations in and around Chennai. The Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) at Kilambakkam will handle services to Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Tiruchy, Madurai, Thoothukudi, Sengottai, Tirunelveli, Salem and Coimbatore.

Buses to Vandavasi, Polur and Tiruvannamalai will operate from an open ground near the CMDA Climate Park at Kilambakkam. A temporary bus terminus at Maraimalai Nagar will handle services to Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam.

Buses to ECR, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Bengaluru and Tiruttani will operate from the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) at Koyambedu. Madhavaram bus terminus will handle services to Ponneri and Uthukottai towards Andhra Pradesh, besides regular services to Tiruchy, Salem, Kumbakonam and Tiruvannamalai.

Meanwhile, motorists heading to their native places have been advised to avoid the Tambaram-Perungalathur stretch to escape congestion. They have been asked to use either the OMR-Kelambakkam-Tiruporur-Chengalpattu route or the Vandalur Outer Ring Road-Kelambakkam-Tiruporur-Chengalpattu route.

Fourteen reservation counters will function at three locations: 10 at KCBT, two at Koyambedu and two at the temporary bus terminus in Maraimalai Nagar. Passengers can also book tickets through the TNSTC mobile application and its website, www.tnstc.in. Direct buses will be operated from 16 locations across Chennai for passengers who have booked tickets.

The transport department has established a 24x7 control room to address passenger grievances and provide information on government bus services. A round-the-clock control room has also been established at KCBT. Information centres, electronic display boards and public address systems will be provided at bus terminals to guide passengers on bus routes, departure timings and platforms.

Additional CCTV cameras will be installed at bus terminals, with officials from the police, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and transport department monitoring passenger movement. Temporary mobile communication towers will also be set up to ensure uninterrupted connectivity amid the rush.

The government has requested the Railways to operate additional suburban electric trains and special trains to Coimbatore, southern districts and the Cauvery delta region. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) will operate free connecting buses between KCBT and the temporary bus terminus at Maraimalai Nagar. Adequate connecting services will also operate round the clock between Koyambedu and KCBT.

Separately, the minister held a meeting with omni bus operators and instructed them not to collect fares in excess of the prescribed rates. Operators were also advised on the locations from which their services should operate in Chennai. The minister warned that strict action would be taken against those violating the instructions.

For complaints, call 94450 14436, toll-free number 149, or 1800 425 6151, and/or WhatsApp number 93848 08333

FOR PRE-BOOKED TICKETS

To reduce traffic bottlenecks at the Kilambakkam terminus, Transport department has introduced 16 boarding points across Chennai for passengers who have pre-booked tickets through the official app.

The points are located at Tiruvanmiyur, Avadi, Tambaram, Tiruvottiyur, Siruseri, Adyar, Broadway, Egmore, Ambattur, Taramani, Island Grounds, Guindy, Velachery, Ashok Pillar, Poonamallee and Saidapet.

Speaking at a public meeting in Thiruvarur on Tuesday, the legislator stated that the fundamental duty of TASMAC employees is to sell liquor, and they should not be burdened with extra work.

He noted that the additional task of collecting empty bottles, implemented following a court directive, has subjected the workers to immense hardship.

Highlighting the practical challenges of this additional duty, Balaji explained that workers face severe safety threats when receiving bottles from intoxicated individuals, adding that bottles have even been used as weapons in the past. He also pointed out the acute lack of storage space for empty bottles in smaller outlets, particularly in corporations like Chennai.

According to Balaji, the employees protested based on these legitimate, practical concerns and later rejoined duty after the government allegedly offered oral assurances that bar owners would handle the bottles.

"Issuing suspension orders to many, who withdrew the protest and returned to work, causes immense distress and has subjected them to great hardship," Balaji said, drawing the state government's attention to the workers' plight.

Balaji urged the government to completely relieve TASMAC staff from the responsibility of collecting empty bottles. To resolve the crisis, he suggested that the government appoint private contractors or establish separate counters at bars specifically for bottle collection.

Furthermore, reiterating the VCK's core demand for a liquor-free Tamil Nadu, Balaji stated that as liquor shops are gradually closed down in the state, the government must protect the livelihoods of TASMAC workers. He demanded that these employees, who have contributed significantly to the state's revenue for years, be provided with alternative employment in government service.

Asserting that the TVK MLAs will not be bought or compromised, he alleged that the rival parties are leveraging thousands of crores of rupees to fund these alleged horse-trading attempts.

"Because they have thousands and lakhs of crores of money with each of them, they are attempting this," the minister charged.

He further added, "None of our MLAs will take money and move anywhere."

He claimed that offers ranging from Rs 60 crore to Rs 70 crore were being made to legislators, with alleged illicit hawala money trails linked to these operations already surfacing in Bengaluru.

"Hawala money is getting caught in Bengaluru. It is not known why they supplied money from Bengaluru. Investigation is going on," Kumar said.

Dismissing recent political developments, including TTV Dhinakaran's meeting with the Governor to reportedly push for a no-confidence motion in the Assembly against the TVK government, he alleged that the BJP, DMK and AIADMK are covertly working together.

Expressing absolute confidence in the party's electoral prospects, the minister stated that TVK is poised to secure a 100 per cent victory in all forthcoming polls, including scheduled by-elections, propelled by overwhelming public support.

"Let them do whatever they want. But 100 per cent of the people have firmly decided that not just for today or now, but for another 20, 30 years, this government only should remain. And they have decided that (C Joseph) Vijay alone should be the Chief Minister. There is no second opinion on that," the minister stated.

Highlighting ongoing administrative reforms, Nirmal Kumar alleged that government postings were routinely sold during previous regimes, citing instances where Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh was allegedly paid for jobs in the Forest department. He said that evidence has been gathered, cases registered, and investigation was actively progressing to ensure that appointments are now strictly merit-based.

The minister added that comprehensive streamlining is taking place across multiple government sectors, including the minerals department, Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), and registration offices, resulting in a significant crackdown on bribery and sand smuggling. He also mentioned that while government schemes are being reviewed; initiatives that fail to resonate with the public may be shut down or renamed for better clarity.

Addressing the deeply entrenched issues within state-run liquor retailer TASMAC, he acknowledged the long-standing problem of consumers being illegally overcharged by Rs 10 per bottle. He noted that this corrupt system has been in place since 2003, generating massive illicit revenues daily. While efforts to dismantle it are facing severe internal resistance, the government is committed to overhauling the 23-year-old system, he said

On public grievances regarding power cuts, he said that strict circulars have been issued to electricity substations prohibiting unannounced power shutdowns for unnecessary reasons without proper log entries, warning of strict action against violators.

Regarding requests for private power purchases by MSMEs, the power minister clarified that approvals depend entirely on the existing transmission line capabilities.

The court was hearing petitions filed by V Nagalingam, a police personnel who was facing departmental proceedings. He challenged the order directing an oral inquiry, the subsequent finding that the charges against him were proved, and sought directions for the settlement of his retirement benefits.

The charge against him was that he had submitted representations to the office of the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Chief Minister’s Special Cell seeking permission to form a police association. The Government submitted that the inquiry proceedings remained pending without culminating in a final order.

After hearing the petitions, Justice Krishnaswamy Govindarajan observed that an employee is well within his rights to submit representations to higher authorities and that it is for the administrative authorities to decide whether such requests could be accepted.

Merely submitting a representation seeking permission from higher officials to form a police association cannot be construed as misconduct or form the basis for issuing a departmental charge memo.

The judge noted that Nagalingam had been facing disciplinary action since 2004 solely for submitting a representation and that there had been absolutely no progress in the proceedings since 2007. The judge also took note of the fact that Nagalingam had retired from service in the meantime and that no other charges or disciplinary proceedings were pending against him.

Considering the delay of over two decades since the issuance of the charge memo and the fact that the charges were flimsy and unsustainable in law, the court quashed the disciplinary proceedings.

Under a Government Order (G.O. (Ms.) No. 63) issued by the Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, the government has approved the use of reverse vending machines (RVMs) and other authorised collection arrangements to replace the existing manual and cash-based system. The move comes amid protests by TASMAC employees over the additional workload involved in collecting, verifying and storing returned bottles.

The machines have already been introduced on a pilot basis at select outlets in Chennai. The revised system will be rolled out across the State in phases. Once implemented, consumers will be able to return eligible empty bottles at authorised collection points and receive Rs.10 through digital payments, without having to visit the outlet where they purchased the liquor.

The G.O. states that the existing bottle buy-back scheme was operational in 31 districts, with steps being taken to cover the remaining districts. The first pilot machine was installed at a Tasmac outlet near Albert Theatre in Egmore in June 2026.

The Managing Director of Tasmac and the Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise have been directed to finalise the tender and execute an agreement with the successful bidder. The system operator will be responsible for arranging manpower, operating the machines, collecting and storing bottles, and transporting them for further processing or disposal.

The order also explicitly excludes Tasmac retail shop employees from collecting, counting, verifying, handling and temporarily storing empty bottles, as well as processing cash refunds. They will also not be required to maintain manual accounts for these transactions. The operator must make its own arrangements for manpower and operations without transferring these responsibilities to shop personnel.

The transition will be carried out region-wise, with the existing arrangements continuing until the new system is commissioned. During the interim period, arrangements must, to the extent operationally feasible, avoid involving retail staff in manual refunds, handling and storage, except for supervision.

As part of the transition, existing region-wise contracts for collecting and disposing of empty liquor bottles, awarded for the period from August 2025 to July 2028, will be pre-closed or terminated in accordance with the applicable contractual provisions. Their closure will be linked to the commissioning of the revised system in each region, with the government directing that collection and disposal should continue without interruption.

The move follows a Madras High Court directive in March 2026, which gave the government until May 31 to implement the bottle buy-back scheme in the remaining districts. Initially introduced in the Nilgiris district in May 2022, the scheme was subsequently extended to other parts of the state

In a statement, Stalin said that while Tamil Nadu’s Electricity Minister was explaining power purchases at rates of Rs 35, Rs 37 and Rs 41.50 per unit, Kerala was facing criticism over purchases at Rs 14.50 and Rs 12.50 per unit.

He pointed out that a private company had reportedly offered to supply 500 MW of electricity daily to Kerala at Rs 8.645 per unit. The controversy over the alleged rejection of the offer had resulted in the removal of the Kerala State Electricity Board chairman, he said.

Questioning why Tamil Nadu could not procure electricity at comparable rates, Stalin sought an investigation into the alleged irregularities and the possible involvement of officials and others.

He also questioned the independence of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), stating that an agency functioning under the control of the Electricity Minister could not conduct an impartial probe into the matter.

Stalin demanded an independent and transparent inquiry to establish the facts and identify those responsible.

A Division Bench of Justices P Velmurugan and KK Ramakrishnan, after hearing a writ petition, ordered the removal of the statue from the land of Arulmigu Brahmasirakandeeswarar Temple at Kandiyur, in Thiruvaiyaru taluk of Thanjavur District.

In his plea, petitioner Rama Ravikumar sought removal of the statue in the light of the recommendation of the Joint Commissioner, HR and CE Department, within a time frame fixed by the high court.

In its recent order, the court said the status report filed by the Thanjavur District Collector reveals that the statue was installed on the temple land and not on the government 'poramboke' land.

"As the statue is installed in the temple land without obtaining permission either from the temple authority or from the District Collector or from any other competent authority, the 4th respondent/District Collector is directed to remove the said statue safely from the temple land and also place it in some other suitable place within a period of four weeks from today and file a report," the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court said in its order.

The statue of EV Ramasamy (1879-1973), respectfully addressed as 'Periyar', a reformist Dravidian leader and iconoclast, had been installed decades ago near the perimeter of the temple.

The loco pilot of the Palaruvi Express, travelling from Palakkad to Tiruchendur, told the Railway Protection Force (RPF) that the train had hit a tiger. The RPF alerted the Forest Department, and a team led by Tenkasi District Forest Officer Rajmohan visited the spot and inspected the site.

A preliminary inquiry indicated that the tiger came out of a mango grove close to the railway track and was hit while trying to cross. The grove is reportedly near a residential area, and the incident has caused concern among residents.

The petitioners are former Manamadurai Deputy Superintendent of Police N Shanmugasundaram, former Thiruppuvanam Inspector SP Ramesh Kumar, Special Sub-Inspector S Sivakumar and Head Constable G Ilayaraja.

In their petitions, they submitted that they had regularly appeared before the trial court and fully cooperated with the investigation. They also contended that they had earlier obtained orders protecting them from arrest.

The case relates to the death of Ajith Kumar, a 29-year-old security guard at the Madapuram Badrakali Amman Temple, who died on June 28, 2025, after being taken into custody by a special police team investigating an alleged jewellery theft. Following public outrage, the Tamil Nadu Government transferred the investigation to the CBI.

The CBI initially filed a chargesheet against six police personnel on August 20, 2025. It subsequently filed a supplementary chargesheet on December 12, 2025, naming four more police personnel, who are the petitioners in the present case, taking the total number of accused to 10.

On September 16, 2026, the V Additional District and Sessions Court in Madurai framed charges, including murder under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, against all 10 accused police personnel and remanded the four additional accused in judicial custody.

While ordering their remand, the trial court referred to allegations that the four police personnel had fabricated police records, manipulated General Diary entries and destroyed their mobile phones to conceal evidence. It also recorded the prosecution's allegation that former DSP Shanmugasundaram had attempted to broker a compromise with Ajith Kumar's parents with the assistance of local political functionaries. The CBI further alleged that witness protection provided to Naveen Kumar, the deceased's brother and a key witness, had been withdrawn.

Challenging the remand order, the four police personnel approached the High Court. When the petitions came up for hearing before Justice Murugan, counsel for the petitioners reiterated that they had cooperated with the investigation and had earlier secured protection from arrest.

Counsel appearing for the victim's family opposed the pleas, expressing apprehension that the accused could influence witnesses.

After hearing the arguments, the judge reserved orders. Pronouncing the verdict on Wednesday, the court dismissed all four petitions and directed the trial court to complete the trial within nine months.

The initiative, titled ‘Vetri Special Vegetable Pack’, will be implemented through 218 select outlets of cooperative wholesale stores and cooperative retail stores, besides four mobile vegetable outlets in Chennai. The three-day sale has been ordered under detailed operational guidelines issued by the department on November 3.

Each pack will contain 500 grams each of onions and tomatoes, 250 grams each of brinjal and potatoes, 200 grams each of carrots and beans, 100 grams each of green chillies and lemons, 50 grams of ginger and one coconut weighing between 400 and 450 grams.

The department has stipulated that the vegetables must be sold only as a complete package and cannot be purchased individually. Each consumer will be permitted to buy only one pack.

The guidelines also prescribe procedures for procurement, packing, transportation, storage and distribution to ensure the quality and availability of vegetables.

Outlets have been directed to procure fresh stocks daily, based on sales requirements, and maintain records of purchases and sales.

The difference between the procurement cost and the fixed retail price of Rs 100, along with the prescribed packaging cost, will be reimbursed to the participating cooperative institutions through the Cooperative Education Fund (CEF), subject to the stipulated conditions.

The committees will meet once every three months to discuss commercial tax-related issues, consider suggestions from taxpayers and take measures to address their grievances, he said.

Each committee will be headed by the District Collector and include officials from the State and Central tax departments and the General Manager of the District Industries Centre.

Its non-official members will comprise one MLA, two representatives of primary agricultural producers, two representatives of industrial manufacturers, two representatives of wholesale and retail traders, and one representative each from cooperative institutions, cottage industries and consumers.

The Deputy Commissioner (State Tax) serving at the revenue district headquarters will be the secretary of the committee.

The Minister said the divisional Joint Commissioners (State Tax) had been instructed to constitute the committees in their respective revenue districts by

According to the Cooperation Department, the Tamil Nadu Consumers Cooperative Federation Ltd cancelled an order for 400 metric tonnes of onions on October 31 after inspections revealed that the consignment failed to meet prescribed standards. The order, placed at Rs 29 per kg, stipulated Grade A quality and a minimum diameter of 45 mm. An inspection at the Korukkupet goods terminal found that 20-26% of the onions in sampled bags were rotten, sprouted or fungus-infected, and 50.2% were smaller than the prescribed size.

The department also said its officials had detected rotten and rejected onions mixed with Grade A produce during an inspection in Maharashtra. However, according to sources, NAFED had dispatched 450 tonnes to Chennai without presenting the stock to the State inspection team stationed in Nashik. Interestingly, while Cooperation Department officials maintained that the consignment was rejected and the State had neither accepted nor paid for it, Railway officials have reportedly said the consignment had not been sent back to Maharashtra and had been taken away by TN officials. They also said no onions remained at the goods terminal.

The department maintained that the substandard stock belonged to NAFED and was not part of the onions procured by the Cooperation Department.

Meanwhile, TN has exhausted the 2,380.32 tonnes sold at Rs 35 per kg through ration shops and cooperatives. Sales have been suspended.

Eligibility: Open to students admitted to the first year of a full-time eligible professional undergraduate programme in 2026-27.

The applicant’s annual family income must not exceed Rs 12 lakh from all sources.

Applicants should not have taken a drop or gap year after Class 12.

Eligible programmes include B.Tech./BE, MBBS, BDS, and Barch.

Applicants must be willing to participate in further assessment and selection stages, if shortlisted.

Prizes & Rewards: Up to Rs 50,000 per academic year, renewable for up to four years, subject to annual review and continued eligibility

Last Date to Apply: November 30

Application mode: Online applications only

Short URL: www.b4s.in/dtnt/SDEF1

Eligibility: For female students planning to pursue an undergraduate STEM course at IIT Bombay (2027-28 Session).

Students not availing any other government tuition grant or scholarship.

The scholarship will continue for students maintaining a 6.0 CPI or higher.

Prizes & Rewards: Tuition fees (Rs 2 lakhs per annum)

Last Date to Apply: November 30

Application mode: Online applications only

Short URL: www.b4s.in/dtnt/WINGS2

Eligibility: Open to girl students who are daughters of drivers of heavy and light commercial road transport vehicles for carrying goods and large passenger transport vehicles like buses, in Class 11-12 or pursuing UG/diploma/polytechnic in STEM & core engineering fields (any year), with a minimum of 60% marks and family income up to Rs 6,00,000.

Prizes & Rewards: Rs 30,000 based on category

Last Date to Apply: November 15

Application mode: Online applications only

Short URL: www.b4s.in/dtnt/SMLS1

Eligibility: Open to first-year students in 3- to 5-year UG or integrated master's courses in MBBS, BDS, BPT, BSc (Nursing), BSc (Allied and Healthcare).

Must have passed Class 12 from a recognised board in Punjab with at least 60% aggregate

Students from Punjab who have secured admission to above courses at the 12 selected institutes in Ludhiana district are eligible

Students from the Ludhiana district who have secured admission to the above courses at select Top NIRF-Ranked Medical institutions across India are also eligible

Annual parental income must not exceed Rs 8 lakh; guardian income limits apply for orphans.

Applicants must be Indian citizens and not recipients of any other educational scholarship.

Note: Preference for girl students, sportspersons, persons with disabilities (PwD), orphans, and children of single parents

Prizes & Rewards: 100% annual course fee coverage for the entire course duration

Last Date to Apply: November 15

Application mode: Online applications only

Short URL: www.b4s.in/dtnt/SAT4

In a statement posted on social media platform X, the DMK IT wing said that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam had promised during the Assembly election campaign to create five lakh jobs in the government sector and another five lakh jobs at the local body level.

Alleging that the government's move contradicted its poll promise, the DMK IT wing said filling lower-level posts through outsourcing would affect youngsters who were preparing hard for government recruitment examinations in the hope of securing government jobs.

The Overseas Manpower Corporation Limited (OMCL) has listed several posts for recruitment through outsourcing, including positions classified under Group IV of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC).OMCL has included

Junior Assistant, Assistant, Office Assistant, and Typist posts in its manpower cost list. TNPSC also classifies these posts under Group IV and conducts competitive examinations to recruit candidates for them.

The move has raised concerns that filling these posts through outsourcing could reduce the number of vacancies available through the TNPSC Group Four recruitment process.

The DMK IT wing alleged that the government's decision would adversely affect job aspirants preparing for competitive examinations.

“Tamil Nadu’s industrial strength lies not only in its infrastructure or investments, but also in its people. And inclusive workplaces make the State more competitive,” he said at the Best of Best Conference – Awards 2026, organised by Avtar Career Creators and Seramount.

The conference recognised organisations under the Best Companies for Women in India, Most Inclusive Companies Index and Best Companies for ESG categories. This year, organisers also introduced the Best Companies for Workplace Wellness category.

R Seshasayee, chairman, Asian Paints and former chairman of Infosys and IndusInd Bank, said workplace culture influenced decision-making, collaboration and business performance. “Caste, religion and gender discrimination still thrive, and as corporations, we have the responsibility to make the workplace inclusive,” he stated.

The conference also saw the launch of Circle of Inclusive Cultures (CIC), a corporate membership platform by Avtar Career Creators and Seramount to help organisations exchange workplace practices and learn from one another. Avtar’s MD, Saundarya Rajesh, said, “The platform will complement the organisations’ benchmarking work by enabling companies to exchange practical insights throughout the year.”

The top 10 Best Companies for Women in India for 2026 were Accenture, AXA, Barclays, EY, HDFC Life, Lear, Procter - Gamble, Tech Mahindra, TVS and Vedanta Oil & Gas.

Eligibility: Applications are open to students of Class 11, 12, ITI, Diploma, graduation, or postgraduation (in General Fields, Medical, and Engineering) below the age of 30 years. Applicants must have an income up to Rs 4,00,000 (for salaried employees) and up to Rs 2,50,000 (for others).

Prizes & Rewards: An award that covers their tuition fees and other benefits.

Last Date to Apply: Round The Year

Application mode: Online applications only

Short URL: www.b4s.in/dtnt/SJFSE2