Page 48 - Kerala

Kerala farmer ends life due to financial crisis; Guv, Oppn criticise govt

A farmer ended his life in the Kuttanad region in this southern district on Saturday allegedly due to financial problems as he did not get payment for paddy procurement. A suicide note, purportedly written by the farmer K G Prasad, accusing the Left government and some banks of being responsible for him taking the extreme step, triggered a political row in the state. Governor Arif Muhammed Khan, who visited a hospital in nearby Thiruvalla where the deceased man's mortal remains were kept, said farmers have been facing a huge crisis in the state and his "heart goes out to Prasad's family". Expressing deep grief over the death, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan alleged that the government failed in paddy procurement and payments for farmers were due for months. The 55-year-old Prasad, a paddy farmer hailing from Ambedkar Colony in Thakazhi here, had consumed poison on Friday night, police said. Though he was admitted to a hospital in Thiruvalla, he died in the wee

Ruling LDF to hold agitation against 'negligence' of Centre towards Kerala

Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) on Friday announced its decision to take the fight against the alleged negligence of the BJP-ruled Centre towards the state's development needs to New Delhi. The agitation, scheduled for January next year, aims to highlight the challenges faced by the state on the financial front due to what the CPI(M)-led alliance alleges as the Centre's negligence. LDF Convenor E P Jayarajan said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, along with his Cabinet colleagues, Left MLAs, MPs, and other leaders, will participate in the protest. This move is seen as the LDF's political narrative against the BJP-led NDA in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. Speaking after a meeting of LDF leaders at the CPI(M) headquarters here, Jayarajan criticised the Central government for neglecting Kerala across various sectors. He alleged that the state was facing financial difficulties due to the Centre's policies. "The state is not receiving the benefits it deserves, with Rs 5

Ex-Kerala Cong chief received bank fraud proceeds through farming biz: ED

K K Abraham, a former general secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), got "profit share" from a ginger farming enterprise run along with his alleged associate and an accused in a loan fraud in a Kerala-based cooperative bank, the Enforcement Directorate claimed Friday. Abraham was arrested by the federal probe agency in Kerala on November 7. The case pertains to an alleged loan fraud of Rs 5.62 crore at the Pulpally Service Cooperative Bank located at Pulpally in Wayanad district. The criminal case filed by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) stems from an FIR of the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) against the governing body members and officials of the bank. The central agency alleged Abraham was the "overall in-charge of the bank as president who played a key role in sanctioning various loans by overvaluing the properties to the applicants." The ED probe found, the agency said in a statement, that bank officials and it

Bomb threat to Kerala Secretariat; police carries out thorough searches

Police on Thursday carried out a thorough search of the state Secretariat, the administrative complex here, after receiving a bomb threat. According to sources, a threatening call claiming that explosives would be detonated within the Secretariat complex was received at the police control room. In immediate response, police personnel, aided by sniffer dogs, conducted thorough searches both inside and outside the Secretariat premises. Even parked vehicles and nearby shops were not exempted from scrutiny. Unconfirmed reports say that the perpetrator behind the call has been identified by the police.

ED arrests Ex-KPCC general secy in cooperative bank fraud case in Kerala

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) former general secretary, K K Abraham, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged loan scam that occurred during his tenure as president of a service cooperative bank in Wayanad district. Abraham was taken into custody on Tuesday night in connection with the Pulpally Service Cooperative bank scam, according to official sources. He was subsequently presented before a court on Wednesday, they said without elaborating. ED initiated a probe after receiving multiple allegations of financial irregularities within the bank during Abraham's time as president of the institution's governing body. The victims had approached the ED seeking probe into the scam. One of the victims of the scam had died by suicide a few months ago. Prior to the ED action, Abraham had been arrested by the Vigilance wing of the Kerala police following a cheating complaint filed by an elderly couple.

Kerala's Technopark records software exports worth Rs 11,630 cr for FY23

Kerala's pioneer IT hub Technopark here has reported a remarkable surge in software export revenue for the financial year 2022-23. The organization saw a substantial increase of Rs 1,855 crores in export revenue, registering a 19 per cent growth compared to the previous fiscal year, a statement said here on Wednesday. Also, the Technopark has consistently maintained an A+ stable rating from CRISIL (Credit Rating Information Service of India Limited) for the last three years, underscoring its robust financial performance and seamless transactions. The campus spread over 768.63 acres with 11.22 million sq. ft of built up space, currently hosts 72,000 employees across 486 companies. In the last financial year, 46 companies opened new IT/ITeS offices in Technopark and during that time, Technopark's software export revenue from 465 companies was Rs 9,775 crores, it said. This fiscal year it has reached Rs 11,630 crores, which is an excellent growth curve. Col Sanjeev Nair (Retd), CEO

ED raids Kandala Service Cooperative Bank in southern Kerala district

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday carried out a raid at a services cooperative bank in this southern Kerala district. The ED raided the Kandala Services Cooperative Bank near Kattakada here following reports of alleged irregualarities of several crores at the bank. Raids were also carried out by ED at several other locations connected with the bank. The ED raid which began early in the morning was still underway, police sources confirmed.

8 court staff test positive for Zika virus in Kerala's Kannur district

The state's health department said in a release that the elderly and children should maintain caution and avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes

Court grants police 10-day custody of accused in Kochi blast case

A court in Kerala on Monday granted the police ten days custody of the lone accused in the Kochi bomb blast case. Principal Session Court Judge Honey M Varghese allowed the police's plea for 10-day custody of Dominic Martin. Four people were killed and over 50 were injured in the blast during a prayer meeting of the Jehovah's Witnesses at a convention center in Kalamassery near here on October 29. The police submitted that they need to investigate his sources of income, international connections, and other related matters. They also said that the accused must be taken to certain locations for further collection of evidence. Meanwhile, Martin once again declined the assistance of a legal aid lawyer. Previously, on October 31, Martin was remanded to judicial custody. In addition to Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (Punishment for murder) and Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act, relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) have also been invoke

54 cases registered for spreading instigative content after blast in Kerala

Kerala Police on Saturday said it has registered 54 cases for spreading communally instigative contents through social media in the aftermath of the recent blasts at a Christian prayer meet near Kalamassery in Kochi. Police said the most number of 26 cases was registered in Malappuram district, followed by 15 in Ernakulam and five cases Thiruvananthapuram. Thrissur City and Kottayam have reported two cases each, while Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Palakkad and Kozhikode Rural have one case each. Police, in a release, said they have identified numerous fake profiles which have been used to share posts that can instigate communal hatred. "Requests have been made to Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp and other social media platforms to identify the IP addresses of such fake profiles. The cyber cell in the state is functioning round the clock to identify such handles," the release said.

UNESCO's tag for Kozhikode testament to rich literary heritage: CM Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said UNESCO's recognition of Kozhikode as a 'City of Literature' is an honour for the state and a great pride for its people. UNESCO made the announcement on its official website on Tuesday. The CM congratulated the people of Kozhikode on the achievement. "It's an honour for #Kerala that the beautiful city of #Kozhikode has been designated as a #UNESCO City of Literature. Kozhikode is the first city in India to receive this prestigious title, and it is a moment of great pride for all of us. This recognition is a testament to the city's rich literary heritage and vibrant cultural scene. "Let's celebrate this incredible achievement and continue to promote the love for literature and creativity in our state. Congratulations to the people of Kozhikode," he said on a post on social media platform X. Kozhikode is where literary greats like the late S K Pottekkat and Vaikom Muhammad Basheer hailed from. The UNESCO recognition consolidat

Kerala govt moves SC against Governor Arif Khan over inaction on Bills

As per the petition, three bills have been pending before the Governor for more than two years

Death threat to Kerala CM Vijayan received over phone at state police HQ

A death threat against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was received at the state police headquarters here, police said on Thursday. The threat was made over a phone call to the control room of the police headquarters on Wednesday evening, it said. On being asked whether a minor boy made that call as stated in news reports, police said they were investigating all angles. A case has been registered in connection with the incident at Museum police station under sections 118(b) and 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act against the phone number used to make the threat, it said. Section 118(b) deals with knowingly spreading rumours or giving false alarms to mislead the police, fire brigade or any other essential service and section 120(o) deals with causing, through any means of communication, a nuisance of himself to any person by repeated or undesirable or anonymous call, letter, writing, message, e-mail or through a messenger.

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Happy Kerala Piravi 2023: History, importance, celebration and more

Kerala Day or Kerala Piravi, also called Kerala Formation Day, is a significant annual occasion to celebrate the unification of Malayalam-speaking areas to form 'Kerala'

Man who claimed responsibility for Kerala blasts 'brilliant': Police

Dominic Martin, who had voluntarily surrendered to police claiming responsibility for the blasts at a Christian prayer meet two days ago, was on Tuesday described as a "brilliant mind" by investigating officers. He left behind a lucrative job in the Gulf, which left many questioning his motives. Police had on Monday formally recorded the arrest of Martin who had surrendered a few hours after the blasts on Sunday morning. On Tuesday, the Special Investigation Team took Martin to his residence at Athani near Aluva here, where the explosive devices were suspected to have been assembled, in pursuit of crucial evidence. Over the course of several hours, Martin provided a detailed account of the construction process, using the materials he claimed to have used in last Sunday's explosion that claimed three lives and left over 50 injured. When Martin surrendered before the police on Sunday, he had produced bills for the purchased materials, further strengthening the case against him, ...

Kerala blast: Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?

On Sunday morning in Kerala's Ernakulam district, multiple explosions occurred at a Jehovah's Witnesses prayer meeting, killing 3 and injuring others.

Who are Jehovah's Witnesses, the community targeted in Kerala serial blasts

The Jehovah's Witnesses reject modern evolutionary theory and also oppose blood transfusions, saying that blood is sacred

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Kerala under CM Vijayan tolerant towards radical elements: Chandrasekhar

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday alleged that Kerala under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has shown tolerance towards radical elements and radicalisation. Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Chandrasekhar was hitting back at the CM who a day ago slammed the BJP leader over his social media posts criticising Vijayan over the blasts at a religious gathering in Kalamassery near here. Terming the BJP leader's posts as part of his communal stand, Vijayan, without naming Chandrasekhar, sought to know based on what information the union minister made such remarks against him and how a person holding a responsible position could come out with such statements while the investigation was going on. Vijayan, during a brief press meet held at the Secretariat complex in Thiruvananthapuram, had alleged that the statements by the BJP leader were the reflection of an absolute communal outlook. Responding to the CM's remarks, Chandrasekhar clarified that he did