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Justices MS Ramesh and N Senthil Kumar spent nearly three hours inspecting the facilities, interacting with inmates, and assessing the overall conditions of the prison

In an unexpected move, two judges of the Madras High Court made a surprise visit to Puzhal Central Prison on the outskirts of Chennai on Wednesday.

Justices MS Ramesh and N Senthil Kumar spent nearly three hours inspecting the facilities, interacting with inmates, and assessing the overall conditions of the prison.

The visit highlighted both positive aspects and areas needing improvement, with the judges emphasizing the need for better healthcare, legal aid, and communication facilities for prisoners.

Sources in the Madras High Court said the Judges expressed satisfaction after tasting the food served to inmates, inspecting toilets, examining the registers for transparency and reviewing the hygiene conditions within the prison.

They also examined the phone and video call facilities available to prisoners. These facilities allow inmates to stay connected with their families, a crucial aspect of their mental well-being.

However, the judges raised concerns about the prison hospital, which they believe requires significant upgrades.

They also stressed the importance of providing free legal aid to prisoners, particularly those who cannot afford representation. Additionally, they highlighted the need for better communication facilities for foreign convicts, who often face challenges in staying connected with their families.

The judges also spoke with inmates to understand their grievances and living conditions.

Jail authorities are happy over the recognition by the judges.

“It was an absolutely surprise visit. We are glad the judges have recognised the changes we have been able to bring about in the prison,” an officer told NDTV.

On areas of improvement including medical and free legal aid, the officer added, “These are beyond us and we shall work to address these as well.”

The victims were identified as Dr Balamurugan, a prominent sonologist, his wife Sumathi, a practicing lawyer, and their sons, 17-year-old Dasvanth and 15-year-old Lingesh.

A doctor in Chennai, who died by suicide with his wife and their two teenage sons at their home on Thursday, had suffered financial losses amounting to Rs 5 crore. 

The victims were identified as Dr Balamurugan, a prominent sonologist, his wife Sumathi, a practicing lawyer, and their sons, 17-year-old Dasvanth and 15-year-old Lingesh. According to police, the bodies of Dr Balamurugan and Sumathi were found in one room of their Anna Nagar West residence, while their sons were discovered in another.

The bodies were discovered by the family’s driver when he arrived at their residence on Thursday morning. After receiving no response from the family, he alerted neighbours, who peered through the windows and saw the bodies. The police reached the house and sent the bodies to Kilpauk Medical College (KMC) Hospital for post-mortem.

Dr Balamurugan owned several ultrasound diagnostic centres in Chennai. The doctor had suffered heavy financial losses, leading to significant debt. His wife, Sumathi, was an advocate practicing in the city court. Their elder son, Dasvanth, was preparing for his Class XII board exams, while their younger son, Lingesh, was in Class X. According to reports, Dasvanth was also preparing for the NEET medical entrance examination.

“We suspect they killed themselves. They were in debt. We are investigating. No formal complaint received from anyone so far,” a police officer told NDTV.

The police are probing the financial records of Dr Balamurugan’s business to understand whether there were external pressures involved.

Authorities say goods worth Rs 36 lakh including insulated flasks, insulated food containers, metallic potable water bottles, ceiling fans and toys were seized from Amazon.

In a major crackdown, officials from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) raided warehouses of Amazon and Flipkart in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, adjoining Chennai and seized consignments for suspected violation of BIS Act, 2016 and several quality control orders. 

Authorities say goods worth Rs 36 lakh including insulated flasks, insulated food containers, metallic potable water bottles, ceiling fans and toys were seized from Amazon. These items, they claim, can’t be stored or sold without BIS Standard Mark (ISI) under a valid BIS licence.

From Flipkart, authorities claim they recovered baby diapers, casseroles, stainless steel water bottles which were without the required BIS standard mark. They have not yet released the worth of these.

BIS officials say E-commerce platforms have turned into hotspot for sale of these goods.

“Action would be initiated. The offence is punishable with imprisonment up to two years or a fine not less than Rs 2 lakh, but may extend up to ten times the value of goods or articles produced or sold or offered to be sold or affixed or applied with a Standard Mark or both as per Section 29 of BIS Act, 2016 for first Contravention,” said G. Bhavani, Head of BIS in Chennai.

So far, Amazon and Flipkart have not responded to these searches, seizures and claims.

Investigators identified the prime accused as Mahendran, a forest guard posted in Sayalgudi, who allegedly received one kg of the drug from a waste collector named Pandi.

Two kilograms of cocaine worth Rs 6 crore were seized in Chennai, leading to the arrest of eight individuals linked to a drug trafficking network. The Central Intelligence Unit of the Enforcement Bureau Police acted on credible input, conducting the operation, spanning two key locations in the city, which led to the seizure of a car and five mobile phones.

The cops got their first breakthrough in St. Thomas Mount area, where five suspects, all natives of Keelakarai in Ramanathapuram district, were caught with one kg of cocaine. During interrogation, they reportedly revealed their links with three additional accomplices operating from Chennai’s Koyambedu area. 

Investigators identified the prime accused as Mahendran, a forest guard posted in Sayalgudi, who allegedly received one kg of the drug from a waste collector named Pandi. According to officials, Pandi claimed to have found the cocaine along the Ramanathapuram seashore during a routine waste collection. Another accused, Palaneeswaran, said he found one kg of cocaine washed ashore in the same manner.  

Authorities revealed that an accused, Kasim, masterminded the plan to sell the drugs in Chennai for a “lump sum amount,” aided by co-conspirators – Mohamed Mubarak, Edward Sam, Mohamad Idris, and Kaja Mohaideen.

While the origins of cocaine remain unclear, an investigation is underway to trace the source and uncover potential international or domestic links. 

Visuals from the site of the tragic incident show rescue efforts being carried out by both locals and police personnel.

Three college students from Chennai have drowned in the outflow channel of the Aliyar reservoir in Pollachi, near Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, this morning. 

Those dead have been identified as  P Tarun Viswastharangan, Revanth M and G Joseph Anto Jeniff, all physiotherapy students of a private college in Chennai. Investigators say the tragedy occurred when the students got down to bathe in the water body. 

“There was no heavy outflow in that place, but it was deep. We are investigating,” Dr K Karthikeyan, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Coimbatore, told NDTV, 

Fire and rescue personnel rushed and extricated the bodies of the students. Videos show emotional scenes as fellow students broke down as rescuers brought their bodies to the shore. Coimbatore Police has registered a case.

Police say around 25 students from the Saveetha College of Physiotherapy were on an official trip from the college to this area with their faculty. 

The Aliyar Dam, part of the Parambikulam-Aliyar basin, is a popular tourist spot in Pollachi. However, these stretches are also known for their depth and sometimes treacherous waters.

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