1. Minister Senthilbalaji case | Remand extended till July 26
Arrested Minister V. Senthilbalaji was scheduled to undergo a beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai on June 18. However, he requested the doctors to postpone the surgery to June 21 in order to cooperate with the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) which had obtained permission for custodial interrogation at the hospital, Senior Counsel N.R. Elango claimed before the Madras High Court.
The submission made before Justice C.V. Karthikeyan, the third judge hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the Minister’s wife Megala following a split verdict by two judges of a Division Bench on July 4.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Principal District Sessions Court at Chennai has extended the remand of Mr. Senthilbalaji by two weeks, till July 26.
2. EPS slams CM Stalin
The AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, in his statement, took a dig at Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for assuming the role of a ‘judge’ by referring to his party leaders as if they were ‘convicts’, even before the cases against them were heard.
Mr. Palaniswami said Stalin’s recent letter to President Droupadi Murmu against Governor R.N. Ravi spewed venom against his party leaders and accused the DMK president of indulging in crafty politics by directing his ‘servile’ Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to file ‘false’ cases against former AIADMK Ministers M.R. Vijayabhaskar and K.C. Veeramani.
3. CM requests allotment of 10,000 MT wheat, tur dal a month by Centre
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal requesting him to allot 10,000 MT each of wheat and tur dal per month, from the Central stock. These items will be sold through cooperative outlets to control the increasing prices, the CM added in his letter.
Mr. Stalin also requested the Union Minister to expedite the Union government’s efforts to import these products, in view of the shortage in domestic production. Referring to the worrying trends witnessed in food inflation, the CM urged the Union Minister to take immediate steps to help State governments in mitigating the impact on consumers.
4. DMK strongly opposes Uniform Civil Code
In its letter to the Chairperson and members of the 22nd Law Commission of India, the DMK has strongly opposed the proposal to enact the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by the Union government, contending that such a code was an antithesis to the right to freedom of religion, under Article 25 of the Constitution and the rights given to minorities under Article 29.
DMK general secretary Duraimurugan wrote that the UCC would wipe out the personal laws of each religion in personal matters like religion, adoption and succession.
5. DMK councillor, family end lives in Namakkal
A. Devipriya (46), a DMK woman councillor in Rasipuram Municipality of Namakkal district, her husband Arunlal (53), and their daughter Monisha (18), allegedly died by suicide at their home.
Preliminary police inquiry revealed that Arunlal was running a jewellery shop in Rasipuram and was unable to repay borrowed money.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)
