Tamil Nadu

Chennai, July 5 (PTI) MDMK chief Vaiko was on Friday convicted by a city court here in a sedition case filed in 2009 by the Tamil Nadu government.

He was sentenced to simple imprisonment for a year.

Judge J Shanthi held him guilty of the offence of sedition.

Vaiko, who was present in the court, said he never sought any leniency.

A petition was filed to suspend the conviction enabling an appeal against the order. Subsequently, the conviction and sentence were stayed for one month.

Coimbatore, July 2 (PTI) A fuel tank fell off from a Tejas aircraft, which was on a sortie, into an agricultural field in the city's outskirts early Tuesday, police said.

Defence sources in Chennai confirmed that a fuel tank from Tejas aircraft fell and said "all (was) safe", indicating that there were no injuries.

Agriculture labourers in Irugur village were shocked to see the 1200-litre petrol tank fall from the sky. It caused a three-foot deep crater and a minor fire, the police added.

Coimbatore, Jun 29 (PTI) A teenaged Dalit girl, who was hacked allegedly in an act of honour killing in Mettupalayam, near here, four days ago, died in hospital early Saturday, police said.

Twentytwo-year-old Kanagaraj and his lover were attacked by his elder brother Vinodh Kumar after he saw the couple moving around, the police said.

Kanagaraj died on the spot while the girl was critically injured and hospitalised, they said.

Rameswaram(TN), June 26 (PTI): Four Tamil Nadu fishermen were Wednesday arrested by Sri Lanka Navy personnel for allegedly straying into the island nation's waters, a Fisheries department official said here.

The fishermen from this island town were detained by the Lankan navy personnel near Neduntheevu, Assistant Director of Fisheries D Yuvaraj said.

Meanwhile, two people from Tamil Nadu and a Sri Lankan refugee were arrested by the island nation's Navy after they attempted to enter the Lankan territory in a country boat.

Coimbatore, Jun 26 (PTI) In a case of suspected honour killing, a 24-year old man allegedly hacked to death his younger brother and injured his lover, a Dalit, at nearby Mettupalayam in full public view, police said Wednesday.

Vinod Kumar, who was allegedly angry with his brother for being in love with the woman, saw the couple in a public place late Tuesday evening and scolded them.

He then took out a sickle and hacked his brother and also his lover before fleeing the scene even as the shocked public looked on.

Chennai, June 25 (PTI) The Madras High Court Tuesday granted permission to Nalini Sriharan, a life convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, to appear in person on July 5 and argue on her plea for six months ordinary leave to make arrangements for her daughter's wedding.

A division bench of Justice M M Sundaresh and Justice M Nirmal Kumar gave her permission to appear in person on July 5 at 2.15 pm to argue her case.

Coimbatore, Jun 25 (PTI) Alleging that her 22-year old daughter was forcibly converted to Christianity, a Hindu woman Tuesday petitioned the District Superintendent of Police seeking to restore her, police said.

The woman, a resident of nearby Arasur, approached the SP after the local police recently closed her complaint as her daughter during an inquiry told them she had embraced Christianity on her own volition.

Madurai, Jun 13 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu police on Thursday informed the Madras High Court that it would not arrest film director Pa Ranjith against whom a case has been registered in connection with his reported "derogatory" remarks against a 10th century Chola emperor.

When the anticipatory bail plea of Ranjith came up before Justice P Rajamanickam, the government prosecutor informed that police would not arrest him.

Recording the submission, the court posted the matter for hearing to June 19.

Chennai, Jun 12 (PTI) The Madras High Court Wednesday directed the Tamil Nadu government to issue orders for empowering police officers above sub-inspector rank to impose spot fines and compound offences committed by motorists.

A division bench comprising justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad issued the directive while hearing a petition filed by K K Rajendran, seeking to implement the compulsory helmet rule both for rider and pillion.

It recorded the steps taken by the police and the transport department for violation of the motor vehicle rules

Chennai, Jun 12 (PTI) A 36-year-old homosexual has been arrested for allegedly chopping off the genitals of two men, one of whom died, police said here Wednesday.

Munusamy, a native of Manamadurai, was arrested following the release of video clips by police which had visuals of him walking under a flyover near Retteri in north Chennai.

Additional commissioner of police R Dhinakaran told reporters here that the man was arrested Tuesday night after the police sifted through footage of 40 CCTV cameras.