SALEM: “The difference between a good and a bad touch should be understood. A bad touch which makes you feel confused and uncomfortable should be discouraged and parents should be informed about it”.

This was the basic objective that was highlighted in the awareness campaign against child abuse organised jointly by Salem City Ladies Circle No.42 and Tulir, Chennai to mark the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse here on Wednesday.

Collector J. Chandrakumar having a look at the posters on child abuse at an awareness campaign in Salem on Wednesday.

Read the full story

CHENNAI: A 70-year-old woman who survived an accident was run over by an MTC bus near Teynampet on Wednesday morning, even as she was getting up from the road after she was hit by a two-wheeler.

The deceased, later identified as Ranganayagi, was working as a house maid. She was first knocked down by a two-wheeler when she tried to cross the road. She suffered minor injuries and was trying to get up from the road when an MTC bus hit her and ran over her, killing her on the spot.

Read the full story

CHENNAI: As the world debates ways and means to curb child sexual abuse on Wednesday, the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse, the evil may be spreading with impunity in Chennai’s backyard, Mahabalipuram.

What’s more appalling, orphanages, where children are supposed to feel safe, could be turning into hotbeds of child sexual abuse.

An investigation by Times of India has revealed that orphanages - an unusually large number of them for such a small town - are flouting rules to roll out bed, breakfast and more to foreigners, some of whom could be what the world now scornfully calls ‘travelling child sex offenders’.

Read the full story

CHENNAI: Bomb threats at three schools and one college in the city kept the police on their toes on Tuesday.
Though police conducted thorough checks in the schools, anxious parents took their children back home, forcing the school authorities to declare a holiday.

Read the full story

CHENNAI: In a new development to the human trafficking case filed against P R Sivakumar, managing director (overseas), Saravana Bhavan hotel, the airport police on Tuesday arrested him for sending one of his employees, Ragu Chandran, to the US in 2005 with the help of fake travel documents.

Sivakumar was produced before the magistrate’s court in Alandur but, based on the bail he had got from a higher court, the magistrate, Ramanathan, released him. The police have booked Sivakumar as the second accused in the case.

Read the full story

Chennai: They look like onions; however, that is how a 197 kg of Ketamine Hydrochloride arrived in Chennai from North India.

The rupees 20 crore worth drug was packed in the onion shaped packets and mixed with the original onions meant for export.

According to officials, Ketamine seizures have been on the rise in Chennai with more than 10 seizures at the Chennai airport and the harbour.

Read the full story

Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Tuesday said his remarks that AIADMK might have incited the violence in Dr B R Ambedkar Law College here was only to make “fun” of its chief Jayalalithaa’s demand for his resignation owning moral responsibility of the incident.

In a statement, he asked if Jayalalithaa had to file a defamation case against him for his remarks, “how many cases had to be filed against her for making disparaging remarks.”

Read the full story

CHENNAI: Since November 14, Ganesh Sivaraman’s online networking community account has been filling up with condolence messages from friends.

The research engineer at the University of South Australia died under mysterious circumstances a week ago. But the reason the messages have been filing in only from Friday, November 14, is because that’s the day Ganesh’s parents, who live in Vadapalani, Chennai, found out about their son’s death.

Read the full story

Perhaps, there was a plan to do a Jaipur in Chennai too. But fortunately, it has been nipped in the bud itself.

Well, the city police have netted three Muslim terrorists during a search at a lodge in Parry’s on Wednesday night.

It has now emerged that the three may have been plotting to kill Hindu leaders in the State and also possibly trigger some random blasts in the State.

Read the full story

Jaipur: Seven serial blasts rocked the city of Jaipur at 7:35 PM on Tuesday evening, killing at least 50 people and injuring 150 others.

The injured have been rushed to the Sawai Mann Singh hospital. There are six women among the dead. The blasts — which were of medium intensity — took place in the walled city area.

The Chief Information Commissioner of Jaipur, Rohit Singh says that the first blast took place at the Manas Chowk Police Station area. The second blast, according to him, was near the most famous sweet shop in the city, Lakshmi Mishtaan Bhandar which is in Johari Bazaar.

Read the full story