A team comprising Forest Department and Fire and Rescue Services personnel rescued a crocodile from the Rettamalai area in the outskirts of Tiruchi city on Monday (September 7, 2026) and safely released it at Kallanai in a suitable natural habitat.

Acting on information in the morning that a crocodile had strayed near a shed where labourers resided in Rettamalai area near Koraiyar, the team immediately rushed to the spot.

The joint team armed with necessary paraphernalia safely secured the crocodile from the spot. Necessary precautions were taken and the reptile was transported and safely released at Kallanai near Tiruchi around 12.30 p.m. in a natural habitat, said the Forest Department authorities.

A 45-year-old man was found murdered on the northern bank of the Cauvery in Srirangam on Sunday. Police identified the deceased as Suresh of Theni district. He was found dead with an injury on his head on the river bank. 

Police sources said Suresh was a cook and was engaged in collecting and selling old papers and bottles.  During inquiry, the police learnt that a quarrel broke out between Suresh and R. Vignesh, both of whom were inebriated on Saturday evening. 

Vignesh, according to the police, hit Suresh with a stone on his head. Suresh died on the spot. The Srirangam police arrested Vignesh on Sunday and booked a case of murder against him.

Tiruchi and Karur will be brought under enhanced security arrangements in connection with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s visit on Friday. This will be Mr. Vijay’s maiden visit to Karur after becoming the Chief Minister. 

Comprehensive security plans have been drafted separately by the Tiruchi City and Karur district police as the Chief Minister will reach Karur by road from the Tiruchi international airport.  The Chief Minister will lay the foundation for a footwear project in Karur and distribute appointment orders to the kin of victims of Karur stampede. He will address a meeting in that town.

Police sources said the Chief Minister would arrive at Tiruchi around 10.30 a.m. by a special flight from Chennai and proceed to Karur by road. An Advanced Security Liaison meeting was organised by the police with other stakeholders at the airport on the eve of the Chief Minister’s visit.

Elaborate arrangements have been made at the Atlas Kalaiarangam in Karur where the Chief Minister will address a public meeting. A government function has been organised at the Collectorate.  The sources said detailed security arrangements have been made by mobilising and augmenting manpower strength from the central zone and other zones. This will be in addition to the police strength mobilised by the Karur district police authorities. 

The Inspector-General of Police, Central Zone, five Deputy Inspector-Generals of Police, 23 Superintendents of Police / Deputy Commissioners / Commandants, five Additional Superintendents of Police and 76 Deputy Superintendents of Police form part of the security arrangements besides other ranks. Manpower strength has been drawn from the Armed Police and the Tamil Nadu Special Police. Separate strength has been mobilised for regulation of vehicular traffic.

Route security would be provided from Tiruchi to Karur and back by deploying police personnel along the national highway. Over 6,000 police personnel are to be deployed for security duty at different spots in view of the Chief Minister’s visit, the sources said.

T.S. Anbu, Additional Director-General of Police, Law and Order, Thas been overseeing the security arrangements in Karur.  Sources said Mr. Vijay will reach Tiruchi airport around 6 p.m. and head back to Chennai by the special flight.

Oilseed cultivation will be promoted on about 2,100 hectares in Tiruchi district under the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) this year.

The Agriculture department has invited farmers interested in raising groundnut and castor to avail the scheme.

Tiruchi is one of the 26 districts selected across Tamil Nadu for implementation of the mission, which aims at achieving self-sufficiency in edible oil and oilseed production in the country. Last year, the Mission was implemented to cover 1,500 hectares in the district, according to the Agriculture department officials.

Under the initiative, groundnut and castor cultivation would be promoted with farmers being given seeds at subsidised rates. Development of value chain cluster and block-level demonstrations form part of the Mission.

Boosting production and productivity of oilseeds; expand of area under oilseed cultivation by supporting farmers with quality seeds and critical agricultural inputs are among the main objectives of the Mission.

Registered farmers can avail free soil health testing under the programme. Training and Farmer Field Schools (FFS) on good agricultural practices would be organised.

Farmers can register their names through the Uzhavan App to avail the benefits of the scheme. Applications, along with relevant documents, can be submitted to the concerned Assistant Agricultural Officer of the block. Beneficiaries will be selected through a participatory approach at village-level meetings, based on eligibility and seniority. Preference will be given to SC/ST, small and marginal farmers and women farmers, the department officials said.

The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd. (TNPDCL) will hold consumer grievances meetings at the following circle offices in the district as per the following schedule in July:

July 3 – Tiruchi East; July 7 – Thuraiyur; July 10 – Srirangam; July 14 – Lalgudi, July 21 – Tiruchi Metro; July 24 – Musiri; and July 28 – Manapparai.

Consumers can appear in person to represent their grievances at the meetings, S.Senthamarai, Superintending Engineer, TNPDCL, Tiruchi Metro Circle, said in a press release.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader and MP Thol. Thirumavalavan on Monday reiterated that he would not contest in the upcoming byelection in Tamil Nadu.

He was responding to a question from journalists regarding speculation about him trying to contest from the Tiruchi East Assembly constituency which has been declared vacant after TVK leader C. Joseph Vijay resigned as MLA from this constituency.

Mr. Thirumavalavan said the VCK did not exert any pressure on the TVK government. “We neither sought a change in portfolio nor did we place a demand to contest in the Tiruchi East Assembly constituency,” he said. “The VCK is clear that the ruling TVK government should last its full term of five years,” he added.

A section of Congress members staged demonstrations in Tiruchi and in Pudukottai district on Friday condemning the BJP-led NDA government for the question paper leak in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) leading to the cancellation of the examination and the controversies surrounding other exams in the country. 

The demonstrating party members condemned what they claimed the continued institutional failures in the examination system and demanded the sacking of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. 

In Tiruchi, a group of party members, led by the Tiruchi Urban District Congress Committee president L. Rex, staged the demonstration near the Teppakulam post office and raised slogans against the Centre. 

In Pudukottai district, the demonstration was organised by the party’s Pudukottai District Congress Committee (North) at Viralimalai condemning the NDA government on the same issue. 

The party members accused the Centre of “administrative inefficiency” for the NEET question paper leak leading to the cancellation of the examination and the irregularities in NEET.  The demonstration was led by the Pudukottai District Congress Committee (North) president D.D. Bennett Anthonyraj. 

Power supply will remain suspended from 9.45 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 17 in many areas of the city owing to maintenance work to be taken up by the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd., at the East Boulevard sub-station.

The areas to be affected are: East Boulevard Road, Manimandapa Salai, Gandhi Market, Kalmandhai, Velllaivettrilaikaratheru, Rani Street, Bhoologanathar Temple Street, Big Sourashtra Street, Jinnah Street, Krishnapuram Road, Chinnakadai Street, Big Bazaar Street, Madhuram grounds, Bharathiar Street, Butterworth Road, East Andal Street, Rockfort, West Boulevard Road, Babu Road, Kurinji College, Town Station, Viswas Nagar, Vedathri Nagar, A.P. Nagar, Lakshmipuram, and Ukkkadai.