Page 3 - Kerala

SIT arrests Sabarimala administrative officer in gold missing case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the missing gold from the Sabarimala temple arrested former administrative officer B Murari Babu, sources said on Thursday. Babu, who was suspended by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) following the gold missing row, was taken into custody from his residence in Changanassery on Wednesday night, they said. He was later shifted to the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram for interrogation, officials said. Babu's relatives reached the Crime Branch office on Thursday morning. At around 10 am, SIT recorded Babu's arrest and informed his relative about the procedure, sources said. They were later allowed to meet the Babu. SIT will produce Babu before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Pathanamthitta here in the evening, officials said. SIT is likely to file a petition in court seeking custody of Babu for detailed interrogation. He is an accused in two cases related to the disappearance of gold from the gold-clad plates of

Prez Murmu's helicopter wheels sink into Kerala's newly concreted helipad

The wheels of the helicopter which carried President Droupadi Murmu for her Sabarimala visit got stuck in a depression in the newly concreted helipad at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium at Pramadam here when it landed on Wednesday morning. After the President left for Pamba by road, visuals on TV channels showed several policemen and fire force personnel pushing the helicopter's wheels out of the small depressions created when it landed on the concrete. A senior police officer of the district said that the stadium was fixed as the location for landing the helicopter at the last moment and therefore, the helipad was created there late on Tuesday. The landing was originally planned at Nilackal near Pamba, but it was changed to Pramadam due to inclement weather. "The concrete had not set completely and therefore, it could not handle the helicopter's weight when it landed and depressions were formed where the wheels touched the ground," the officer said. The President, who arrived in .

Kerala farmer's suicide: Congress, BJP stage protest demanding action

Congress and BJP workers on Tuesday staged protests in front of the mini civil station at Agali here over the death of a farmer, who died by suicide, on his agricultural land in this north Kerala. The protesters alleged that procedural lapses and delay by revenue officials in providing 'thandaper' (land record number) for his farmland despite repeated visits to the village office forced Krishnaswamy, the farmer, to take the extreme step. The 53-year-old farmer, a native of Kavundikkal in Attappadi, was found hanging from a tree in his farmland on Monday. His family had also alleged that Krishnaswamy took his life after being exhausted by officials not providing thandaper "for his three acres of land". They said that he had been visiting the office for the past six months and he was upset over the delay. Congress workers, who gathered in large numbers in front of the civil station, squatted on the road holding party flags and raised slogans against the government and officials. Th

Govt firmly committed to safeguard rights of pravasi community: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that his government was firmly committed to safeguarding the welfare and rights of the Kerala community working or living abroad. Vijayan, in a post on 'X', also said that he was grateful for the warm and spirited welcome he got from the expatriate community in Bahrain on his arrival there after eight years. The CM also inaugurated the 'Pravasi Malayali Sangamam' in Bahrain, jointly organised by the Loka Kerala Sabha and the Malayalam Mission. "Deeply grateful to our expatriate community for the warm and spirited welcome during my visit to the country after eight years. It was a pleasure to share the stage with Indian Ambassador Vinod K Jacob and Padma Shri M A Yusuff Ali. "The government remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the welfare and rights of our Pravasi community," he said on 'X'. Yusuff Ali is an eminent Kerala-based businessman who is the chairman and managing director of LuLu Group ...

Kerala BJP accuses CPI(M) of using hijab row to divert from Sabarimala case

Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday accused the ruling CPI(M) of "manufacturing" the hijab controversy to divert attention from the Sabarimala gold missing case. Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekhar said the row over hijab use at St Rita's Public School in Palluruthy, Kochi, was being used to shift focus away from the alleged theft of 4.5 kilograms of gold from the Sabarimala temple. "This is a political tactic to draw attention away from the Sabarimala gold case. It will not succeed," he said, alleging the role of General Education Minister V Sivankutty in "manufacturing" a row over the matter. "The BJP will stand firmly to protect the rights of the school and its students," he told reporters at Tripunithura near here. He criticised State Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and the Travancore Devaswom Board Chairman, demanding that both resign immediately. "If they have any sense of decency, they should step down. Otherwise, we will seek a central agency investigation,"

Kerala SIT arrests prime accused in Sabarimala temple missing gold case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing cases related to gold missing from Kerala's Sabarimala temple arrested prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty on Friday, officials said. Police sources said Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman who was taken into custody from his residence at Pulimath near here on Thursday, was interrogated at the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram. After the interrogation, the SIT recorded his arrest on Friday, the sources said. Later, Potty was taken to the government hospital for a medical examination. The SIT would be shifting him to Pathanamthitta by afternoon. He would be produced before a court in Ranni, Pathanamthitta, later. The SIT will also seek Potty's custody for detailed interrogation. The SIT constituted on the Kerala High Court's direction is currently investigating two cases -- one concerning the missing gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and another related to the loss of gold from the Sreekovil door frames. SIT officials are also loo

A-I Express scaling up international ops from state capital: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that Air India Express was going to scale up its international operations from the state capital from October onwards. Vijayan, in a post on 'X', said that the Kerala government's "constructive talks" with Air India have yielded results. He said that this was a major step towards strengthening Kerala's air connectivity. "Pleased to see the GoK's constructive talks with @airindia yielding results. @AirIndiaX has confirmed that international operations from Thiruvananthapuram are being scaled up. Services to Dubai will resume four days a week starting 28th October, and flights to Abu Dhabi will operate thrice weekly from 3rd December. "In addition, @airindia will introduce aircraft with business class configuration on the Thiruvananthapuram route thrice daily, a major step towards strengthening Kerala's air connectivity," the CM said on 'X'. The CM, on October 6, had said in an 'X' post that Air India has assured that the ...

SC issues notice to govt, states on PIL for new dam to replace Mullaperiyar

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre, the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments as well as the NDMA on a PIL seeking construction of a new dam to replace the 130-year-old Mullaperiyar dam following concerns over its safety and structural stability. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R. Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing the Save Kerala Brigade's petition alleging that over 10 million people live in close vicinity of the British-era dam. Some directions may be needed for strengthening the existing dam, the CJI said and suggested that the matter be examined by an expert body to assess safety aspects and feasibility of constructing a new structure. The Mullaperiyar dam, built in 1895 across the Periyar River in Kerala's Idukki district, is operated by Tamil Nadu under a lease agreement. It has long been a point of contention with Kerala citing safety concerns due to its age and seismic vulnerability and Tamil Nadu emphasising its importance for irrigation and

Kerala declares snakebite envenomation disease of public health importance

The Kerala government has designated snakebite envenomation a disease of "utmost public health importance", a move aimed at enhancing data collection and documentation in response to concerns over fatalities from related incidents. The significant decision was made under Section 28 of the Kerala Public Health Act, 2023, as per the gazette notification issued on Friday. Snakebite envenomation is a life-threatening disease caused by the migration of venomous snakes, it said. "Snakebite envenomation is hereby declared a disease of public health importance throughout the state," said the notification signed by Dr Rajan Khobragade, Additional Chief Secretary (Health). Any disease, whether communicable or non-communicable, can be declared as a disease of public health importance if the government needs to collect more information about it or if any treatment standards are to be followed in its connection, it said. If appropriate treatment is not provided in a timely manner, the bite of

Kerala CM Vijayan meets PM Modi, discusses development projects for state

CM Pinarayi Vijayan requested PM Modi to release the NDRF grant for Wayanad landslide reconstruction

Kerala HC orders registration of criminal case over Sabarimala gold issue

The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the state police to register a criminal case in connection with the "misappropriation of gold" from the "side frame or lintels" of the shrine and launch an investigation. A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar issued the direction after noting that from the investigation conducted till now, "it appears that insofar as the side frames or lintels are concerned, misappropriation of gold has been carried out". The bench further said that it was also revealed from the vigilance report placed before it that "substantial quantity of gold -- amounting to about 474.9 grams -- was handed over to Unnikrishnan Potty (the sponsor who offered to carry out the gold-plating)". "However, the records do not reveal that this quantity of gold was entrusted with the TDB (by him)," the court added. The bench directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by it to probe the side frame/lintels issue also along with all the other aspe

Sabarimala gold-plating row heats up Kerala politics: What we know so far

The Sabarimala gold-plating controversy has shaken Kerala politics, with the high court ordering a Special Investigation Team to probe missing gold and temple management lapses

Luxury car smuggling case: ED raids Dulquer Salman, Prithviraj in Kerala; what's going on?

The Enforcement Directorate today carried out multiple raids across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, targeting top Malayalam film stars and businessmen over an alleged luxury car smuggling racket.

'Centre has failed people of Kerala': HC on Wayanad disaster loan refusal

The Kerala High Court slammed the Centre for refusing to waive loans for Wayanad landslide victims and ordered banks to stop recovery until further notice

Kerala CM accuses Oppn of creating 'smokescreen' in Sabarimala gold row

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday accused the UDF-led opposition of creating a "smokescreen" over the Sabarimala gold-plating issue and said the government is not scared of any such attempts. He alleged that the Congress-led front were afraid of facts, and that is why they were continuously disrupting Assembly proceedings and reluctant to give a notice to discuss the matter in the House. The CM made the remarks in the Assembly when the session resumed after a brief break following a scuffle that broke in the Well of the House between UDF MLAs and watch-and-ward personnel during the question hour. The opposition legislators exchanged heated words with ruling party members during the question hour. The UDF members have been disrupting the House proceedings since Monday, seeking the resignation of Devaswom minister V N Vasavan over alleged irregularities linked to the reduced weight of gold-plated coverings on 'Dwarapalaka' idols at the Sabarimala temple. Vijayan sa

Vijay's TVK moves SC challenging HC order for SIT probe into Karur stampede

Tamil actor Vijay's political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court order constituting a SIT to probe the Karur stampede that killed 41 people. The apex court agreed to hear the plea on Friday. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran took note of the submissions of a lawyer that the plea, filed through TVK's secretary Aadhav Arjuna, be listed for hearing. On Tuesday, the bench agreed to hear on October 10 BJP leader Uma Anandan's plea challenging the high court order refusing a CBI probe into the September 27 stampede and seeking a CBI investigation. The CJI agreed to hear the instant plea on Friday along with the other petition. TVK has sought an independent investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court, contending that a fair and impartial probe would not be possible if conducted solely by officers of the Tamil Nadu police. The stampede, which led to 41 deaths, injured more than 60

ED raids Dulquer Salman, Prithviraj in Kerala luxury cars smuggling case

The ED on Wednesday raided premises linked to actors Prithviraj, Dulquer Salman and Amit Chakkalackal and some others across Kerala as part of its investigation into a recent Customs case related to alleged smuggling of luxury vehicles from Bhutan to India, official sources said. The searches by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also covered certain vehicle owners, auto workshops, and traders in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam and Coimbatore. A total of 17 premises are being covered, the sources said. The action is being taken under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in a recent case unearthed by the Customs related to alleged smuggling of high-end luxury vehicles and unauthorised foreign exchange dealings. The searches are based on inputs exposing a syndicate engaged in illegal import and registration of luxury cars such as Land Cruiser, Defender, and Maserati through the India-Bhutan/Nepal routes, they said. Preliminary findings, according to the ...

Kerala stops sale of Sresan drugs after Tamil Nadu cancels company licence

The Kerala government on Tuesday banned the distribution of medicines manufactured by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals. The decision follows steps by the Tamil Nadu Drugs Controller to cancel the company's licence, state Health Minister Veena George said. Sales of Respifresh TR, manufactured by a Gujarat-based firm, were also stopped immediately after the drug was found to be substandard, the minister said in a statement. There are five distributors in the state supplying this medicine, and they have been instructed to stop distribution, George said. Strict action will be taken against those selling this medicine. Those in possession of this drug are requested not to use it. These medicines are not distributed through government hospitals. She added that strict action would be initiated against establishments that provide medicines to children under the age of 12 without a prescription from an authorised doctor. The ban comes after reports that 14 children in Chhindwara, M

Kerala govt forms committee to submit report on pediatric cough syrups

Kerala Health Department has also asked the Drugs Controller to issue a notice to pharmacies not to sell pediatric drugs to children without a doctor's prescription

Govt to allow harvest, sale of sandalwood from pvt land: Kerala minister

Kerala Forest Minister A K Saseendran on Friday said the state government will enact legislation permitting the Forest Department to harvest and sell sandalwood trees grown on private land. He made the announcement while inaugurating the State-level Wildlife Week celebrations organised by the Forest and Wildlife Department at Sree Narayana Guru College, Chelannur. The minister said farmers will be able to generate additional income through sandalwood cultivation. As the first step, legislation will be enacted within a year to allow the Forest Department to harvest and sell sandalwood trees grown on private land, a government release said. Saseendran added that one crore sandalwood saplings would be planted across Kerala and that farmers would receive the full sale value of sandalwood trees. He said the government plans to move forward with a comprehensive forest policy. According to Saseendran, 100 colleges in the state will be designated as Knowledge Partner Institutions to ...