Finally Haseena Syed is Congress candidate in Krishnagiri

The nomination papers filed by Ms. Haseena Syed, Congress candidate for Krishnagiri Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu, on Friday in the midst of protests have been accepted by the Returning Officer. Mr. Maqbool Jan who was given ticket later replacing Haseena by the Congress could not file his nomination papers as he had no time to prepare them and go to Krishnagiri.

Ms. Haseena has now decided to contest the election and explained everything to the high command in New Delhi. She is hopeful of receiving the green signal from them and getting the unstinted support of all the local Congress people. She and other Congress leaders and activists in the area are to start the campaign vigorously from March 30, 2011, according to information available here.

On the other hand, the nomination papers filed by the Tamil Nadu Congress leader Mr. K. V. Thangkabalu’s wife, Mrs. Jayanthi Thangkabalu in the Mylapore assembly constituency in Chennai were rejected by the Returning Officer when it came before the authorities for scrutiny. But she is to lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against it. However Mr. Thangkabalu who had also filed his nomination papers as a back-up declared himself as a candidate as his papers were accepted.

According to reports flashed on front pages in the evening Tamil newspapers in Chennai today, her nomination papers were rejected for allegedly suppressing her association with educational institutions and as Managing Director with Mega TV, a Tamil channel.

Mrs. Jayanthi had filed her nomination papers in the midst of strong opposition by some youth Congress activists and supporters of another Congress aspirant ‘karate’ R. Thiagarajan. Even Mr. Thangkabalu’s effigy had been burnt in front of his house.

Four held for attacking Revenue Inspector in Krishnagiri

Four persons, including a village panchayat vice-president, were arrested on the charge of attacking a Revenue Inspector K. Poovidhan of Kuruparapalli on Sunday evening while he was taking a photograph of graffiti on the wall of a private house on temple land near Kodappalli Panchayat.

The Veppanahalli police arrested the accused on Monday morning and were produced before Judicial Magistrate No. II Inba Karthick. They were remanded in judicial custody for 15 days and were lodged in Salem Central prison.

The police said Mr. Poovidhan was abused and attacked when he was photographing the poll graffiti, which was done without valid permission from the owner.

The arrested were: R. Sivakumar (DMK), vice-president, Kodipalli Panchayat; K. Rajneesh, K. Karthick, and G. Santhosh Kumar (a private bus conductor). All of them were DMK sympathisers.

The police have registered cases under sections 294 B, 232, 332, 506/2 of Indian Penal Code and 4 (B) of Tamil Nadu Open Places Prevention of Disfigurement Act 1959.

The Tami Nadu Government Employees Association has asked the government to invoke Goondas Act against the accused.

Over 100 members of the association, including 35 women, led by K. Agoram, district secretary, staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate with the demand.

Mr. Agoram said the Election Commission of India should provide police protection Revenue Inspectors till the election process was over in the district. This was the fourth incident of attack on government employees by politicians after the election process began.

He condemned the administration for its lacklustre attitude towards those who attacked government officials in the previous occasions.

Four held for attacking Revenue Inspector in Krishnagiri

Four persons, including a village panchayat vice-president, were arrested on the charge of attacking a Revenue Inspector K. Poovidhan of Kuruparapalli on Sunday evening while he was taking a photograph of graffiti on the wall of a private house on temple land near Kodappalli Panchayat.

The Veppanahalli police arrested the accused on Monday morning and were produced before Judicial Magistrate No. II Inba Karthick. They were remanded in judicial custody for 15 days and were lodged in Salem Central prison.

The police said Mr. Poovidhan was abused and attacked when he was photographing the poll graffiti, which was done without valid permission from the owner.

The arrested were: R. Sivakumar (DMK), vice-president, Kodipalli Panchayat; K. Rajneesh, K. Karthick, and G. Santhosh Kumar (a private bus conductor). All of them were DMK sympathisers.

The police have registered cases under sections 294 B, 232, 332, 506/2 of Indian Penal Code and 4 (B) of Tamil Nadu Open Places Prevention of Disfigurement Act 1959.

The Tami Nadu Government Employees Association has asked the government to invoke Goondas Act against the accused.

Over 100 members of the association, including 35 women, led by K. Agoram, district secretary, staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate with the demand.

Mr. Agoram said the Election Commission of India should provide police protection Revenue Inspectors till the election process was over in the district. This was the fourth incident of attack on government employees by politicians after the election process began.

He condemned the administration for its lacklustre attitude towards those who attacked government officials in the previous occasions.

Tension in Krishnagiri

Tension prevailed in front of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's district office in Krishnagiri on Saturday after DMK workers burst crackers to express support for Hazeena Syed, who filed her nomination for Krishnagiri Assembly segment.

Congress and DMK cadres entered into a wordy duel when former Congress MP C. Narasimhan came to the DMK office and asked his party workers to support rebel candidates who had filed their nominations as Independents. His supporters said they would work for the defeat of DMK nominee T. Senguttuvan contesting from Veppanahalli constituency. But, Mr. Narasimhan denied such a move by supporters.

Ms. Syed had to file her nominations, since the official candidate, Maqbool Jan, announced by the Congress high command, did not turn up. As a protest, eight Congressmen filed nominations as Independents. They include Agaram Krishnamoorthy, A. Thahi, A.S. Satyamoorthy, A. Ranganathan, B. Ashokan, Abdul Azeez Amanullah and Aranga Subramaniam.

Elephant herd kills man, grandson near Krishnagiri

A herd of 13 wild elephants trampled to death an old man and his three-year-old grandson near Krishnagiri on Sunday.

The incident happened at a mango orchard in Kuruparapalli near here. According to Forest Department officials, G. Kenjappan (80) lost his life while trying to save his grandson N. Narasimhan alias Dharshan. The herd killed Kenjappan first and then Dharshan, who was sleeping in a makeshift hut. Sources said Kenjappan was a watchman in the orchard for the past two months.

Timely alert

Two women and a baby, who were also inside the hut, escaped unhurt. Kenjappan's son Krishnamoorthy, who first sighted the herd while he was inspecting the orchard and alerted others, also escaped.

After the incident, the herd crossed the Bangalore-Chennai National Highway and entered the Melumalai Reserve Forests to join a pair of elephants. On receiving information about the incident, F.R. Ikram Mohammed Shah, Conservator of Forests, Dharmapuri Circle, and other officials rushed to the Government Headquarters Hospital in Krishnagiri and handed over Rs.25,000 as immediate compensation to the next of kin of Kenjappan.

Compensation

The department would hand over the remaining compensation after receiving the death and legal heir certificates from the families of the victims.

Mr. Shah, Assistant Conservator of Forests A.K. Ulaganathan and District Forest Officer C.H. Padma, Rangers R. Madheshwaran (Hosur), Raphel Reddy (Royakottai) and over 50 Forest Department employees are camping in the Melumalai area.

2 Leopatd saw by Village peoples

Two panthers, a mother and a calf, were sighted by a villager near Amman Koil Pathy village, near Pochampalli, on Monday morning. However, the crowd, which gathered near the spot could not get a glimpse of the wild cats as they reportedly went inside a sugarcane field.

A.K. Ulaganathan, District Forest Officer, told The Hindu that he along with a team of officials and employees rushed to the spot immediately on receiving information. Forest officials and Fire and Rescue Service and police personnel are camping in the area. They could identify the pug marks of a mother and calf panther in a small canal that irrigates water to the sugarcane field. To trap the animal, a cage with meat has been kept ready in the middle of the sugarcane field by the Forest Department.

Meanwhile, the department plans to write a letter to the Collector, V. Arun Roy, urging him to restrict unmindful dumping of chicken waste on the Hosur - Denkanikottai Road as it will attract panthers and wild dogs from nearby reserve forests.

Elephants cross highway, enter Shoolagiri town

Crisscross:The herd of wild elephants crossing the Krishnagiri-Bangalore
National Highway No.7 near Shoolagiri. They entered human habitations
before reaching the nearby reserve forests on Sunday.

A herd of 22 elephants from Anusonai, Udedurgam Reserve Forests in the southern side of the Krishangiri-Bangalore National Highway crossed the busy road on Sunday morning and entered into human habitations before reaching the Reserve Forests in Shoolagiri.

Eye-witnesses told The Hindu that the herd was first sighted by the people at Theagarasanampalli village and they crossed the National Highway near Shoolagiri entering into Anna Nagar, Vaniya Street and Kottai Street of the town.

A. Madhu, Assistant Conservator of Forests told The Hindu that the herd had travelled from Anusonai and Udedurgam Reserve Forests and was stationed near a hillock in the Shoolagiri Reserve Forest in the afternoon.

On the way, it caused minor damage to properties and broke some coconut trees. The damage would be assessed only after driving the pachyderms to their original route or towards Reserve Forests in Veppanahalli.

Over 50 forest officials and personnel were stationed at 50 metres distance from the animals to prevent loss to either to human or to the animals.

The operation to drive the pachyderms will be carried out in the evening with the support of the local police, as hundreds of curious public thronged to see them, he adds.

Snake charmer dies of snake bite

A snake charmer died of snake bite at Kuchadipalayam village, near Thaly in Krishnagiri district on Friday.

The police said Jayamma of the village enlisted the service of Narayanasamy, a snake charmer, when she found that a venomous snake had entered here house. Though he caught the reptile, he received bites. He was rushed to Hosur Govertnment Hospital but his life could not be saved.

Plus Two exams started

A total of 19,618 students will appear for the Plus Two examinations in Krishnagiri district on Tuesday.As many as 17,625 students – 8,880 boys and 8,745 girls - from 76 government schools and eight-aided schools and 17 Matriculation schools – will write the Plus Two examination in addition to 1993 private candidates at the 33 examination centres in this district. The examination will be held till March 25.