This affects the movement of paddy, and the farmers have urged either to use locally available vehicles from the farmers or a district-level transport contract.

The farmers claimed that a particular contractor from Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district holds the state-level contract for lorry operations for the paddy movement from DPCs to the warehouses.

“The particular contractor who has political influence over almost all the parties in the state would fetch the contract by all means, and thus the monopoly in transportation delayed the movements, as the contractor has no proper number of vehicles. We even raised this issue in every tripartite meeting in the previous governments, but in vain due to the political influence of the contractor,” said Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.

Vimalnathan claimed that the particular contractor has no adequate number of vehicles, and so he gives a sub-contract for which he collects a certain sum of money. “Sometimes, the lorry owners demand a sum of Rs 3,000 for the movement from DPCs, and the DPC staff who are supposed to part with that amount collect it from the farmers”, he said.

He said that the farmers have raised this issue every season and appealed to the officials to make use of the tractors available with the farmers for transportation and provide the usual rent, which would be an additional income for the farmers.

“We have also insisted on scrapping the monopoly of contracts and ensuring tenders at district level, which would assure a smooth transportation process. Each district needs at least 2,000 lorries operational each day, but it is not in practice if a single contract is given”, he said.

He also stated that inadequate transport facilities cause delays in the movement of paddy stocks from DPCs to warehouses and thus, the DPC staff are unable to procure paddy from the farmers until the already stocked paddy bags are cleared.

“We took this to the notice of the TNCSC officials and appealed to ensure fast movement or procure the paddy from farmers who have been waiting for days and stock it in the open air with proper protection, but the officials are hesitant,” Vimalnathan said.

Meanwhile, a senior TNCSC official said that they were instructed by the government to clear the already procured paddy stocks and go for the next procurement. “The movement process gained momentum and is expected to be smooth by next week,” the official confirmed.

He said the verdict should serve as a lifelong lesson for those allegedly involved in horse trading and betrayal.

Palaniswami alleged that several conspiracies, betrayal attempts, and instances of horse trading had been carried out to weaken the AIADMK and its two leaves symbol.

He said he had faced more conspiracies than other political leaders because he had come from a humble background. "I am not the heir of a big politician or a major cinema star. I am one among you," he said.

Palaniswami said he was an ordinary person, neither a cinema star nor a political heir, who understood the problems people face in their day-to-day lives.

He said the two leaves symbol was the identity of the AIADMK, built and protected by former Chief Ministers MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. Recalling Jayalalithaa's statement that the AIADMK would remain for 100 years, he questioned whether protecting the party and its symbol was a mistake.

He alleged that attempts had been made to weaken the AIADMK to serve individuals' interests.

Referring to recent political developments, Palaniswami alleged that the ruling party was attempting to lure AIADMK MLAs through horse trading. Referring to the Karur stampede, he questioned whether the AIADMK's support for TVK president and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on the issue had become a reason to lure its MLAs.

Palaniswami appealed to voters in Madurantakam and Dharapuram to "deliver justice" through the by-elections by voting for the AIADMK.

The EOW arrested the couple on September 7 and remanded them to judicial custody. Based on the recommendation of the EOW, Madurai Collector Nishant Krishna ordered their detention under the Goondas Act on Sunday.

Meanwhile, an EOW team led by Inspector A Kamar Nisha conducted searches at the residences of Ranjith, Priyadharshini and 13 other accused in Melur Taluk in connection with the case and seized documents reportedly relevant to the investigation on Saturday.

Inspector Kamar Nisha said the police were taking steps to seize the properties of the accused.

The couple allegedly cheated rural women by operating an investment scheme that promised to double their money in 45 days and offered returns in US dollars. The scheme was operated through an application called FQL Exchange, which the accused allegedly helped investors download on their mobile phones.

Police also suspect that a US-based person identified as Richard Soros was the alleged mastermind behind the fraud and that he operated through Ranjith. The police are investigating to find out the real identity of Richard Soros, an official said.

Following repeated complaints against TESCO over the alleged illegal storage of fireworks, officials from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Industrial Safety and Health Department conducted an inspection at the unit, an official source said.

During the inspection, officials found fireworks being illegally stored in two containers and a building on the factory premises. They also detected variations in the quantity of sulphur, the source said.

Following the inspection, a team of officials led by Ettayapuram Tahsildar Jeyalakshmi sealed two container lorries, an unauthorised 60 x 24-foot building, the showroom and the sulphur room separately. The officials subsequently locked and sealed the entire fireworks factory.

TESCO Fireworks has been functioning since 2018.

The protesters demanded immediate withdrawal of GO 564 dated September 8, issued for the proposed Secretariat project. They also sought protection of land in Town Survey Nos 4592 and 4593, acquired for rehabilitation under GO No 3313 dated October 10, 1957, for the Mullikuppam and Mullimanagar fishing communities.

Carrying black flags and raising slogans demanding that the government return their ancestral land, the protesters said the proposed project would affect the livelihood and homes of thousands of people in the coastal villages. Black flags were also tied to fishing boats and placed across stretches of the beach, while fish vendors and restaurants in Pattinapakkam joined the protest.

Fishermen urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to visit the area and understand the concerns of residents directly.

Social activist and advocate Umasankari said a case had already been filed challenging the GO and claimed that more than 10,000 people would be affected if the Secretariat was constructed at the site.

She urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to withdraw the order and return the land to the fishing communities.

A 19-year-old student, V Kathir of Madurai, pursuing his second year of law at the School of Law, Christ University, Bengaluru, filed the petition before a Division Bench comprising Justices CV Karthikeyan and Sathikvel.

The petitioner submitted that the Head of the Department of Cardiology, GRH, through a letter dated July 2026, had submitted to the Director of Medical Education and Research, Chennai, a detailed requirement covering 32 categories of equipment described as necessary for the life-saving, immediate, essential and critical management of patients under the department's care.

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

The Human Resources (HR) requirement statement also shows that the department has only eight faculty members against a proposed requirement of 18 and lacks adequate numbers of dedicated Cath Lab, ECG, Echo and EP technicians, he pointed out.

The petitioner further submitted that the issue was not new and that the department had flagged a similar shortage as early as April 2022.

According to records maintained by the department for the period from June 2025 to May 2026, it handled 1,19,924 out-patients, 4,086 in-patients, 1,13,997 ECGs and 77,263 echocardiograms, he said.

He therefore sought the court's intervention to direct the authorities to address the shortage of critical equipment and manpower in the Cardiology Department.

The court took note of the matter and adjourned the case for four weeks.

Speaking to reporters at Sathyamurthy Bhavan after paying floral tributes to freedom fighters Kodikatha Kumaran, VO Chidambaranar and Subramania Siva on their birth anniversaries, Tagore said the opposition parties were campaigning intensively out of fear of defeat.

"Former Chief Ministers Stalin and Edappadi K Palaniswami are going street by street for campaigning only because of the fear of defeat. Even before the election is over, the opposition parties have started lamenting," he said.

Tagore also praised Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's campaign approach, particularly his call for politics without distributing money to voters.

"The new politics put forward by Chief Minister Vijay is that there is no need to give money to voters. His method of directly meeting people by going from street to street is important and appreciable," he said.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president YS Sharmila visited Sathyamurthy Bhavan along with her husband Anil to hand over their daughter's wedding invitation to Manicham Tagore, and also met the media.

Sharmila urged the people of Tamil Nadu to raise their voice against what she described as "vote chori", stressing that the right to vote was a fundamental right of every citizen.

"The right to vote is very important and personal to every citizen, including the poorest of the poor. This is what makes India a democratic country, " she said.

Alleging that the Election Commission was being controlled, Sharmila claimed that 14 orders had been passed without the consent of all commissioners. She reiterated the Congress' demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

"We will continue to fight for the people of this country under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi," she said.

The Prime Minister’s Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme is implemented annually for eligible students from these communities studying in government and government-aided educational institutions, as well as private polytechnic colleges under the government quota, subject to the prescribed eligibility criteria.

Third-year undergraduate students studying in government and government-aided arts and science colleges will be eligible for scholarships without any conditions, the announcement stated. For students pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate and research courses in polytechnic institutions, the annual family income should not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh.

Eligible students can apply through the Unified Management Information System (UMIS) portal at umis.tn.gov.in.

Students have been advised to contact the scholarship coordinator at their respective colleges and submit their applications through the portal. The last date to apply is October 21.

For clarifications regarding the scheme, students can approach the District Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Officer at the respective district collectorate.

The department has urged all eligible students to make use of the opportunity and submit their applications before the deadline.

Officials feel the State government has yet to understand the ground realities of procurement, resulting in a huge accumulation of harvested kuruvai paddy in every DPC. The farmers, meanwhile, also appeal to the state government to ensure prompt and speedy procurement to prevent damage in the ensuing monsoon, which is predicted to lash across the region in the middle of October.

The new procurement year usually begins in the month of October. It was customary to get the government order a month before to prevent damage of harvested kuruvai due to the monsoon, and the new price would be effective from the month of September.

However, this year, the officials could not get permission for the new procurement in advance, and so the farmers from across the region had raised concerns and even staged a series of protests to commence a new procurement season from the month of September.

After several protests, the officials could get the order from the government, and the procurement with the new price had commenced around 10 days back. Despite the procurement commencing at the new price, the farmers faced another issue with the delay in the movement of procured paddy.

Despite there being a shortage of water, the farmers who had cultivated covered the target of 3.87 lakh acres with high-yield and drought-resistant paddy varieties like ADT 59, AST 16 and TPS 5 varieties for both early kuruvai as well as kuruvai cultivation, which could yield up to 80 bags rather than the usual 60 bags per acre.

While more than 60 per cent of the kuruvai harvest has been completed, the officials ask the farmers to wait for the procurement as they are yet to move the already stocked paddy from the DPCs.

Farmers said that the officials are keen on sticking to norms, and they limit the procurement to just 60 bags per acre from the farmers, and those farmers who achieved yields up to 80 bags had to wait for their next turn.

The farmers claim that the officials are in a dilemma to take timely decisions and to be flexible in procuring more bags, as they fear complaints on the dedicated WhatsApp number, which might land them in trouble.

“Previously, the officials would decide on their own whether to open DPCs based on the flow of paddy during the peak harvest time, but now, the officials hesitate as they need to explain every aspect and get the nod from the government, which would consume time and the farmers, by the time, opt for some alternate, but to approach the private players fearing damages due to long waiting,” said Kakkarai R Sukumaran, state president of Federation of Tamil Nadu Farmers Associations.

Sukumaran said that the dedicated number was already in existence for more than 10 years, but now the new government has made elaborate publicity on social media, which resulted in a poor procurement process, fearing any action from the government.

“Each DPC has a Bill Clerk, a helper and a watchman. If anyone threatens them with complaining about bribe collection, these people never turn up to the DPCs, which results in accumulation of paddy. So we find no other option but to convince the staff and give them a bribe of Rs 50 per bag to avoid stagnation of the paddy stocks, and so the publicity on the complaint number has gone as a fancy rather than serving a purpose,” Sukumaran said further.

Since the fine variety paddy cultivation was not adaptable this time due to the hot climatic conditions and water scarcity, most of the farmers preferred to cultivate the drought-resistant varieties and common varieties including CR 1009, and these varieties gave a good yield, but the officials prevented them from procuring beyond the permitted 60 bags per acre, citing the norms and only allowing the paddy with 17 per cent moisture condition.

“The moisture condition of any paddy variety would be between 18 and 20 per cent soon after the harvest, but the officials demand that farmers ensure 17 per cent moisture condition, citing the norms. So, we need to dry the harvested paddy for days to ensure the prescribed moisture condition. This leads most of the farmers to opt for approaching the private parties who never consider these factors but procure with less than the usual MSP,” said Pulavankadu V Mariappan, President, Federation of GA Canal farmers associations.

Mariappan claimed that harvested paddy has been piling up in every DPC across the region, as they are limited to procuring up to 1,000 bags each day, but the arrival is between 3,000 and 4,000 bags every day, and it would increase in the coming days. “It is the duty of the government to speed up the procurement as the monsoon rains are set to hit by the middle of October. If the procurement of harvested paddy is delayed, we fear they would get damaged as there would be cloudburst situations,” alerted Mariappan.

After the railway safety authorities seeking further clarifications on the earlier proposal, the officials here have worked out a fresh set of platform modifications through software simulations. The new proposal is now awaiting scrutiny by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO).

The gap, caused by a sharp curve in the track, is considered unsafe for passengers boarding and alighting from trains. The issue was flagged during an inspection by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) in March, before the 4.5-km Velachery–St Thomas Mount MRTS extension was commissioned on March 14. Since then, trains have continued to pass through Adambakkam without stopping, even as the adjacent Puzhuthivakkam station remains operational.

The Southern Railway Construction department had earlier submitted proposals to the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) to address it. However, the safety authority sought further clarification on the proposed solution, requiring the department to revisit the technical details. The Construction department subsequently held discussions with the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and PCM on possible ways to rectify the problem.

One of the earlier proposals involved installing steel channels and cement chequered tiles to bridge the gap between the platform and the train. However, the proposal had not progressed to physical work, as the technical aspects are still under examination.

The Railways have now used software simulations to determine what changes can be made to the platform. "Through software simulations, the changes which can be made to the platform have been ascertained. On the advice of CRS, these simulation results have been sent to RDSO for scrutiny and comments," a Railway official told DT Next. The platform will be modified after the RDSO's comments are received.

Meanwhile, the station's closure has left residents of Adambakkam and neighbouring areas without access to the MRTS station built to serve them.

Food allowance covers the cost of cooking gas, vegetables, groceries, etc. It varies from school to school depending on the students' strength, and ranges from Rs 5,000 to Rs 40,000 per month.

The association has also raised concerns over the non-settlement of pension benefits for employees who retired from service since January 2026, and demanded the government to expedite settlement and ensure that workers do not face financial hardship after retirement.

"With the cost of essential commodities increasing, the association has sought an increase in the food expenditure allocation to Rs 5 per student, as the existing provision does not adequately reflect current prices," said a member of the association.

"We have been waiting for the food allowance for six months. We have been spending from our own pockets to meet the cost. Also, employees who retired from January are still awaiting settlement of their pension benefits. The government should address these issues without further delay," the member added.

It demanded that workers involved in the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme be brought under the noon meal programme so that both schemes can function in an integrated manner and also sought promotions based on their educational qualifications and seniority. The association said it would intensify its efforts if the government failed to consider its demands.

It also stressed that the government should provide time-scale pay to noon meal employees and fill the nearly 60 per cent vacant posts in the department at the earliest. The association

When contacted, officials from the department did not respond.

Campaigning ended at 6pm, as mandated by the Election Commission, ahead of Tuesday's polling in the two reserved constituencies. TVK, DMK, AIADMK, NTK and the Left parties are locked in a five-way contest.

Counting is scheduled for October 9.

The TVK is seeking to win both seats and raise its strength in the 234-member Assembly to 109, nine short of the majority mark.

The bypolls were necessitated by the resignation of sitting AIADMK MLAs K Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama, who joined the TVK. Vijay has renominated both, turning the contests into a direct battle with the DMK and AIADMK.

The DMK has fielded former MLA I Paranthamen in Madurantakam and Suganya in Dharapuram, while the AIADMK is seeking to regain the seats. The NTK, CPM and CPI have also fielded candidates.

The Left parties accused the TVK and other parties of distributing cash.

A case has been registered against Garg, Bhane, the company and others over allegations that Garg demanded and accepted Rs 2.5 lakh as illegal gratification for extending undue favour to the company in the airworthiness certification of aircraft operated by it.

Both Garg and Bhane have been arrested in connection with the case.

The wet spell will continue into October 7 and 8, with moderate rain likely over the Western Ghat districts, southern districts, and the Delta region. Light rain is expected to cover the rest of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during this period, it added.

According to the weather bulletin, an atmospheric trough extending from an upper air cyclonic circulation lying over the Gulf of Mannar and adjoining south coastal Tamil Nadu across interior Tamil Nadu and north Kerala toward the East Central Arabian Sea is likely to bring rainfall to several parts of the State.

Also, moderate rain with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds is likely over Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Tirupattur, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Karur, Tiruchy, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, and Kanniyakumari, and also Puducherry and Karaikal area.

In Chennai, light to moderate showers with thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur during the evening and night on Monday. The city's maximum temperature may touch 36 degrees Celsius on Monday, while the minimum temperature will hover around 26 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature is expected to rise by 2-3 degrees above normal on Monday and will be near normal for the next couple of days over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal areas.

The relatives, who questioned the hospital over the circumstances surrounding her death, also alleged that doctors performed a surgical delivery without informing the family and later took her for surgery to remove her uterus. Police attempted to hold talks with the protesting relatives, but they refused to receive the body.

Vanitha of Keezhachalur village near Sivaganga, wife of Kannan, was pregnant with their third child. The couple has two daughters, Rithika, 5, and Rishika, 3. Doctors had reportedly told the family that Vanitha was expected to deliver after October 10.

Vanitha went to the hospital for a check-up on September 29. According to her relatives, doctors told them that her blood count was low and advised her to undergo a blood transfusion the next day. She was given the transfusion on September 30.

However, as her condition reportedly deteriorated, doctors performed a surgical delivery without informing her relatives, they alleged. Vanitha delivered a baby girl.

Her condition subsequently worsened and doctors took her to the operation theatre for surgery to remove her uterus, according to the relatives. Within a few minutes, doctors informed them that Vanitha had died due to heavy bleeding.

The relatives questioned the doctors over the decision to perform a surgical delivery without obtaining her husband's consent. They also questioned why a surgical delivery was performed when her two previous children had been delivered normally.

The relatives later refused to receive the body and allegedly had a heated argument with hospital staff, claiming that Vanitha died due to medical negligence.

The deceased, Anwar Basha of Vellalapatti Old Colony, was walking near the Vellalapatti panchayat office around 9 am, when the accused Ezhumalai confronted him and slit his throat with a butcher's knife.

Police inquiries revealed that the duo quarrelled while consuming liquor at a private bar a month ago. As a quarrel broke out over the same issue on Sunday, Anwar Basha grabbed a knife from a meat shop located nearby and attempted to attack Ezhumalai, who, however, overpowered him, snatched the knife and slit his throat.

Police said the accused then fled away from the spot and later surrendered at the Karuppur police station. Meanwhile, the relatives of the deceased staged a protest demanding the arrest of the accused and closure of the liquor shop in their neighbourhood. Following their demand, the officials of the revenue department inspected and ordered the liquor shop and the bar to be locked and sealed.

In a representation to the CEO, Archana Patnaik, G Chandrabose, deputy secretary of the DMK state legal wing, said campaigning for the October 6 by-elections must end at 5 pm on Sunday, when the silence period begins.

The DMK said the ECI had issued instructions requiring political parties and campaigners to observe the silence period across media. The party alleged that the proposed TVK campaign after the deadline on Sunday could undermine the restriction and give the party an unfair advantage by enabling continued electioneering.

The DMK sought directions restraining campaigning in the two constituencies after 5 pm, including through social media, digital media, video messages, live broadcasts, advertisements, public statements, interviews and online promotions.

The DMK functionary also sought instructions to District Election Officers, Returning Officers, flying squads, media-monitoring committees, social media monitoring teams and police authorities to ensure implementation of the silence period.

He urged the authorities to monitor violations and take immediate action in accordance with the law against individuals or political parties for any such violation.

The representation said urgent intervention was necessary to ensure a free, fair and level playing field for all candidates and preserve the purity and integrity of the electoral process.

Murugumaran, who served as an AIADMK organising secretary, announced his resignation and subsequently joined the TVK in the presence of party general secretary N Anand, a move that could strengthen the fledgling party’s organisational base in Cuddalore district.

In his resignation, Murugumaran recalled his long association with the AIADMK and said the party had played a significant role in his political career. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with how the party has handled affairs lately.

He alleged that workers who had remained committed to the party for years were being overlooked, while financially influential individuals were being given greater prominence.

Murugumaran had represented the Kattumannarkoil Assembly constituency in 2011 and 2016. He later received the AIADMK ticket to contest the reserved Tittakudi constituency in the 2026 Assembly election, where he finished third.

His exit comes as the TVK expands its organisational network by inducting leaders and functionaries from established political parties, particularly the AIADMK.

The deceased, identified as Periasamy, a daily wager of Bungalowthotti village, was returning home after work with a food parcel for dinner when he came under attack by the carnivore.

As he didn’t reach home, the family members and villagers searched and found his partially consumed body along a stream near the forest fringes on Sunday. As the body bore injuries consistent with a wild animal attack, the shocked villagers informed the Hasanur police and the forest department.

Forest officials, who inspected the spot, suspected that a leopard had strayed out of the forest and attacked him before feeding on his body. The irate villagers staged a protest refusing to allow the forest department to take the body for a post-mortem.

They blamed the forest department of failing to trap the animal preying on their livestock for the past several months. After the forest officials assured that efforts would be taken to trap the leopard, and patrolling intensified by deploying additional anti-poaching watchers, the villagers withdrew their protest.

The body was subsequently sent to Sathyamangalam Government Hospital for post-mortem. An official of the forest department, however, said that only a post-mortem would reveal the carnivore involved in the attack.

Embraer and Mahindra said on October 1 that they were working with the Maharashtra government and had identified Nagpur as a potential site for a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for C-390 aircraft in India. The facility, however, will be established only if the Centre selects the C-390 for the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme and places an order.

The announcement prompted Rajaa to question why Tamil Nadu could not retain the project despite its established aerospace and defence ecosystem and engineering capabilities. He said the State had earlier showcased its aerospace strengths to Embraer and maintained that projects of this scale required sustained engagement and follow-up.

“Investment projects do not come on autopilot. They require relentless follow-up and sustained government effort,” Rajaa said in his social media post.

His reaction came after Mahindra said it was working with the Maharashtra government to complete the processes required for the proposed facility. The company also acknowledged the state government’s support in facilitating land and other requirements.

The proposed Nagpur facility is expected to support aircraft assembly, systems integration, manufacturing engineering and development of a domestic aerospace supply chain. If the partnership secures the IAF contract, Indian aerospace companies are expected to be progressively integrated into manufacturing, maintenance, training and lifecycle support.

The development has opened a fresh political debate in Tamil Nadu over its ability to compete for large aerospace and defence projects, with Rajaa questioning whether the State’s investment-promotion machinery did enough to retain a potentially significant industrial opportunity.

In a statement, the Directorate said documentary verification established that S Uma Maheswari was from Karnataka. She had come to her mother’s house for delivery and underwent a Caesarean section at the Karaikudi government hospital on September 17, 2026.

The department said she received all medical treatment free of cost and was provided adequate postnatal care following the delivery.

It said Uma Maheswari was informed at the time of her discharge from the hospital on September 29 that she was not eligible to avail herself of the benefits under the 'Thai Maman Thanga Mothiram' scheme.

The clarification was issued after the department verified her documents and established her state of origin, according to the statement.

The Directorate stressed that her ineligibility for the gold-ring scheme did not affect the maternity services provided to her at the government hospital. She received the Caesarean procedure as well as postnatal medical care without charge, it said.

The clarification comes amid attention over the scheme's eligibility criteria, with the health department reiterating that the woman was provided free medical care despite not qualifying for the gold-ring benefit.

She said frequent elections caused inconvenience to the public. “Instead of focusing on roadshows, if the Chief Minister concentrates on people’s problems from his office, people will benefit more,” she said.

Talking to reporters after flagging off the ‘Happy Doctor Marathon 2026’ at Island Grounds here, organised to honour doctors for their service, Tamilisai said the event was a tribute to the medical fraternity and its contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the marathon also sought to promote awareness about preventive medicine and the importance of maintaining physical and mental health. Regular running and exercise would help people stay healthy, she said.

Recalling the role of doctors during the pandemic, Tamilisai said they had risked their lives to protect people and deserved society’s gratitude.

She urged the younger generation to spend less time on mobile phones and pay greater attention to walking and exercise. She also advised people to reduce their consumption of foods such as pizza and burgers and include more vegetables, fruits and traditional foods in their diets.

Traditional foods such as idli and dosa provide essential nutrients, including carbohydrates and protein, she said, stressing the need for moderation in food intake and maintaining a healthy weight.

“No matter how much we earn, health is our basic capital,” Tamilisai said, highlighting the importance of initiatives that promote health awareness.

“I will tolerate criticism directed at me, but I will never remain silent when women are subjected to disrespectful remarks,” Vijay said, referring to alleged body-shaming remarks by DMK president MK Stalin against the party’s candidate for Dharapuram constituency, P Sathyabama.

“Not only him, but those brought up under his leadership have also resorted to similar comments. I did not say this merely for votes,” he said, while making a stopover during his nearly 30 km road show.

Vijay further alleged that the DMK had a long history of making derogatory remarks against women, dating back to the days of former Chief Ministers MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. “Both leaders stood firm against the DMK and were cautious about aligning with it. But see what is happening today,” he said, in an apparent reference to the present political alignments.

Without naming the AIADMK, Vijay alleged that the DMK and other parties had entered into a discreet understanding. Rejecting the charge that he had returned to Dharapuram for a second campaign visit out of fear of defeat, Vijay said he was not someone who met people only during elections.

“I am not someone who comes to meet people only during elections. I will meet my sonthangal (kin) anytime and as often as possible,” he said.

The actor-turned-politician's 30 km roadshow was marked by a bullock-cart ride and interactions with farmers. At the Five Roads junction, he climbed onto a bullock cart and drove it for a short distance. En route, he got down from his campaign vehicle to pose for photographs with two Kangayam bulls brought to welcome him in Kulathupalayam.

During a visit to a drumstick farm, farmers presented Vijay with a bunch of drumsticks. He also walked along parts of the route, waving to people who had gathered to see him.

In a video message on the final day of campaigning, Stalin appealed to voters to assess the government’s performance and the issues affecting their daily lives before exercising their franchise.

Addressing voters in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, Stalin alleged that the TVK government had failed to serve the people and accused it of taking Tamil Nadu backwards.

His remarks came shortly before campaigning ended for the October 6 bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram.

He further alleged that the government’s priority was to find ways to ‘buy MLAs’ to protect itself in office, instead of addressing the people's concerns.

Stalin also accused the ruling party of betraying voters and alleged that it had put the self-respect of those who voted for it ‘up for sale’.

“They have put a price on the self-respect of those who voted. You should teach them a fitting lesson in this election so that such injustices do not recur in the future,” he said.

The DMK chief urged voters to reject what he described as the ruling party’s arrogance and to make their choice after considering the impact of decisions such as the electricity tariff hike and the rising cost of essential commodities.

In a statement on Sunday, the association referred to Indian Road Congress (IRC) code 67-2022, which deals with road signs, and said Clause 16.3.2.5 contemplates direction signs carrying more than two languages and refers to English, Hindi, and regional-language fonts. It said the code is applicable to roads open to public travel, including State Highways, and is intended to provide clear and timely information to road users and promote road safety.

The suspension required reconsideration, as there was no evidence to establish that the two engineers had deliberately violated the government’s two-language policy or had instructed, approved, measured, or certified the disputed signboard, the association said.

The association stressed that, in its view, the technical provisions of IRC:67-2022 did not override Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy, which it said it fully respected. It further claimed that neither engineer had instructed or approved the contractor to provide the Hindi lettering.

The association said the mere erection of a signboard by a contractor within an engineer’s jurisdiction could not, by itself, establish misconduct or personal responsibility on the part of the engineer. It called for the records relating to the contractor’s instructions, execution, inspection, approval, measurement, and certification to be examined before responsibility was fixed.

The association said the work had been executed through the National Highways Wing under Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) funding and that the contractor had previous experience in National Highway and NHAI works. It said this raised the possibility that the contractor had independently adopted a multilingual sign layout based on its previous experience, which it said should be verified from the official records.

Also, the additional lettering could be removed without causing structural damage to the road or permanently affecting road safety, it said, arguing that the nature and gravity of the alleged lapse should be assessed objectively and proportionately.

The association urged the government to review and revoke the suspension, examine the matter with reference to IRC:67-2022, the sanctioned estimate, agreement conditions and applicable government instructions, and verify whether the two engineers had actually instructed, approved, measured, or certified the disputed signboard.

It also sought an examination of the contractor’s role and the complete execution records, and said individual responsibility should be fixed only on the basis of established facts and due process.

The association reiterated its support for the State’s two-language policy but said disciplinary action against engineers should be based on established individual responsibility, documentary evidence, applicable technical provisions, and principles of natural justice.

He made the remarks during roadshow in bypoll bound Dharapuram in Tiruppur district and alleged DMK leaders were attacking women.

Pointing to recent political speeches targeting women leaders, he said, "I told you earlier if you vote for the DMK and certain others, it amounts to endorsing those who speak obscenely about women and humiliate them in public spaces. I didn't say that just to score political points. Look at what happened the day before yesterday".

He was referring to certain alleged controversial remarks by DMK president M K Stalin against TVK's Dharapuram bypoll candidate P Satyabama. Vijay and his party leaders have described Stalin's criticism as amounting to "body-shaming" the woman candidate.

"What kind of vile speech did he (Stalin) make against our sister, Sathyabama. It was so vulgar that one cannot even bear to listen to it. And is he the only one speaking like this. Every single person he has nurtured and brought up is delivering the exact same cheap rhetoric."

"Speak whatever you want about me. I will take it. But if you dare speak against our sister, or against the mothers, sisters, and daughters of our households, I will not stay quiet. This marks a return to the era of MGR," he said referring to late CM and AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran.

During his roadshow on his preferred customised caravan, the TN CM also interacted with the voters. He also took a bullock cart ride for a short distance.

He also received several gifts, flowers, garlands and party towels during the road show.

On the way, he offered prayers at Moolanur Vanchiamman shrine, where he was accorded traditional temple honours.

The deceased was identified as Laiju (40), a native of Koodathayi in Thamarassery, while the injured was Shafeeq Abdul Salam (35), a native of Kollam.

Police have taken Paneerselvam and Egan, natives of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, into custody in connection with the incident, officials said.

The incident occurred around 9 pm on Saturday at a rented accommodation in Anappara, Pulpally, where they were residing, police said.

According to police, a fight broke out while they were consuming liquor together, following which one of the accused allegedly attacked Shafeeq and Laiju with a machete.

Laiju suffered serious injuries to his neck, while Shafeeq sustained injuries to his back.

Both were rushed to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, where Laiju succumbed to his injuries, police said.

Pulpally police registered a case and launched an investigation.

Police are interrogating Paneerselvam and Egan, and their arrest will be recorded later, officials added.

The body of the deceased will be handed over to relatives after postmortem, police said.

According to official sources, the espionage operation involved a social media "honey-trap".

The Andhra Pradesh Police Counter Intelligence (CI) cell arrested 31-year-old Pradeep Mukherjee on October 3 at INS Agrani, a naval leadership training facility in Coimbatore.

Mukherjee, a West Bengal native who joined the Navy in 2014, was actively posted with the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.

At the time of his arrest, he was attending a management development course and had been at the Coimbatore facility for approximately one week.

A female Pakistani intelligence operative reportedly contacted Mukherjee several months ago. Over time, the handler leveraged the online relationship to extract sensitive data regarding strategic naval assets, fleet movements, and the operational framework of the Visakhapatnam base.

The CI cell, a specialised unit tasked with countering cross-border espionage and terror threats, initiated the investigation after detecting suspicious digital footprints linked to the sailor, subsequently placing him under surveillance.

TN CM Vijay left Chennai in a special aircraft around 11.30 am and reached Coimbatore at about 12.20 pm.

TVK sources said that he flew to Dharapuram by a helicopter.

He was received by his senior cabinet ministers, including TVK general secretary and Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources N Anand, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management K A Sengottaiyan at Dharapuram.

Vijay started his campaign around 1 pm.

The planned campaign route is expected to cover more than 20 public-contact points over around 40 km in the Dharapuram area.

The campaign procession will pass through key stretches, including the Periyar statue junction, five roads junction, and Meenakshipuram, before proceeding toward Kulathupalayam, Karaiyur, and the Vanjiamman temple area.

With Sunday being a holiday, huge crowd have already gathered since morning 11 am along the route.

This will be Chief Minister Vijay’s second campaign visit to the constituency, following his September 30 rally.

Polling for the Dharapuram and Madurantakam constituencies will be held on October 6, with counting scheduled for October 9.

While addressing a gathering from a campaign vehicle near the Periyar statue on the Dharapuram-Udumalpet Road on Saturday, Udhayanidhi had a boy brought onto the vehicle.

The boy also made disparaging remarks against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay while seeking votes for the DMK. A video of the incident subsequently circulated on social media, following which TVK functionaries lodged a complaint with the Dharapuram police and election officials.

Following this, the police registered a case against Udhayanidhi under provisions relating to the violation of election guidelines prohibiting political parties and candidates from involving children in election campaigns. An inquiry is under way.

The fishermen were arrested on Saturday for having crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line in Sri Lankan waters south of Delft Island, Jaffna, the island nation's navy said in a statement.

"During the operation, one Indian fishing trawler was seized, while nine Indian fishermen on board were taken into custody by SLNS Samudura," it said.

Those apprehended were taken to Kankesanthurai Harbour and will be handed to the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for further legal proceedings.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other’s waters.

The seizures were made as the Election Commission stepped up surveillance to prevent the clandestine distribution of cash and gift articles to voters. Campaigning for the bypoll ends on Saturday evening.

In the latest seizure, flying squad officials intercepted a car near Sotthupakkam Road on Friday while it was travelling towards Vandavasi and found Rs 4 lakh being carried without valid documents. The cash was seized and handed over to the treasury at the Madurantakam Tahsildar's office.

Earlier, during a vehicle check near Ramapuram on Saturday morning, a flying squad stopped a car travelling from Vandavasi towards Chennai and found Rs 31.30 lakh concealed inside it. Another car checked in the same

Poll officials seized Rs 31.30 lakh cash during a vehicle check near Ramapuram in a Chennai bound car from Vandavasi area was found carrying Rs 80,000, which was also seized.

In a separate check on Bazaar Street in Achcharapakkam, officials intercepted a car and seized Rs 2 lakh being carried without supporting documents.

The flying squad also conducted a search at a private lodge near Sotthupakkam and seized Rs 13 lakh from a person who could not produce valid documents for the cash.

The Election Commission has deployed 12 flying squads in the Madurantakam constituency to conduct intensive vehicle checks and inspections during the final phase of campaigning. The seized cash was handed over to the treasury.

Speaking to reporters at the Sivaganga Congress office, Chidambaram said Vijay appeared to be adapting to the demands of electoral politics.

His comments came amid questions about the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)’s campaign and allegations that the party was distributing money to voters in a by-election. Chidambaram said he had no information about the alleged money distribution.

If such payments had indeed been made, he added, it would not be the first time such a practice had occurred in Tamil Nadu.

The Congress MP also touched upon the changing political alignments in the State, noting that one party had left the INDIA bloc while another had joined it. He welcomed the TVK’s participation in the day’s meeting, signalling the evolving political equations ahead of the elections.

The electoral process itself, however, needed greater attention, he said, taking aim at the Election Commission. The poll body was expected to facilitate voting for citizens aged 18 and above, but he alleged it instead focused on removing eligible voters.

Moving from electoral politics to issues affecting voters in their daily lives, Chidambaram backed the free bus travel scheme for women, saying greater use of public transport could reduce private vehicle use, traffic congestion and fuel expenditure. He also welcomed increased reliance on government transport services.

The use of government transport infrastructure for political branding, however, was another matter, he said, observing that ruling parties painting transport corporation buses in their party colours was a common practice.

Similarly, he said, questions of accessibility and public convenience should guide decisions on road signboards, referring to the controversy over the use of Hindi.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has registered another case against the businessman, taking the total number of cases against him to five.

The SIT did not divulge any details of the complaint except that it is from a Chennai resident.

On the same day, a woman from Tiruvannamalai approached the SIT through their WhatsApp helpline 9345319676, alleging that Veeramani sexually abused her when she was a minor.

No case has been registered so far, as the police are still verifying the veracity of her complaint.

Veeramani, who ran GEM granites and a group of companies and his associates have been in prison since August 29.

A pendrive with the video was sent to the city police’s Immoral Trafficking Prevention Unit in October 2025 and a case was registered on October 7, 2025.

However, the city police filed a closure report in February 2026, stating that the video was unclear; the report was, however, rejected by a special court judge, forcing the police to begin their investigations again.

The police identified the elderly man in the video as Veeramani and began a probe. Another person, Ganesan (42), a former employee of Veermani, was arrested for being in possession of a video of Veermani sexually abusing a minor and not alerting the police.

The case has eventually been transferred to an all-woman SIT, supervised by the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A Amalraj.

On Thursday, Amalraj had issued orders directing to detain Veeramani and two of his associates, Mahandra Simhan (63) and Shanthi (60), under the Goondas Act.

Veeramani case: Initial investigator moved to VR

Inspector C Mahesh Kumar, who was part of the anti-vice squad (AVS) team that initially probed the complaint against Gem Granites chairman R Veeramani in 2025, has been transferred and placed on Vacancy Reserve (VR) with immediate effect on administrative grounds on Saturday.

Mahesh Kumar, who was serving as an Inspector at the Meenambakkam police station, has been directed to report to the police control room.

He had served as an AVS inspector in 2025 when an NGO submitted a complaint against Veeramani along with a pen drive containing a video clip that, according to the complaint, showed the businessman sexually abusing a minor girl.

The complaint was initially registered by the Chennai Central Crime Branch (CCB) and was later forwarded to AVS for investigation.

Mahesh Kumar was assigned as the investigating officer after the complaint was transferred to AVS.

A group of 20 tourists from Tiruvannamalai arrived in Munnar on a sightseeing trip in a mini-bus on Saturday morning.

While travelling towards Munnar via Nedumkandam in Idukki district, the bus went out of the driver's control near Karunapuram, beyond Nedumkandam on the Nedumkandam–Munnar road, tilted to one side and met with an accident.

Fourteen tourists travelling on the bus were injured in the accident.

Residents rescued them all and sent them to Theni Government Medical College Hospital, where they are receiving treatment.

Association general secretary PS Masilamani said the order would exclude a large section of farmers from accessing subsidised fertiliser. He also objected to the requirement for farmers to register their identity through the Framework for Fertiliser Sale (FFS) mobile app, which allows access only on submission of land ownership documents.

“Instead of regulating fertiliser distribution, the Union government has restricted the subsidy for fertiliser. This would affect farming activities,” he said.

Masilamani said more than 60 per cent of farmers in Tamil Nadu were tenant farmers who either cultivated land belonging to temples and mutts or leased land from others.

“The present order of the Union government would affect a large section of farmers in Tamil Nadu and so the order should be withdrawn immediately,” he said.

He also urged the Union government to extend the benefits of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana and pension for farmers aged 60 and above to tenant farmers.

According to police, SP E Sundaravadanam formed a special team headed by the Thiruvonam Sub Inspector to curb the anti-social activities at Orathanadu.

Other team members included Head Constable Dharmalingam, policemen Jagan and Chinnadurai.

In such a backdrop, SI Kumaravel had secured an accused involved in a theft case at Orathanadu and retrieved the stolen jewellery.

Instead of handing over the recovered jewellery to the owners, the SI and his team had kept the jewellery for themselves.

Subsequently, the victim lodged a complaint with the SP Sundaravadanam, who conducted an internal inquiry in which the members of the special team were found to be lethargic and derelict in their duty.

Following this, the SP transferred the team to the Armed Reserve Force on Saturday.

After considering various car models, the government said it has zeroed in on the Mahindra Scorpio as the vehicle for MLAs, after the company showcased its lineup in a jiffy following an announcement in the Assembly. Around 175 of the 234 legislators, excluding those from the DMK, are expected to receive the SUVs within the next few weeks, a government official said.

The DMK, however, has made it clear that its 59 MLAs do not want government-provided cars. The party recently wrote to the Assembly Secretariat stating that its legislators did not require the facility. All its MLAs, including alliance candidates elected on the DMK symbol, have signed the letter.

The request has now been referred to the Chief Minister, who is yet to take a decision on whether to accept the DMK's refusal.

"Following that, other issues, including guidelines and the usage of the cars, will be decided. The letter is on the Chief Minister's table, and he will take the final call on the issue," the official said.

The DMK's decision sets it apart from several other parties in the Assembly. The AIADMK and PMK have decided to accept the government cars, while the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has taken a more selective approach.

The TVK has already announced that only MLAs who require the facility will use it, with those who do not need the cars opting out. However, it is yet to be known how many TVK MLAs will actually reject the facility.

The government car package goes beyond the vehicle itself. According to Chief Minister Vijay's announcement, each MLA will also receive Rs 75,000 a month towards the driver's salary, fuel and maintenance expenses. An additional Rs 25,000 a month will be provided as a personal assistance allowance.

With the Scorpio decision settled, the government's immediate task is therefore less about choosing the vehicle and more about settling who will actually take the keys.

Today, Sugandhi is a Bengaluru-based wildlife filmmaker-cinematographer and National Geographic Explorer, and has made My Otter Diary, a documentary she directed, filmed and narrated. Centred on Maya, a smooth-coated otter, the film follows her family while also looking beyond the animals to explore the river, its ecosystem and the fishing communities that depend on it. Sugandhi’s connection to the Cauvery, too, began in childhood. While visiting the river during her school holidays, she noticed something briefly surfacing in the water before disappearing. “I was like, what was that thing that I saw? Someone later told me it was an otter and I never saw it again, but the fleeting encounter lingered,” she recalls.

Years later, Sugandhi and her husband and filmmaking partner Raghunath ‘Rana’ Belur, both members of the IUCN Otter Specialist Group, went to the Cauvery to make My Otter Diary. “There we found a family of otters and started observing them. Otters are so elusive, like an illusion. That’s how she got her name Maya,” she explains. Sugandhi, Rana and Shivanna 'Shivu', a local fisherman who features in the film, spent weeks watching them, using long telephoto lenses from the opposite bank, camera traps and underwater GoPros. Gradually, the family revealed distinct personalities: Maya was graceful and poised, while the youngsters were playful. One sub-adult even used to chew anything made of rubber. “We never ever went close to them because that’s when we get to see them as they are,” Sugandhi says.

Living with the otters

Soon, the waiting became a way of life for them. After the COVID-19 lockdown, Sugandhi and Rana moved to a village near the Cauvery and rented a small house. Their days began around 5 am, with the two taking positions along the river based on previous sightings and camera-trap footage. There was no guarantee the otters would appear. “Some days we would just watch the river, enjoy the bird calls and get bitten by a thousand mosquitoes,” she chuckles.

One of the documentary’s most demanding sequences involved otters stealing fish from fishermen’s nets, something Shivu had observed. The filmmakers used underwater GoPros and developed a system using a special cable to remotely trigger the camera when an otter approached. After repeated attempts, they finally recorded the otters raiding fishing nets underwater. “For us, it was very special to actually have recorded that moment,” Sugandhi says. “There is this dedicated relationship between the fishing communities and the otters, but it’s also a complex one because otters have adapted to stealing from fishermen,” Sugandhi says. Pollution, changing landscapes and possible declines in fish numbers add further pressure to a river both depend on.

The river also constantly complicated the shoot. Rising water submerged camera traps and destroyed footage, while filming from a coracle made it difficult to maintain a steady frame. Disturbances along the riverbank also caused otters to shift dens, forcing the filmmakers to search for them again.

After years of filming, Sugandhi, Rana and Chennai-based editor Joseph Raja spent around nine months sifting through the footage to shape the final film. For Sugandhi, narrating the documentary brought the journey full circle. “I wanted my story, my journey to be in my voice,” she says.

My Otter Diary has received international recognition, including at the Jackson Wild Media Awards, Accolade Global Film Competition and Best Shorts Competition. “I want to talk more about lesser-known species, about the beautiful natural heritage that India has,” she concludes.

Justice Sunder Mohan confirmed the family court's order. The woman had filed a maintenance petition before the family court. She stated that she had been acquainted with her future spouse in 2014 through a common friend. The man had introduced himself as a movie producer and later said he had an educational institution, while the woman was a model.

The man, who was married at the time, had expressed his love for her, which she refused and later, in August 2016, he convinced her that he was in a troubled marriage and had divorced his wife. According to her, he also allegedly showed a copy of the divorce order.

The couple then married at a temple in Uthiramerur on January 20, 2020, and lived with their son, born in March 2021. His family members visited her and the baby and celebrated festivals with them.

She stated that the man stopped seeing her and their son from June 2022, but his parents continued to visit them. She claimed she was unable to maintain herself and the child, as she couldn't continue her job after childbirth. She sought Rs 6 lakh a month for herself and Rs 4 lakh for their son, claiming the man was earning Rs 30 lakh a month.

The man had denied the allegations, including that he had married the woman or lived with her. The family court held that the man had suppressed his existing marriage and could not take advantage of his own wrong. It awarded Rs 1 lakh a month as maintenance to the woman and Rs 1.5 lakh to the minor son in March 2026.

Challenging the order, the man approached the Madras High Court.

The High Court observed that strict proof of marriage was not essential for a claim under Section 125 of the CrPC when the relationship was continuous and had existed for a sufficiently long period, in which case marriage could be presumed.

The court also relied on the child's birth certificate, Aadhaar and photographs to conclude that the relationship had been continuous and that the man had treated the woman as his wife.

The court noted that the family court had determined the man's monthly income at Rs 10 lakh and that he had not disputed the finding. The man had claimed the woman had sufficient means to maintain herself and owned a flat worth Rs 1.70 crore and two luxury cars. However, evidence showed that the woman did not have a regular source of income.

Considering the parties' status and her lack of regular income, the High Court held that the monthly maintenance of Rs 2.5 lakh was reasonable and dismissed the criminal revision petition.