Tamil Nadu

Chennai, Feb 5 (PTI) A 33-year-old man who posed as an official of the Prime Minister's Office here was arrested Tuesday and remanded to judicial custody along with his car driver who caused an accident, police said.

The fake claim of the imposter that he was an "Assistant Commissioner-Protocol," in the PMO was exposed after police grilled him following a mishap in the Madras High Court campus involving his car which hit a motorcycle and injured an advocate who was riding it, they said.

Chennai, Feb 2 (PTI) A 48-year-old man was arrested Saturday at the airport here by the cyber crime sleuths in connection with alleged offensive posts in the social media against Muslims, police said.

Kalyanasundaram Rangasamy had allegedly made defamatory comments offending Muslims recently, police said, adding they were on the lookout for him for the offence for quite some time.

Amaravati, Jan 28 (PTI) Protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Tamil Nadu reflected the "mood of the nation", Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Monday.

The Tamilians protested with black flags and balloons, against the neglect of the state that suffered damages in cyclone 'Gaja', Naidu told his party leaders during a tele-conference here, warning Modi would face much severe protests in Andhra Pradesh.

Chennai, Jan 23 (PTI) A 16-hour countdown began Wednesday for the launch of Kalamsat, a student payload, and imaging satellite Microsat-R, onboard India's Polar rocket PSLV C-44 from the spaceport of Sriharikota Thursday.

"The countdown for the launch of PSLV-C44 mission started today at 19:37 hrs (IST) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The launch is scheduled at 23:37 Hrs IST on 24th January 2019," a mission update by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

Chennai, Jan 15 (PTI): Tamil Nadu lad D Gukesh Tuesday became the second youngest Grand Master in the world and the youngest Indian to achieve the feat at 12 years, seven months and 17 days, erasing the mark set by his state-mate R Praggnanandhaa in June last year.

He achieved his third and final GM norm at the ongoing 17th Delhi International Open Chess tournament in Delhi after beating compatriot D K Sharma in the ninth round.

Gukesh becomes India's 59th Grand Master.

Rameswaram (TN), Jan 13 (PTI) At least 20 Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested Sunday by the Sri Lankan Navy for fishing off Neduntheevu, sources said.

Eleven fishermen hailing from Pudukottai district and nine from Jegathapattinam were surrounded by the Lankan Navy for fishing in the Lankan waters early Sunday morning and were later taken to Karainagar for an interrogation, they said.

Their boats were impounded and the fishermen were later sent to jail, they added.

Chennai, Jan 9 (PTI) IIT Madras scientists have created what they call 'space fuel' by simulating interstellar conditions in the lab, a method that may be used to convert atmospheric CO2 into a next generation energy source on Earth.

The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), could help curb greenhouse gases as well as provide a new, sustainable source of energy.

Madurai, Dec 26 (PTI) Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has said it was "very difficult" to predict the country's next Prime Minister in view of the current political situation.

Noting that he was "not focussed" on politics, the 53-year-old yoga guru said he would not support or oppose anyone in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Talking to reporters at the airport here Tuesday, Ramdev said, "We can't say who will become the next prime minister (after the 2019 general elections)."

Chennai, Dec 8 (PTI): Income Tax sleuths Saturday seized over Rs 54 crore of unaccounted cash during searches at multiple premises of a leading Tamil Nadu based distillery here.

Acting on a tip off about suspected tax evasion and backed up by days of spadework related to the company, income tax officials conducted searches at 12 premises belonging to the Director and employees of the distillery.

Kumbakonam (TN), Dec 6 (PTI) Four men were Thursday arrestedfor allegedly raping a woman, who arrived here by train a few days ago to join a bank, police said.

The woman, who arrived from Jaipur on December 2 midnight, had taken an autorickshaw from the railway station to her hostel, but the driver reportedly dropped her midway, they said.

Two men, who had come that way took her to an isolated spot and allegedly raped her. Two others also allegedly sexually assaulted her later, police said.