1. Four dead after consuming spurious liquor in Marakkanam
Four men, aged between 50 and 65, died and nearly 15 persons have been hospitalised after they allegedly consumed spurious liquor at Ekkiyarkuppam near Marakkanam in Villupuram district early this morning.
Police sources said a group of over 15 persons, mostly fishermen from the coastal hamlet of Ekkiyarkuppam, had purchased the brew from Amaran, 25 of Mariamman Kovil Street in Marakkanam. The villagers started falling ill after consuming the brew on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday and were admitted to hospitals in neighbouring Puducherry and Villupuram.
Amaran was arrested. Two police inspectors and two police sub-inspectors have been placed under suspension.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a solatium of ₹10 lakh to each of the bereaved families and ₹50 to each of those in hospital treatment. Opposition party leaders including Edappadi K. Palaniswami, K. Annamalai, G.K. Vasan and S. Ramadoss flayed the DMK regime for the deaths.
2. ISC and ICSE results | Tamil Nadu students fare well
The results for the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class 12 exams and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Class 10 exams were declared by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) this afternoon.
Tamil Nadu recorded a pass percentage of 99.43% in the ISC Class 12 examinations. As many as 2,623 students from 67 schools across Tamil Nadu appeared for the ISC Class 12 exams. While 99.67% of the girls cleared the exams, 99.21% of boys passed. V.P. Amitha Jaya Jothi, a student of St. Jude’s public school and junior college at Kotagiri secured 99% and topped the Tamil Nadu merit list.
Of the 5,233 students from 110 schools who took up the ICSE Class 10 exams from the State, 99.98% of students cleared the exams. All girls who took up the exams cleared it, 99.96% of boys passed. Yaghavi Sathiamoorthy from Stanes School in Coimbatore topped the merit list scoring 99.60%.
3. Sheds of jaggery manufacturing units in Namakkal set on fire; four migrant labourers sustain burn injuries
Four migrant labourers sustained burn injuries after miscreants set fire to their dwelling — temporary sheds in a jaggery manufacturing unit run by one Muthusamy, a resident of Saralaimedu at Jedarpalayam in Namakkal district, early this morning. Eight special teams have been formed to nab the culprits and a heavy posse of police has been deployed to avert any untoward incident.
According to police sources, two months ago, on March 12, a 27-year-old woman from Karaipalayam was raped and murdered while she took cattle for grazing. A 17-year-old boy who was working in a jaggery manufacturing unit in the locality was arrested.
Alleging that migrant labourers were involved in the crime, the villagers had urged the owners of jaggery units not to employ migrant workers. The owners did not heed to their demand. Irked by it, the villagers, allegedly set fire to huts in two jaggery units and a tractor on March 15, during which no one was injured.
4. Three teenage boys drown in Kollidam river
Three teen boys who were students of a Veda Padasalai were washed away in Kollidam river at Srirangam in Tiruchi district when they went to take bath this morning.
S. Vishnu Prasath, 14, and S. Hari Prasath, 15, both natives of Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district, A. Gopalakrishnan, 17, a native of Villarasampatti in Erode district, and S. Abiram, 15, a native of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, were students of Acharyah Srimaan Bhattar Gurukulam Veda Padasalai at Melavasal in Srirangam.
When they had gone to take bath, they slipped and fell into the river that has increased water flow. People in the vicinity managed to rescue Gopalakrishnan. The other three children were washed away, police said.
4. Annamalai congratulates Congress for victory in Karnataka polls
K. Annamalai, BJP’s co-in-charge for the Karnataka Assembly polls and Tamil Nadu BJP president congratulated Congress on its victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections.
“Congrats @INCKarnataka for getting the people’s mandate in Karnataka. Best wishes for them to deliver on their promises,” he wrote in a Twitter post. Thanks to the people of Karnataka for your love & support to BJP and Prime Minister Modi. We listen to your voice with humility, and we will continue to work hard to earn your trust!, he said.
