1. ED searches premises linked to arrested Minister Senthilbalaji again
Officials of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) conducted searches in at least five locations in Karur, linked to Minister V. Senthilbalaji, including the premises of Sankar, personal assistant of the Minister.
Simultaneously, searches were also conducted in three locations in Coimbatore, including the the residence of Tasmac Supervisor Muthubalan on Maniam Subramaniam Street.
This comes a day after the ED searched the premises of Veera. Saminathan, the secretary of the DMK South Vedasandur Union who is said to be a close associate of Mr. Senthilbalaji, in Vedasandur of Dindigul district.
2. Fire in machinery at NLCIL’s Mine II in Neyveli
A fire broke out in a spreader, a piece of heavy machinery used in open pit mining operations, at Mine - II in NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) in Neyveli. None was injured.
According to sources, lack of proper maintenance in the machinery had resulted in the fire.
Notably, the strike by a section of contract workers engaged in Mine II entered its ninth day. As an interim measure to handle manpower shortage, the NLCIL management had appointed men without prior experience in handing the machinery.
3. Madras HC quashes case against former Minister ‘Ma Foi’ Pandiarajan
The Madras High Court has quashed a case booked by the Greater Chennai Police against former AIADMK Minister ‘Ma Foi’ K. Pandiarajan, for having used a dummy coffin containing former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s figurine draped with the national flag, during the R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency bypoll campaign in April 2017.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh held that the dramatic re-enactment of the State funeral accorded to the former Chief Minister could at best be seen as an appeal to the sentiments or emotions of the voters and could not be stretched to the extent of terming it to be an undue influence exerted on them.
4. DMK district secretaries meeting on Aug 5
DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is to chair a virtual meeting of the party’s district secretaries at 10.30 a.m. on August 5 (Saturday).
During the meeting, discussions on the birth centenary celebrations of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi are to be held, said the party’s general secretary Duraimurugan in a press statement.
5. Infant’s body found behind Marina beach swimming pool complex
Visitors to the Marina Beach swimming pool complex in Chennai this morning were left in a state of shock after they found a bag containing the body of a newborn.
The bag was found at the backside of the swimming pool complex. The body was sent to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. The city police are scrutinising CCTV footages as part of their investigation.
