Kerala

Environment

In January 2019, the geotube seawall construction was halted due to the unavailability of sand.

The residents in the coastal village of Chellanam in Ernakulam district, which faces the severe problem of sea erosion, have been constantly demanding for a seawall. Their recurrent protests finally yielded results on Saturday. The construction of the geotube seawall, which came to a halt just days after it was started in January 2019, has resumed. A geotube, which are made of stacks of natural or synthetic fibre, is filled with sand to form a seawall. At present, workers are preparing the ground to lay the geotubes. However, they are met with another hurdle - the unavailability of sand to fill geotubes. While workers are trying to pump sand from sea to land to fill the geotubes, officials of the Irrigation Department are yet to sort out this issue. This was, in fact, the reason why the work came to a halt initially. After recurrent protests by villagers, the authorities finally decided to use the accumulated sand available at Chellanam Mini Fishing Harbour to fill the geotubes. But now, this alternative also seems out of bounds. A large quantity of sand had been accumulated at the harbour over the last few months. On Saturday, when the Irrigation department tried to use some of it for the seawall construction, the Department of Ports opposed the move. According to reports, the officials of Department of Ports filed a complaint with the Kannamaly police station in Chellanam, citing that the contractor was taking sand from the harbour without the necessary permissions. An official at the Irrigation Department told TNM that the Ports department wants to use the sand available at the harbour for some extension work that has been planned there. He has also alleged that the inefficiency on the part of the contractor engaged has delayed the work, and that the District Collector is aware of this. “At present, the contractor engaged in the work is trying to take sand from the sea. The Collector has given the contractor one more day to complete the work. If he is not able to dredge sand from the sea, he will be terminated and an emergency tender will be called. There will be no change in this,” said the official. On Saturday, ground preparation work on one of the stretches of the proposed work site was completed. The demand for the construction of seawall gained momentum after Ockhi cyclone disaster in 2017. Hundreds of houses in Chellanam, a coastal village, were affected during the sea erosion during Ockhi. The village also lost two fishermen in the disaster. The government gave the nod to construct geotube seawall in the village after residents of Chellanam began a hunger strike following Ockhi, demanding a mechanism be built that would prevent sea erosion. Read: Seawall construction stalled in Kerala coastal village, residents march to Collectorate In the last two months alone, the villagers took out three major protests. Last Wednesday, hundreds of people marched towards the District Collectorate, demanding seawall construction be resumed. The project, being implemented at Rs 8 crore, will see a geotube seawall being built on the coastline running along Chellanam in Velankanni Bazaar (300 metres from the sea), Vachakkal (100 metres from the sea), Companypady (300 metres from the sea) and Puthenthode Fishing Gap (110 metres). In January, work had started in one part of Velankanni Bazaar, until it was halted. On Saturday, work resumed in another part of the bazaar. “We were happy to see that the work has finally resumed, but it is unfortunate that the authorities have not been able to coordinate among themselves to solve the issue of sand unavailability,” Babu, a resident of Chellanam told TNM.

Body 2:

Tribal Development

The complex will be a platform for the tribal community to exhibit and sell their products, showcase unique art forms, and promote tribal cuisine.

Neethu Joseph

As a part of creating a permanent platform for the tribal community in Kerala to showcase and sell their unique products and cultural artefacts, the Scheduled Tribes Development department is all set to launch a tribal complex in the heart of Kochi city. The three-storeyed building, located on Foreshore Road, is spread across an area of more than 2,000 sq m. The construction of the building is complete and it will be thrown open to the public soon. Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes AK Balan visited the tribal complex on Sunday to evaluate the work. Minister AK Balan visiting the Tribal Complex Through the tribal complex, the department aims to increase the reach of tribal products, provide a platform to sell the unique art forms of the various tribes and promote tribal cuisine. “The tribal complex is the first of its kind in the state. Though the department used to conduct flea markets for the tribal community across the state to promote their products, there has not been a permanent platform for them before,” Anil Kumar, Tribal Development Officer (TDO) Muvattupuzha, told TNM. The implementation of the project idea, which was initially mooted in 2004, began in 2011. Facilities at the complex The complex will house eight shops for the tribal community to sell their products. “This is the most important facility in the complex as far as the tribal people are concerned. Because people can sell their products here and take all the income back home,” TDO Anil said. As of now, the officials have decided to give three out of the eight shops to the Attapadi Co-operative Farming Society, Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) and Ambedkar Memorial Rural Institute for Development (AMRID). All three institutions have been working closely with tribal communities. The other five stalls will be given on contract to people from tribal communities for a period of one year. People from the community can submit an application to the Tribal Officer in their district and get the stall free of cost for a year. A sophisticated auditorium that can seat about 300 people at a time is also part of the complex. Adivasi art forms and folklores will be presented here. Officials also plan to rent out the auditorium to private parties when no programmes are being conducted to get additional revenue. An ethnic food court serving native delicacies of the tribal communities in the state will also be set up inside the complex. The department also aims to make the complex a tourism destination in Kochi in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council. As the part of this, dormitory facilities have been arranged for tourists inside the complex. The tribal complex will be managed by a committee headed by the Ernakulam district collector, director of the Scheduled Tribes Development department and a district tribal officer.

Body 2:

Crime

The chargesheet by the Crime Branch has named 14 accused in the murder of Sharath Lal and Kripesh on February 17.

TNM Staff

The Crime Branch (CB) team, which is probing the murder of the two Youth Congress workers in the Kasaragod district of Kerala, on Monday concluded that ‘personal enmity’ was the motive behind the murders and that there was no ‘political angle’. The two members of the Congress party's youth wing, 24-year-old Sharath Lal and 22-year-old Kripesh, were attacked on February 17 by three men. While Krupesh died at the Kasaragod district hospital, Sharath Lal succumbed to his injuries on way to a medical facility in Mangaluru city of Karnataka. According to a report by the New Indian Express (TNIE), the CB in its chargesheet submitted to the Hosdurg Judicial FIrst Class Magistrate Court said that even though politicians are involved in the crime, the motive had no political angle and that it was purely based on personal enmity. As per the report, 14 persons have been named in the chargesheet as accused and all of them have links to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which is the main constituent of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala. The chargesheet stated that eight persons, including the CPI(M) Periya local committee member A Peethambaran, were directly involved in the crime. Peethambaran, who is alleged to be the main conspirator behind the murder was expelled from the party, was arrested for the murders in February. As per reports, three persons have been charged for helping the alleged assassin execute the plan and a total of 11 persons are currently in judicial custody. The three other persons, including CPI(M) Udma area secretary and Periya local committee secretary N Balakrishnan, were charged for helping the accused destroy evidence. These two persons, however, were granted bail by the court on the same day they were arrested. According to a report by the Times of India, the families of Sharath Lal and Kripesh have termed the chargesheet a farce, which was prepared to satisfy the interests of the political leaders. Sathyanarayanan K, father of Sarath Lal was quoted to have said, “We all know it was the party leadership that executed the murders and whatever claims the investigating agency has made by terming it as personal enmity is a farce.”

Body 2:

Kevin murder case

As of May 17, a total of 5 witnesses have turned hostile, denying their earlier statements.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

From left: Shahjahan and Robin

In May 2018, Kevin, a 23-year old Dalit Christian youth from Kottayam was found dead in the Challiyekkara river in Kolllam. He was in love with 21-year old Neenu and the couple had decided to get married despite opposition from the family. Neenu's family members including father Chacko and brother Shanu Chacko (main accused) have been charged in the high profile case. The Punalur police in Kollam have arrested two out of a gang of five for attacking and threatening a witness in the high profile Kevin murder case. The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Rajesh who is witness number 37 in the case. Rajesh stated that the gang tried to force him to turn hostile."At 8 am on Sunday, he was attacked by a gang of five men near the Punalur market place. Two of the five men, Manu Muraleedharan and Shinu Nasser, are already accused in the Kevin murder case. Their bail has been cancelled and the duo, who are accused number 6 and 13 respectively, have been remanded to judicial custody by the Principal sessions court," SI of Punalur station told TNM. Out of the remaining 3, the police have nabbed two of the attackers."They have been identified as Robin and Shahjahan and we arrested them at 5 am on Monday. There is one other person left to be nabbed," the SI added. An FIR has been lodged by the police based on Rajesh's complaint and the accused persons have been booked under sections 143, 147, 341, 294 b, 323, 195 a 149 of the IPC.'Blatant attempts to intimidate witnesses, sway trial' The attack on Rajesh is the latest in a series of threats, intimidation and deceptive tactics deployed by the accused party to turn witnesses hostile. As of May 17, a total of 5 witnesses have turned hostile, denying their earlier statements. Two of the witnesses, Sulaiman and Allen, changed their stance during the trial proceedings in the Kottayam Principal Sessions Court on Friday, May 17. Sulaiman, who is the neighbour of accused number 8, Nishad, denied his earlier statement that he had identified Nishad's phone being recovered. Sulaiman is witness number 98 in the case. Meanwhile Allen, who works at a petrol pump near Nelliapally in Punalur denied that he had met the main accused outside the fuel station on the day of the abduction. Allen is witness number 27 in the case. Speaking to TNM, Public Prosecutor CS Ajayan stated that two witnesses turning hostile would not impact the course of the case, as they were not crucial to the trial."We have direct evidence to prove that the accused had visited said petrol pump. There are bank statements which proves that main accused Shanu Chacko swiped his card between 10.20 and 10.23 pm on the day of the abduction. Witness number 108, Krishnachandran is the manager of State Bank of India branch where Shanu has an account and he presented the record," Ajayan told TNM. Ajayan, however, added that overt attempts to harass witnesses were made by the accused party. Media reports had stated that two other witnesses Suneesh and Muneer had denied statements made earlier recovery of mobile phones used by the accused. Last month, 20-year-old Abin Pradeep too had turned hostile during the trial proceedings in Kottayam. Prior to this, several of the accused had also dressed similarly and got similar haircuts before appearing for identification before the court, in an attempt to confuse witnesses.

Body 2:

Road safety

The enforcement squad of the Motor Vehicles Department, Malappuram, has been chatting with commuters as part of an initiative to reduce road accidents.

Cris

A video circulating on Twitter showed friendly men in khaki stopping vehicles on a road in Kerala and providing water and goodies over a little chat. While some recognised them as officials working for the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) of Kerala and some others guessed the initiative was for those breaking their Ramzan fast, it wasn’t clear what the campaign was or what they chatted about. Waah! Lovely Gesture by #Kerala Government. When Motor Vehicle Department's official vehicle is used to serve Biryani and Water Bottle to break the day's fasting for #Ramzan in Malappuram District. Hope it will be done for #Sabarimala Pilgrims who also observe 41 days Vrata pic.twitter.com/OhcetSArQn— Suresh €n (@surnell) May 18, 2019 TG Gokul, Joint RTO, Enforcement unit of MVD, Malappuram, says it is part of an initiative to reduce road accidents. “May is a month when there is always an increase in the number of accidents. Reasons could be summer vacations and the presence of unlicensed drivers trying to learn driving. The public perception is that it is okay to do this, that this is acceptable. That had to change.” He adds, “Also for the last three years, a part of Ramzan has been falling in May. By four in the evening, many motorists – and Malappuram being a predominantly Muslim area – could be very tired after fasting all day. I have seen an auto driver fall asleep out of fatigue. It is very hot too. So in a hurry to reach the mosque in the evening and then head home to break their fast, they might end up speeding. To address all this, we speak to commuters about driving carefully, while providing them water and a small kit of snacks.” The department also uses it as an opportunity to talk about the problems of driving under fatigue, he says. The enforcement wing is fairly new in Malappuram, having been posted only in January and becoming functional by the end of February. The officials began working in March with the aim of bringing down deaths due to road accidents. “It is too early to give an official number, but if you look at March and April this year, the number of deaths due to road mishaps have come down by 18 from the corresponding months last year.” The idea comes from the Safe Kerala project initiated as an extension of the Safe Zone project that was implemented 9 to 10 years ago to provide services to Sabarimala pilgrims, when there were issues with the vehicles they travelled in. “We would be on special duty and on call for 24 hours. That was a success and the Safe Kerala project came about as an extension of that.” It was last year that Transport Minister AK Saseendran announced that the Safe Kerala project would be extended to all 14 districts with 85 enforcement squads as part of it. Gokul says that the enforcement squads employ different strategies in different districts and for different months. “Next month is the time educational institutions will reopen and monsoon will begin. So we will devise strategies to prepare people for it.” Also read: Kerala’s first tribal complex to be launched soon in Kochi

Body 2:

Education

The Adishakthi summer school was first started in 2015 at Aralam in Kannur district by the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha.

Neethu Joseph

“We are tribals and we are proud of that,” says Rejini, who hails from Wayanad. Rejini, along with a few other coordinators, is enabling around 200 students from various tribal communities of Kerala access education through the Adishakthi summer school. The summer school, an initiative of the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha, is being held in Maharajas College in Kochi from May 20 to 23. The summer school is held with the main aim of promoting continued education and higher educational ambitions among the tribal students. However, the students are getting a lot more from the summer school which is being conducted for the fifth consecutive year. “Before I first came to the summer school four years ago, it was not possible for me to even face a person and speak up. But now, I am one of the coordinators of the programme,” says Rejini, adding that this is the best way to describe the growth of the students who are a part of the summer school. The Adishakthi summer school was started in 2015 at Aralam in Kannur district by the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha. Since then, the summer school has been conducted every year at various locations in Kerala. Jishnu was a student of the summer school a few years ago, but now he is a coordinator of the programme, like Rejini. “The summer school made me realise the significance of being an Adivasi. We know that there is nothing to be ashamed of to openly say that we are from the tribal community,” says Jishnu, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram. The main activities of the camp, apart from sessions on higher educational possibilities, include lectures on self reflection of the Adivasi identity, sessions on theatre and tribal songs to explore the Adivasi heritage and culture. The students are also given training in spoken English. They get opportunities to interact with various social activists too. “When I first came here, I was a higher secondary dropout student. It was after I was inspired by the people here that I attempted to clear the exams. Now I hold a diploma degree in civil engineering too. But since I found that it is not my interest area, I shifted to pursue my passion. Now I am studying in Pattanam Rasheed Makeup Academy,” Jishnu explains. From Class 4 students to those pursuing their post-graduation, this year’s camp saw the highest turnout when compared to the previous years. The students are mentored by various volunteers from student collectives and tribal activists. Most of the students hail from socially weaker tribal communities like Paniyar, Kattunayakan, Ulladan and Kurumbar. Challenges Though the students are happy and secure in the summer school, the organisers are having a tough time to meet the expenses of the camp. They are solely funded by a few kind individuals, and do not receive any financial aid from the government. “The Scheduled Tribes Development Department give us moral support for the initiative. They give their recommendation when it comes to arranging a venue for the programme and things like that, but we have many financial challenges as well. It costs around Rs 1 lakh for transportation charges alone and a total cost of about Rs 3 lakhs to run the programme, which includes the food and accommodation of the students. We are managing with the aid given by some kind hearts,” says Mary Lidiya, a PhD scholar and one of the coordinators of the programme. The team is also making use of social media to crowd source funds for the programme. “Because of the programme’s success over the past years, more and more students from different tribes in the state have come this time. We are happy with the result, but we need help from everyone to continue this initiative,” says Lidiya. Apart from the yearly summer school, the team also supports the education of tribal students by providing hostel facilities and other financial aid.

Body 2:

2019 Lok Sabha

Sreedharan Pillai also expressed his disappointment over the exit poll predictions that the BJP will win only in Thiruvananthapuram.

TNM Staff

While the BJP national is exultant at the exit poll results that showed the party storming its way back to power, it looks like Kerala BJP President PS Sreedharan Pillai is unhappy with the exit polls. All exit polls have predicted that the party is likely to open an account in the state, albeit one or two seats. But Sreedharan Pillai, who has in the past said that the Sabarimala controversy was an 'opportunity for the BJP', clearly expects more victories. According to him, if the exit polls for the state are true, it is reflective of its people’s political ignorance. Two days after the exit polls were announced on Sunday, Sreedharan Pillai, while addressing the media in Kozhikode, said, “If things go according to exit polls, Kerala has turned into a state, where its people lack political awareness.” The state party president also recalled that since the General Elections in 1977, people in Kerala have been voting against the mood of the nation. If this trend continued this election, that is in favour of the Congress or the Left, he thinks Kerala is not a politically aware state. Sreedharan Pillai exuded confidence when he stated that the BJP, which has not yet won a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, will have a representation in the state and that it will receive 17% vote share. As per the predictions of six out of eight exit polls by English channels along with agencies, the BJP is likely to win one to two seats in the state. According to one out of two exit polls by Malayalam channels, the NDA is likely to represent the state in the Parliament by winning the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat. Former Mizoram Governor and Kerala’s former BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan is NDA’s candidate in Thiruvananthapuram constituency. He is pitted against Congress’s heavyweight and two-time Member of Parliament (MP) from the constituency, Shashi Tharoor. Sreedharan Pillai expressed his disappointment over the poll predictions that the BJP will win only in Thiruvananthapuram. The two exit polls by Malayalam channels said that Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) will retain Pathanamthitta, a constituency that the BJP is hoping to win owing to the Sabarimala issue. BJP’s K Surendran, who was at the forefront of the protests over women’s entry into Sabarimala temple in the district, was chosen as the party's Pathanamthitta candidate. The exit polls predicted that the UDF’s Anto Antony is likely to win the seat. However, it said that despite a defeat, he is likely to increase his voter share substantially. Sreedharan Pillai also expressed his disappointment over the exit poll predictions that the BJP will win only in Thiruvananthapuram. Read: Good news for Cong in Kerala, Left's vote share to reduce: Malayalam media polls

Body 2:

Lok Sabha 2019

Kerala voted on April 23 to elect 20 Lok Sabha members. There are 29 counting stations across the state.

IANS

Image for representation

Over 22,000 security personnel will be on duty in Kerala on vote counting day on Thursday as Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Teeka Ram Meena is preparing for a smooth conduct of the process. Kerala voted on April 23 to elect 20 Lok Sabha members. There are 29 counting stations across the state."First the postal ballots would be counted and by noon we expect to finish the counting of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Then the counting of VVPATS will be undertaken and by evening the results will be declared. All the arrangements have been made," Meena told the media here. State Police chief Loknath Behra said 22,640 police officials have been posted across the state for providing security during the counting day."Certain sensitive areas will get additional Forces and officials have been given permission to take extra vehicles if required for speedy movement from one place to another," he said. For the first time in the state, re-polling took place in seven booths of Kannur and Kasargode Lok Sabha constituencies after Meena examined complaints of bogus voting and found them to be true."It's not that bogus voting took place in the state for the first time, it has been happening, but this is the first time that bogus voting was caught. Even if one bogus vote is cast, action should be taken," said the CEO. Asked about allegations of foul play in the postal ballots of police officials, Meena said the probe was on to find out if there was any role of the Police Association in it.

Body 2:

Fire Accident

The fire broke out at Chellam Umbrella Mart on MG road in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday morning.

Korah Abraham

Sreedevi Jayarajan

Around 15 to 20 vehicles of the Kerala Fire and Rescue services were lined up along the Overbridge-Attakulangara stretch on the busy MG road in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday morning. For over three hours, fire force personnel were battling to quell a massive fire, which broke out in a commercial establishment in East Fort. Reports state that five units of the fire force personnel (over 30 vehicles) were pressed into service on an emergency basis to quell the fire, which broke out inside the Chellam Umbrella Mart at 9 am on Tuesday. No casualties have been reported thus far. Fire force vans from all fire force stations in the capital city, including two vans from Thiruvananthapuram Airport, arrived to douse the fire. According to reports, an employee of the Umbrella Mart first noticed the smoke inside the building as she opened the shop shutters. The fire force personnel were alerted at 9.15 am and the staff and owners from the neighbouring shops were immediately evacuated as part of rescue operations. The stocks from these shops were also removed. Speaking to TNM, District Fire Officer, Abdul Rasheed, said that the main challenge was to ensure the fire did not spread to other commercial buildings in the vicinity. “This particular area is congested. There are also houses behind the shop and we had to ensure the fire did not spread further," he said. During the initial stage, the power connection to the area was also cut off as wires and electric poles were hanging close to the shop. Fire force personnel from five units worked for over four hours to douse the fire. Presently, 90 percent of the fire has been doused, as per reports. The shop, however, has been entirely gutted and most of the inventory has been damaged. According to reports, goods worth over Rs 1 crore have been damaged. Kerala Minister Kadakkampally Surendran has said that a probe will be launched to ascertain the cause of the fire. Preliminary findings suggest that the fire broke out due to a short circuit.

Body 2:

Art

Sabari Venu, who posts comics under the Instagram handle Mean Curry, uses word play in Malayalam and English for his work.

Cris

The best way to start telling this story would be by posting this below. View this post on Instagram Hey മിത്രോ, it's election time! Get your lazy bums out of your houses and exercise your right to vote. Vote out hate, vote out communalism, vote out fascism. Please please please vote for the most likely candidate to beat BJP. . . *** BJP ALLATHE ELLAVARKUM VOTE KODUKKU *** . . (Also TVM bros, WE CANNOT LET KUMMANAM REPRESENT US, VOTE DIVAKARAN VOTE THAROOR. COMEONDRASSS) #DoesntBharathMataToYou #NomoNamo #loksabha2019 #VOTEOUTHATE A post shared by Mean Curry (@meancurry) on Apr 22, 2019 at 9:19pm PDT Or this one: View this post on Instagram 8. Da Kutta Here's the painting by Claude Monet - https://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/ep/original/DT1854.jpg A post shared by Mean Curry (@meancurry) on Feb 22, 2018 at 3:38am PST Or else this other one: View this post on Instagram 5. Embrace yourself #GrowUpSTCS - ----- - "As ridiculous as this comic may seem it doesn't compare to the absurdity and stupidity of the incident where two students of St.Thomas Central School were expelled for hugging in campus. It reminded me of one particular incident that happened to me in KV during my 9th standard. This was right after getting my results for my maths unit test, I got a good score, so in that excitement I ran to tell my sister the marks (you can imagine the state of mind I was in if I ran to my sister to celebrate my results). After I told her, we committed the blasphemous act which I am afraid to mention on social media but might as well....... she gave me a congratulatory hug. YEAH I KNOW, in campus that too! Since this was one of the very few times I had ever embraced my sister back then (maybe the 9th time) we forgot that the whole world was watching us; and, as you may have expected, one of our teachers approached us from behind, pulled us away and said "BODY TOUCHING IS NOT ALLOWED IN SCHOOL CAMPUS". The only response we could think of at that moment was to justify the hug with the argument that we are related, so it was but an innocent embrace right? Thinking back on this day I regret not having said more other than feeling the need to defend ourselves only because we were related. The number of responses I would have flung at her if I could go back right now, you can't imagine. Anyway, enjoy this harmless ridiculous comic during these ridiculous ridiculous ridiculous times. :)" - ----- - #stcs #pda #trivandrum A post shared by Mean Curry (@meancurry) on Dec 27, 2017 at 4:38am PST The first one says Vote Tharoo(R) – which in Malayalam, without the R in brackets, would mean give vote. And with the R, it would of course be Vote for Tharoor – Shashi Tharoor, the Congress candidate for Thiruavanthapuram in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections. This strip – there are more than 20 now – is part of a comic series published under the Instagram handle Meancurry. The name and the comics are all a play on words in Malayalam and English. Meancurry would read as ‘Fish curry’ in Malayalam, and the artist – who we will get to after this – thinks his grandmother makes a mean fish curry. Sabari Venu is the 21-year-old artist behind the comic series. Home is Thiruvananthapuram, and work – freelance work these days, a year after graduation – is in Bengaluru. “I graduated in Bachelors of Design – it’s my dad that suggested the course – a year ago from the Srishti School of Art Design and Technology,” he says, a little before taking a bus from one city to the other. Sabari began the series after noticing the immense popularity of his first such pun-comic. He drew a man being killed by a coconut that fell on his head and an investigator announcing dramatically, 'this is no ordinary murder, it’s a thenga kola'– a pun in Malayalam for commenting on something nonsensical. (The English equivalent would be bollocks). In literal Malayalam, it means coconut murder. View this post on Instagram 2. The next one can be YOU A post shared by Mean Curry (@meancurry) on Dec 17, 2017 at 12:27am PST “I had put it up and gone out. When I came back an hour later, there were already some 400 shares! That got me started on the series. I mostly draw them on my pen tablet,” Sabari says. As a child he drew on the sides of his textbooks. But he didn’t just leave it there. When he finished school and it was time to apply for college, he tore these pictures from his textbooks, made them into a portfolio and sent it. Srishti College liked that and he got in. It’s in his final year the puns he had always enjoyed making began appearing as comics, after of course, Thengakola’s popularity. “My dad and I used to make these puns, and later I’d do it with my friends,” he says. The puns, such as that Dog Monet comic above, are almost entirely linked to Malayalam. The joke with 'Dog Monet'– not sure if Sabari would name it so – is the Malayalam translation – Nayinte Monet, where Nayi means dog, and Monet (t silent, of course) means son. So the comic says, son of a dog -- perhaps a female dog. And poor Sabari has taken the pains to actually draw the Monet picture, not use a photo of it. He likes to be sure what he does is right, and even then, he always credits. Sabari calls that one his favourites. If we are choosing favourites, the one below would be a top pick by many women. Explanation: Pennu means woman in Malayalam. So pennu, not pen, is mightier than the sword. Most of his Instagram posts gets a thousand ‘likes’ or more, Shashi Tharoor himself sharing the work on his Facebook page recently. Lately, Sabari’s comics began reflecting his thoughts and concerns on the politics of the country. There are quite a few he has posted on his personal account but not shared on his page, like the one below. And these ones: “I am cautious, of course. There are some messages and trolls that have come to me, but the best way to deal with them is to not engage with the ones sending it,” the young fellow speaks with an admirable maturity, taking stances that folks much older refuse to do, even as he understands the risks.

Body 2:

Health

The discovery was made in the Kozhikode branch of the restaurant chain as part of a raid conducted by the health department in various restaurants of the district.

Korah Abraham

Asianet News

In what comes as a setback for Malayalam actor Dileep’s popular restaurant chain Dhe Puttu, the Kozhikode health department on Tuesday found the food in the restaurant’s Kozhikode branch to be stale and cooked in unhygienic conditions. This was discovered during a raid conducted by the health department in various restaurants in the district. Dr RS Gopakumar, health officer of the Kozhikode Corporation, who was also part of the raid, tells TNM that the department found that the oil used for cooking was many days old and the chicken was rotten. Along with this, the department also discovered that ice creams in the restaurant were stored in unhygienic conditions, claimed the health inspector. The rotten items that were seized were later burnt by the health officials. “The raid took place around 8 am and we saw that the restaurant was not at all clean. The main idea behind this particular raid was to check the cleanliness and hygiene in restaurants,” says Dr Gopakumar. However, he adds that the restaurant was comparatively cleaner when the health department had conducted a raid last year. “But this year, this restaurant has failed miserably.” Even though Dhe Puttu is known as a restaurant chain owned by Dileep, Gopakumar clarifies that the actor only owns a share in the Kozhikode branch. “Dileep is a partner but this restaurant is run and operated by another person,” says Gopakumar. The health inspector also emphasises that all restaurants which are found to be functioning in a way that causes serious health concerns to the general public will have to face serious consequences as per the Kerala Municipal Act of 1994. The raid was conducted by a team led by Dr Gopakumar, Health Supervisor of the Kozhikode Corporation K Gopalan, Health Inspector K Dileep Kumar and Junior Health Inspector, K Shameer.

Body 2:

Controversy

27-year-old U Navas was taken into custody on Monday night on the complaint of his brother, for creating trouble at home.

TNM Staff

Newsgile.com

A native of Kottayam district in Kerala who was taken into police custody was found hanging inside the Manarcad police station toilet on Tuesday. 27-year-old U Navas, resident of Rajiv Gandhi Colony in Areeparambu, was taken into custody on Monday night on the complaint of his brother who is a transgender person, for creating trouble at home. On Tuesday morning, Navas asked for permission to use the toilet inside the police station. “Since he was not coming out after quite some time, the officers checked the toilet and he was found dead by hanging to the window using his lungi,” a police official told TNM. According to reports, Navas went missing from the station at around 9.15 am and was found hanging inside the toilet at 10.30 am. He was rushed to Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam, but was declared brought dead. “Navas used to create problems at home always. He was taken into custody on the complaint of his brother. He was drunk and fighting with his brother over some reason,” a police official in Manarcad station told TNM. Police officials also told TNM that the arrest was not registered and Navas was taken into custody. Meanwhile, Kottayam District Police Chief Hari Sankar denied any custodial torture, reports The Hindu. Deputy SP of District Crime Records Bureau, Parthasarathy Pillai will lead the investigation. Special Branch DySP P.A. Prakasan has also been directed to submit a report. According to reports, DGP and state police chief Loknath Behera has directed Ernakulam Range IG Vijay Sakhare and Kottayam police chief Hari Sankar to take stringent action against negligent police officers. The case will be investigated at the magistrate level as per norms issued by the National Human Rights Commission and Supreme Court. Autopsy will be conducted at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam.

Body 2:

Crime

The Kerala High Court made the observation while considering the bail plea of three accused persons in the case.

TNM Staff

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday asked the Crime Branch, which is probing the Kasaragod twin murder of Youth Congress workers, how did political motive, which was cited as the reason for the crime in First Information Report (FIR), turned to personal animosity in the chargesheet. On Monday, the Crime Branch had concluded that though politicians were involved in the crime, there was no political angle to the murders and personal animosity was the reason behind the crime. The High Court also asked that if personal enmity was towards one person, then why was the second Youth Congress worker, too, killed, reports OnManorama. The two members of the Congress party's youth wing, 24-year-old Sharath Lal and 22-year-old Kripesh, were hacked to death on February 17 by three men. Both of them died following serious injuries sustained in the attacked. The High Court made the observation while considering the bail plea of three accused persons in the case: Saji C George (second accused), Murali (ninth accused) and Ranjith (tenth accused). According to reports, the court also lashed out at the Crime Branch for not collecting the fingerprints of the accused from material objects. According to report of The New Indian Express, senior advocate B Raman Pillai argued in the court on Tuesday that there were no evidence against the three accused who have given bail plea. Meanwhile, the prosecution stated that the three were actively involved in the crime. The High Court also observed that if the case did not have an occurrence witness (a person who was present at the crime scene and saw it take place), the Crime Branch should have collected fingerprints from the vehicle and weapons used in the crime. In the chargesheet filed at the Hosdurg Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Monday, 14 persons have been named as accused in the crime and all of them have links to the CPI(M). This includes CPI(M) Periya local committee member A Peethambaran and the party Udma area secretary and Periya local committee secretary N Balakrishnan. Soon after the murder of Kripesh and Sharath Lal, their families had alleged that Peethambaran was directly involved in the crime. Following this, the party expelled him and was arrested by the police alleging him to be the main conspirator of the murders.

Body 2:

Me Too

Revathy, who wrote about the alleged incident on Facebook, tells TNM that a few other young women have also contacted her to share similar stories.

Cris

Actor and model Revathy Sampath has alleged that actor Siddique misbehaved with her in 2016. Revathy wrote a post on Facebook about the incident which allegedly happened in Thiruvananthapuram after a preview of Siddique's film Sukhamariyathe. Revathy, who was 21 years old at the time, has alleged that Siddique made ‘verbal sexual offerings’ to her. Revathy, who has acted in Rajesh Touchriver's Telugu-Odiya film Patnagar, had earlier raised allegations of sexual harrasment against the director. On a call with TNM, Revathy says that her Facebook is now full of abusive comments, just as it happens every time a woman speaks up and fans associations of powerful men become aggressive. “The comments are accusing me of trying to become famous by posting such allegations. I don’t understand how fame comes into the picture. Another question I have been asked is why I had taken so long to reveal this. It is not easy to open up. Even when I had posted about the harassment I faced from director Rajesh Touchriver earlier, I found it difficult to open up about Siddique,” she says. In 2016, Revathy had not yet taken up acting professionally, and was still a student. Siddique had contacted her to talk about an offer in a Tamil movie that would feature his son, Revathy says. “After the preview of his film Sukhamariyathe at Nila Theatre, he asked me to come to the Mascot Hotel to discuss this offer. Straight away, he asked if I was ready for ‘adjustments’. It is sad that this word should have such a meaning in the film industry. I asked him what he meant and he became explicit in his demands, describing his sexual fantasies as liking women with long fingernails. When he realised that it was not going to work, he told me to do whatever I wanted, he didn’t care. He said that I could do nothing because he was that powerful. And the comments I am getting now simply prove what he said," she claims. Revathy's post on Tuesday was triggered by a video of Siddique and actor KPAC Lalitha making pro Dileep statements and speaking against the Women in Cinema Collective at a press conference last year. Read: Hey Siddique, you don’t get to decide when and where ICCs are necessary, law does “I've watched it before. But when I watched it again now, I felt it was just pointless to remain silent any more. The WCC is an organisation that gives a lot of strength to its members like me. I hadn’t even shared this experience with them. And I am lucky to have got parents who are supportive. Even with all this support, if I find it so difficult to open up, imagine the plight of the women who are not so privileged," she says. A few young women have privately contacted her to share similar experiences after seeing her post on Siddique, Revathy further claims. “It doesn’t matter when you feel ready to open up – be it 20 years or 30 years after the traumatic experience you go through. The truth is still the truth,” Revathy says. We have asked Siddique for a reponse, and will update if he gets back to us. Read Revathy's Facebook post below:

Body 2:

Medical negligence

The 7-year old boy who had to get his nose polyps removed was wrongly operated upon for hernia.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

Since January, seven-year-old Hassan* has been treated at the Manjeri Medical College in Kerala, after his parents first noticed an unusual growth on his nose lining. The boy who was diagnosed with nose polyps and tonsillitis, underwent surgery on May 21, after months of consultations at the hospital's outpatient ward (OP). But what was to be a simple medical procedure turned into a horror story of gross medical negligence that has now shocked the state."We realised that our son was wrongly operated upon for hernia instead of nose polyps. His stomach was cut up and bandaged. No surgery was performed on his nose and throat," Hassan's father Masood tells TNM. When the rattled parents pointed out that Hassan's was an ENT issue, the doctors allegedly argued initially that the child had hernia as well. However, unable to hide their error for long, they immediately took the anaesthetised boy for a second consecutive surgery, the parents claim. "He was re-administered anaesthesia and operated on within minutes. This is a 7-year-old boy we are talking about. He was barely conscious from the previous procedure when he was administered anaesthesia to the spine," Hassan's father added. An inquiry into the issue revealed that the patient's scans and medical files were mixed up with that of an 8-year-old boy, with a similar sounding name, who was suffering from a hernia."The doctors even argued to convince us that our son had hernia. However, they could not produce a single evidence from the surgery to prove their case. Is this the treatment that we should expect at a government hospital?," Hassan's father asks. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from different quarters. The State Human Rights Commission has taken a suo motu case against the doctors at the OP ward. A report has been sought from the Superintendent of the Manjeri Medical College Hospital on the incident."We have registered a case under IPC section 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others). Investigations are ongoing in the case," an officer from the Manjeri station told TNM. State Health Minister KK Shylaja has suspended the doctor who performed the surgery on Hassan with immediate effect. An FIR has also been lodged as the Manjeri police station based on the family's complaint. "There will be no leniency shown on those who err when they engage in treating patients. Those treating patients should do it with the utmost care. A detailed probe has been ordered and the boy will now be treated at state government's expenses," KK Shailaja said in the statement, adding that the boy was recovering well. Meanwhile, Hassan continues to be admitted to the medical college, recovering from his surgeries."His one leg is fully swollen and he has not spoken to anyone since yesterday. What is even more shocking is that not one senior doctor visited us until the issue received media attention," Hassan's father said. Hassan's family says that they will raise the issue with the District Collector, the Health Minister, the Child Welfare Committee and the Superintendent of Police, to highlight the seriousness of the case. "Each patient will have a tag on their hands which provides all details of his/her diagnosis, patient's personal records including age etc. The other boy has a different name, a different age and a totally different ailment. How can there possibly be a mix up?," Hassan's uncle adds. *Name changed

Body 2:

Controversy

Adithya was arrested on the charges of fabricating documents against Syro Malabar Catholic Church supremo Cardinal Mar George Alencherry.

TNM Staff

“The police tortured me, they beat up my legs,” Adithya, a techie from Kochi, told the media as he stood in front of the First Class Judicial Magistrate court in Kakkanad on Tuesday. He was arrested on Saturday on the charges of fabricating documents against Syro Malabar Catholic Church supremo Cardinal Mar George Alencherry. The remand report submitted by the investigating officers to the court on Tuesday stated that the documents were forged to defame the Cardinal. Adithya, who is the third accused in the case, however, has now claimed that the police tortured him into accepting the offence. An IIT Madras graduate, Adithya was arrested after Cardinal Alencherry filed a complaint that the former forged some financial documents against him. According to the remand report, the alleged fake documents feature Cardinal Alencherry’s account statements showing transactions of lakhs of rupees to other accounts, including Rs 8.9 lakh to Lulu Convention Centre, Rs 16 lakh to Marriott Courtyard hotel and Rs 85,000 to Marriott Lulu hotel. According to reports, Adithya also gave a statement to the court that he was under pressure from the police to confess to the crime. On reporting that Adithya was beaten up by the police, the court sent him for a medical examination at Kalamassery Medical College. Adithya, who addressed the media after the medical check-up, alleged that he was beaten up by the police. Rift in Church On Monday, a faction of bishops of Syro Malabar Catholic Church, who are led by Bishop Jacob Manathodath, the administrator of the Ernakulam – Angamaly archdiocese and appointed by Pope Francis, came out in support of Adithya. At a press meet in Kochi, the bishops also accused the police of trying to protect some ‘top’ persons in the church. According to the official statement released by the Ernakulam – Angamaly archdiocese, Adithya, who was working in a financial organisation in Kochi, happened to see some money transaction documents involving the name of Cardinal Alencherry. Adithya then allegedly took screenshots of the documents and mailed it to Father Paul Thalekkat, a priest he knew in the church. Father Paul Thalekkat then transferred it secretly to Bishop Jacob Manathodath, the administrator of the archdiocese. “This was then given to Cardinal George Alencherry and since the truth about this was not known to us, it was disclosed only at the synod or council of the Syro Malabar church on January 2019,” said the bishops. The bishops have also demanded a CBI probe into the fake document case. Meanwhile, the police have also named two priests of the church, Father Paul Thalekkat and Father Antony Tony Kalukkaran, as the first and fourth accused in the case respectively. They have not been arrested. Land deal case against Cardinal stayed Incidentally, the Cardinal himself is one of the 25 accused in an alleged land deal case involving the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro Malabar Church. A case was registered against him in April. Now, according to reports, the Ernakulam district court stayed the trial on Tuesday until a decision is taken in the revision petition submitted by the Cardinal. In 2016, the Ernakulam Archdiocese had sold a three-acre piece of land in Kochi to repay its bank loan worth Rs 60 crore. The agent, who was appointed by the church to assist in the deal, had estimated the value of the land at just Rs 27.30 crore, which the local residents and many priests in the church claimed to be low. According to them, the land would cost at least Rs 80 crore.

Body 2:

Politics

SDPI state president Abdul Majeed Faizi blamed CPI(M)’s Kodiyeri Balakrishnan for stoking hatred between party cadres by accusing the SDPI of terrorism.

TNM Staff

SDPI Kerala state president Abdul Majeed Faizi openly announced that their party cadres had supported the Congress-led UDF in at least 3 constituencies, namely Thrissur, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram. Addressing a press conference in Kozhikode on Tuesday, Faizi blamed the CPI(M)’s leadership’s terrorism allegations against the SDPI for the party’s switch in favour of the UDF. “The 1000-day tenure of the Pinarayi government has not done anything good for the minority community and they should think over this. Instead they come up with terrorism related allegations against SDPI every now and then and thereby incite their cadres to target us,” Faizi stated. The decision to support the UDF in the three constituencies was taken at the state level, Faizi added. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, SDPI has contested from 10 seats in Kerala. According to reports, Faizi added that the cadres might have voted for the UDF in constituencies where the party did not field a candidate. Faizi also added that the CPI(M) should introspect on why minority groups moved away from the party this time around. “CPI(M) should understand the facts on ground and move in the right direction,” he stated. Addressing the press meet, Faizi added that Kodiyeri’s statements against the party was an open call to violence. “Kodiyeri said that if LDF is losing, SDPI could be one major factor behind the loss. He is thereby creating hatred between CPI(M) and SDPI cadres and this will create a major tussle on the ground between the two party workers,” Faizi added. The party president also stated the CPI(M) did not have a national presence to be a formidable opposition to the BJP. CPI(M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had referred to SDPI as the ‘Indian version of Taliban’ back in July 2018. Kodiyeri made the statement while reacting to the political murder of Maharaja’s college and student SFI (student wing of CPI(M) activist Abhimanyu. Several SDPI workers were arrested by the Kerala police following Abhimanyu’s political murder. In March 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Kodiyeri has reportedly said there had been a secret meeting between SDPI and IUML in Malappuram. IUML is a part of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala. LDF leader PV Anwar from Ponnani accused UDF convener Benny Behanan and IUML leader ET Muhammad Basheer of holding secret talks with Abdul Majeed Faizi.

Body 2:

Crime

Varghese Judson, a resident of Puthuvype in Kochi, was captured after a tense standoff with officials.

TNM Staff

The Excise Department in Kerala seized 6.5 kilograms of a hashish-like drug called charas worth Rs 13 crore from a Kochi native on Wednesday, following a dramatic operation. It is the largest quantity of charas to have been seized in Kerala. The drug was confiscated from Varghese Judson, a resident of Puthuvype in Kochi, who is allegedly associated with international drug dealers. He was captured through well-planned operation executed by Excise Department officials in Kochi. Varghese Judson Judson was captured by the Excise Department on Wednesday afternoon at International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) road in Kochi. During the tense standoff, which caused panic among bystanders on the scene, Judson tried to shoot officers with a pistol he was carrying. Officials retaliated with a service revolver and held Judson at gunpoint. Judson then tried to flee, but officials tackled him and snatched his gun away. Within a few minutes, the situation was brought under control, excise officials said in the press meet held on Wednesday. Drugs peddled under cover of autistic son The officials managed to capture Judson after months of effort and planning. “About 50 youth were held over the past couple of months and this lead us to the Judson,” according to an official at the press meet. Judson was transporting the drug charas to Kerala from Nepal via Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bengaluru. “Judson has a son who is autistic. In most of his trips, he takes his son with him so that he can escape from the stringent police checking, if there is any,” excise officials said. According to officials, Judson single-handedly peddled drugs. Department authorities have repeatedly tried to nab Judson, but each time he has managed to flee. “But this time we planned thoroughly. An official among us impersonated a customer and contacted Judson through one of his close aides,” the official said. Excise department officials with Judson after seizing the drugs The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had also given information about Judson to the Excise Department. Judson had been notified that he was being followed by central agencies, which made him sell whatever drugs he had left with him. The Excise Department used this opportunity to capture him. In the international market, a kilogram of charas would cost Rs 1.5 crore. Six-and-a-half kilograms were seized from Judson, according to officials, but holding just 100 grams of charas could land a person in prison for 10 years. Rishiraj Singh awards excise team Excise Commissioner Rishiraj Singh IPS awarded Rs 25,000 to the team of officials who conducted the massive drug operation. The team was lead by Excise Special Squad Inspector P Sreeraj.

Body 2:

Election 2019

The two candidates are touted to be neck and neck in their fight for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat.

TNM Staff

With just hours left for the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Thiruvananthapuram UDF candidate Shashi Tharoor and NDA’s Kummanam Rajasekharan began the crucial counting day by offering prayers. The two candidates are touted to be neck and neck in their fight for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat. At 5:30 am on Thursday (May 23), two-term MP Tharoor tweeted a picture of him praying with this aged mother in the prayer room of his residence in the capital city. His caption read, “D-Day at last! Will it be D for Deliverance for the nation from 5 years of misgovernance, ineptitude & bigotry, or D for Disappointment & Despair for all who who believe in #InclusiveIndia, responsible governance, liberal social values & economic justice?”. D-Day at last! Will it be D for Deliverance for the nation from 5 years of misgovernance, ineptitude & bigotry, or D for Disappointment & Despair for all who who believe in #InclusiveIndia, responsible governance, liberal social values & economic justice? pic.twitter.com/DJ7zqCgbEp— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 23, 2019 NDA candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan who had quit his post as the Governor of Mizoram to contest in the elections visited the Shri Ayyagurudeva Maha samadhi temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Speaking to media after his temple visit, Kummanam said, “I believe in the people and I think the people believe in me. I decided to contest the election because I have lived here, understood the problems people face and I believe I can address these and respect their beliefs. So the results will be favourable." He added, "The members who represented the constituency neglected and ignored the people and did not do anything for the development of the city.”

Body 2:

Lok Sabha 2019

At 12.30 pm, UDF's PK Kunhalikutty is leading by 1.71 lakh votes against LDF's VP Sanu in the Malappuram constituency.

TNM Staff

“We are a bigger party than the Communist Party of India (Marxist) now,” guffawed PK Kunhalikutty, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and the UDF candidate in the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala. Speaking to the media on Thursday while the votes for the Lok Sabha elections are being counted, Kunhalikutty is a happy man. At 12.30 pm, UDF's PK Kunhalikutty is leading by 1.71 lakh votes against LDF's VP Sanu in the Malappuram constituency. At the same time, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is also leading in 19 out of the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, even as the United Progress Alliance is majorly trailing behind the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the centre. “We are not looking at the results in North India at the moment but as far as Kerala is concerned, we are very happy,” said Kunhalikutty, smiling. The IUML leader went on to point out that the LDF government’s stand in the Sabarimala issue has had a huge impact on them. “We did not support the LDF on their stand on the Sabarimala issue. We will not accept any decisions that hurt religious sentiments,” said Kunhalikutty, speaking to the media. The veteran leader also went on to take a dig at the CPI(M) by stating that they are a much bigger party than the CPI(M) at the moment, given that they are likely to win more seats in this year’s Lok Sabha elections than the CPI(M). “But we are all in an alliance in Tamil Nadu. So if CPI(M) manages to win any seats there, then we can say that they managed to win with the help of the IUML and the Congress,” quipped Kunhalikutty. Kunhalikutty has been representing the constituency since a bye-election in 2017, when he won from all the seven Assembly segments under Malappuram. He has earlier served as minister in various UDF governments. He has also been the national general secretary of the Indian Union Muslim League since 2007. Read: Lok Sabha 2019: Landslide for NDA, Narendra Modi all set to become PM again ‘Solid slap on my face,’ says Prakash Raj on losing in Bengaluru Central Jagan all set to become Andhra CM as TDP faces a rout in state assembly Not all losers are losers, says Mamata Banerjee as she congratulates winners DMK+ all set to sweep Tamil Nadu in Lok Sabha polls, AIADMK leading in just 1 seat Kerala headed for a Congress sweep, experts say Sabarimala worked against Pinarayi

Body 2:

Seawall construction in Kerala coast hamlet in trouble again due to sand unavailability

Kerala’s first tribal complex to be launched soon in Kochi

Kasaragod twin murders: Chargesheet says personal enmity reason, no political angle

Kevin murder case: Accused resort to threats, violence to turn case in their favour

Kerala govt officials offer water and snacks to commuters, promote road safety

How a summer school in Kerala is helping over 200 tribal students aim high

If exit polls right, it means Kerala people lack political awareness: State BJP chief

Over 22,000 security personnel on duty in Kerala for counting day

Massive fire at Thiruvananthapuram shop doused after four hours, no casualties

Meet the artist who converts puns in Malayalam and English into comics

Health Dept finds stale food and unhygienic conditions in Dileep’s Dhe Puttu

Kerala man taken into custody found hanging inside police station

Kasaragod crime: How did political motive become personal enmity, HC asks Crime Branch

Siddique asked me if I was ready for 'adjustments': Actor Revathy Sampath to TNM

Kerala docs perform hernia surgery on 7-year-old boy instead of a polyp removal

Kerala techie, arrested for forging docs against Church head, alleges police torture

‘Party cadres voted for UDF in 3 constituencies’: SDPI Kerala President

Dramatic drug bust in Kochi: Dealer tries to shoot down cops, arrested with 6.5kgs of hashish

T’puram candidates Shashi Tharoor and Kummanam begin counting day with prayers

‘IUML a bigger party than CPI(M) now’: Kunhalikutty takes a dig at CPI(M)