Kannur:

A police driver has been booked for attempt to murder after he dashed into a petrol pump employee and drove with the man on the bonnet on being asked to pay for the fuel he filled, police said on Monday.

The accused has been arrested and suspended from service, they said.

Kannur city police commissioner Ajith Kumar said various sections including attempt to murder were imposed against the accused and he was suspended from the service.

The arrest of the accused was recorded on Monday, police added.

The employee, Anil, was attacked when the police driver allegedly tried to leave without paying the amount for the fuel on Sunday evening, police said.

CCTV visuals of the man, clinging to the bonnet of the speeding car as it travelled along a busy highway for nearly one kilometer, went viral on social media platforms soon.

In the video, Anil can be seen having an argument with the accused, identified as K Santhosh Kumar.

As the argument escalated, the driver suddenly accelerated the car, where the petrol pump employee was thrown onto the bonnet of the vehicle. The car with the staff on the bonnet travelled and stopped after covering nearly a kilometer along the busy road.

Anil, who suffered injuries to his hands, later lodged a complaint with the Town Police. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad:

A 60-year-old man from Kerala died while undergoing treatment at a hospital here due to the injuries he sustained after the upper berth seat in a train coach in which he was travelling fell on him due to improper chaining by another passenger, Government Railway Police (GRP) said on Wednesday.

The incident happened on June 16 when Ali Khan C K from Kerala was travelling to Agra along with his friend in the lower berth of the sleeper coach of train number 12645 Ernakulam-Hazrat Nizamuddin Millennium Superfast Express, they said.

The train was passing through the Warangal district of Telangana when the incident happened, a GRP official said, adding the man suffered neck injuries and was initially taken to a hospital in Ramagundam from there he was shifted to a hospital in Hyderabad where he died while undergoing treatment on June 24.

A case was registered.

The official spokesperson of the Ministry of Railways (@Spokesperson Railways) in a post on social media platform ‘X’ said the passenger concerned was travelling on seat number 57 (lower berth) of S6 coach.

“The upper berth seat fell down due to improper placement of the chain of the upper berth. Due to improper chaining of seat of upper berth by a passenger, the seat fell down,” the post read.

“It is clarified that the seat was not in damaged condition, neither it fell down nor crashed. The seat was checked at Nizamuddin station and found ok,” the post said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Thiruvananthapuram:

Kerala Minister K Radhakrishnan, who has been elected to the Lok Sabha, resigned from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Cabinet on Tuesday, but not before issuing a landmark order to remove colonial names for places where people belonging to SC/ST communities live.

Mr Radhakrishnan, who held the Devaswom, Welfare of SC, ST and Backward Classes and Parliamentary Affairs portfolios, handed over his resignation to Chief Minister Vijayan at his official residence here.

His resignation as MLA was handed over to Speaker AN Shamseer later.

Before resigning, the Left leader, in his capacity as minister, issued a significant order in which he directed not to use the words “colony”, “sanketham” and “ooru” to describe the places predominantly inhabited by families belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The order said such words evoke disrespect, so new names in accordance with time are appropriate.

Instead of such words, new names like “nagar”, “unnathi” and “prakriti” should be used to describe such areas. The order said that names of regional interest in respective areas can also be used.

Mr Radhakrishnan later told reporters that discussions had been going on in this regard for some time, and finally a decision has been taken to abolish the practice of using such words.

“The word colony is a symbol of colonial slavery. So, the usage should be abolished,” he said.

After handing over his resignation, Mr Radhakrishnan also said that he was stepping down with great satisfaction.

A central committee member of the CPI(M), he also said he tried to do maximum service for the people in his capacity as a minister.

Mr Radhakrishnan won the Alathur Parliamentary constituency by a margin of 20,111 votes in the Lok Sabha polls.

He is the lone ruling Left candidate in Kerala to have emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha polls.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Thiruvananthapuram:

Following reports about an altercation involving the personnel attached to the Southern Air Command and the staff of a restaurant here, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has begun its probe into the matter.

A statement issued on Friday by the IAF said that news has been circulating in the media about an altercation on May 15 involving Indian Air Force personnel.

“The headquarters Southern Air Command has taken serious cognizance of the incident and the same is being enquired thoroughly to ascertain the facts, in accordance with Indian Air Force policy of zero-tolerance to cases of misdemeanour, especially in public places,” the statement read.

The probe comes a day after the Kerala Police registered a case against four Southern Air Command officials based on a complaint given by a hotel.

A hotel official said there were a group of people who created problems and their staff members were beaten.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night and trouble started when the guests were asked to wait as tables were not empty. This irked the guests who later turned unruly, according to the hotel staff.

Based on the complaint given by the hotel management, the local police registered a case against four Southern Air Command officials.

Later the police registered another case based on a complaint given by the IAF officials of them being harassed by the restaurant staff.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Thiruvananthapuram:

 A bride in this north Kerala district has accused her husband of brutally assaulting and attempting to kill her over dowry, barely a week after their wedding on May 5. The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has registered a case on its own and ordered an investigation.

The details of the assault came out after the newly-wed woman and her family told TV channels that the police at Pantheerankavu, where the husband lives, tried to settle the case instead of taking their complaint seriously.

As news of the alleged assault spread, State Minister of Health and Women and Child Development Veena George said that the victim will be provided with all support, including legal assistance.

In a statement, the minister said that as soon as the issue came to her attention, she instructed the Director of the Women and Child Development Department to conduct an investigation.

Terming the assault on the newly-married woman extremely cruel and stating that it shocks the conscience, the minister said strong legal action will be taken to prevent people from perpetrating such crimes, and recommended that society unite against social evils such as dowry and domestic violence.

Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan criticised the police inaction in the case, and asked whether it stands with the victim or the perpetrators.

In a statement, Mr Satheesan said the police behaved indifferently in the case and, therefore, he requested the Kozhikode City Police Commissioner to take action in the case, who in turn assured him that all necessary steps will be taken.

Mr Satheesan said it was “unbelievable” that the woman was brutally beaten over dowry within a week of marriage.

He said that the woman was so badly beaten up that “even her parents could not recognise her”, and emphasised that such incidents cannot be allowed in the state. “Such incidents humiliate Kerala and cannot be tolerated,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) registered a case on its own and ordered an investigation into the woman’s complaint of domestic violence.

In a statement, the Commission said that the action was taken based on the interviews given by the woman to TV channels.

Acting Chairperson and Judicial Member of the KSHRC K Byjunath directed the Kozhikode City Police Commissioner to conduct a detailed investigation and submit a report within 15 days.

Earlier in the day, the victim told TV channels that her husband brutally assaulted her and then tried to strangle her using a mobile phone charging cable.

She alleged that the assault came after an argument between them over dowry.

“Right before marriage we had told the groom’s family what we could give and he (husband) had said he was okay with that. Now he claims that he deserves more dowry and also a car,” she alleged.

The bride’s mother said that when the family went to meet her at the matrimonial home, they noticed several injuries on her face and on being asked, she told them that her husband had beaten her.

The family also accused the local police of being friendly towards the husband and trying to settle the case, instead of taking action against him.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Thiruvananthapuram:

Kerala-based Believers Eastern Church’s Metropolitan Bishop Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan, who was knocked down by a car while walking on the road in Dallas in the US on Tuesday, passed away on Wednesday after suffering a cardiac arrest, it was announced here.

After the accident, the 74-year-old was airlifted to a hospital and underwent immediate surgery.

He had reached Dallas four days back.

K.P. Yohanan, as he was known, became the founder and head of the Believers Church, based in Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district, in 2003. In 2017, it took the name Believers Eastern Church and he became the supreme head and was known as Metropolitan Bishop Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan.

In his early childhood, he developed an interest in the Bible and later studied theology in Dallas. In 1974, he married German national Giesla and they started the charity organisation Gospel for Asia. In the 1980s, Yohanan was known for his radio programme “Athmeeya Yatra”, which centred around the Bible.

In his career as an evangelist and then as the supreme head of the Church that he founded, he set up numerous Bible Colleges and also a state-of-the-art hospital and medical college at Thiruvalla.

During the Lok Sabha polls, his church was in the news when they pledged their support to the BJP-led NDA candidates.

The synod of the church will meet shortly to decide on the funeral arrangements of the departed Metropolitan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kochi:

The Kerala High Court made it clear on Tuesday that it would not permit courts to be used as venues for political fights.

Considering a petition moved by Aam Aadmi Party state chief Vinod Mathew Wilson in the 2021 Kodakara black money heist, which allegedly involves Kerala BJP President K. Surendran, the court said: “Our concern is only this. The court shall not be made a venue for a political slugfest. We will not permit it. You may have various reasons but we will not allow that.”

It also said the investigating agencies involved in the probe seem to be doing their job.

“State police has filed the chargesheet, the Income Tax Department is investigating the source of the funds, and the Enforcement Directorate is acting under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act). What more should be done?” the court asked.

The case pertains to the 2021 assembly polls, when in April of that year, a car travelling in Thrissur was looted and the driver filed a complaint that Rs 25 lakh, which was supposed to be payable to Dharmajan, was taken away.

The amount involved was later found to be more than Rs 3 crore.

According to Wilson, in course of the investigation into the heist, it was found that unaccounted money was brought from Karnataka to Kerala for use in the election campaign of BJP.

He also argued that the Enforcement Directorate had delayed its probe into the money laundering activities unearthed in the investigation by the police.

Wilson said despite his repeated representations to various national agencies on this topic, no action was taken and hence, he approached the High Court with the present PIL, seeking directions to the authorities concerned to consider and take action on the representations he has sent them.

On Tuesday, the ED informed the court that their probe has almost been completed and questioned the maintainability of the PIL. It was also argued that this petition is politically motivated at a time when the Lok Sabha polls are underway.

The court has not admitted Mr Wilson’s petition, while the ED said they are ready to file their statement. Following this, the case was posted for May 10.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Thiruvananthapuram:

The entire coastal areas of Kerala and the southern coastal parts of Tamil Nadu are likely to experience the “kallakkadal phenomenon” — the sudden swell of the seas causing rough waves — until 11.30 pm on Monday, prompting a central agency to issue alerts to fishermen and coastal residents.

“As the rough seas are likely to intensify, stay away from the danger zone areas as per the instructions of the authorities,” according to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).

INCOIS, the agency that issues weather warnings for fishermen in the country, advised people to safely moor fishing vessels in the harbour.

“Keeping a safe distance between boats can avoid the risk of collision. The safety of fishing equipment should be ensured,” it said in a statement here.

INCOIS also advised people to avoid trips to the beach and activities at sea completely.

The term ‘kallakkadal’ literally means a sea which comes suddenly like a thief.

INCOIS has said that the swell surge is the result of strong winds in the southern part of the Indian Ocean at certain times occurring suddenly without any particular indications or warning, hence the name “kallakkadal.” 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will face Kerala BJP chief K Surendran in the high-profile Wayanand constituency this Lok Sabha election.

Wayanad, a Congress stronghold, has been with the party since 2009. Mr Gandhi won it in 2019 and retained his Lok Sabha membership, having lost his Amethi seat to Union Minister Smriti Irani.

His rival this time, Mr Surendran, has the significant task of challenging the Congress-Left binary in Kerala’s political landscape. Both the Congress and the Left are in a national alliance though they remain rivals in this southern state.

In 2019 general elections, Mr Surendran finished third in Pathanamthitta constituency behind the Congress and the Left. He had lost the 2016 assembly polls from Manjeswaram by merely 89 votes. He also contested a bypoll in 2019, but lost it as well.

He was appointed to head the BJP Kerala unit in 2020 and became the face of the protests against the entry of young women into Sabarimala years ago.

Mr Surendran, who is from Kozhikode, figured in the BJP’s fifth candidates’ list, which also named actor Kangana Ranaut and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay.

Wayanad is the second Kerala seat to see a battle of titans after Thiruvananthapuram, where Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar will face the three-time Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

The BJP has also fielded former vice-chancellor of Sree Sankara Sanskrit University K S Radhakrishnan from Ernakulam and actor-turned-politician G Krishnakumar from Kollam. T N Sarasu, a former educator, will contest from Alathur in Palakkad.

The highlight of the BJP’s fifth list was the electoral debut of actor Kangana Ranaut from Mandi in her homestate Himachal Pradesh. The list, which named 111 candidates in 17 states, also featured new joinees like industrialist Naveen Jindal and Mr Gangopadhyay.

Mr Gangopadhyay, who joined the BJP recently after taking voluntary retirement, is the first former judge to join electoral politics. He has been fielded from Tamluk in Bengal and will face Trinamool’s Debangshu Bhattacharya, a youth leader who had penned their iconic “Khela Hobe” anthem.

Varun Gandhi, a sitting MP from Pilibhit, has been dropped and his seat has gone to Jitin Prasada, who switched to the BJP from the Congress in run-up to the election. His mother Maneka Gandhi has been fielded from her current seat, Sultanpur.

Actor Arun Govil, who played Ram in popular TV series Ramayan, will contest from Meerut. Union ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey and General VK Singh too were part of the list.

Kottayam (Kerala):

A day after senior politician PC George expressed his displeasure over the BJP fielding Anil K Antony as the candidate from Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency, the latter visited him at his house and held discussions even as the party’s state chief censured Mr George for expressing his views publicly.

Mr George, who recently joined the BJP, had strongly expressed his displeasure on Sunday over the candidature of Mr Antony from Pathanamthitta, saying the move has scuttled the party’s chances to win the polls.

He had also attacked BDJS leader Thushar Vellappally and SNDP Yogam leader Vellappally Natesan, alleging that they had conspired to scuttle his chances to contest in Pathanamthitta.

BJP state chief K Surendran said Mr George should choose his words carefully.

After a brief meeting with Mr George at his residence at Erattupetta, Mr Antony said the “fight” between them was a media creation and he came to seek the blessings of the senior politician.

“It was the media which claimed that there were issues between us. I was given a responsibility by the party. I will ensure that I fulfill it. PC George has assured me all his support. I will be following his advice also,” said the son of the former Defence Minister and Congress stalwart AK Antony.

He also told reporters the media that he knew Mr George from his childhood and was close with the family.

A visibly irritated Mr George had claimed yesterday that he had better chances in Pathanamthitta as he has got the support of the bishops and the Christian community, which has a substantial presence in the area.

Declaring that Anil Antony has no experience and is a complete stranger to the constituency, Mr George had said “no one knows him and the BJP will have to go around and introduce him to the people”.
But Mr Surendran today dismissed his statement and said Anil Antony is a well-known person and will win from the constituency.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)