BJP workers injured in alleged attack at Wandoor

A 30-year-old construction worker was arrested by the Polur police in Tiruvannamalai on Sunday for allegedly killing an elderly woman who allegedly stopped providing free food to him.Police said the arrested person was identified as R. Murthy, a daily wage labourer. The victim, B. Yasoda, 62, and Murthy belong to Ezhuvambadi village near Polur town in the district.Initial inquiry revealed that Yasoda was living with her son, Venu, a mechanic, in the village after her husband died many years ago. Murthy was a neighbour who lived alone after his family abandoned him. Yasoda has been providing free food to Murthy for the past few years. Of late, Murthy was addicted to alcohol and often got into arguments with Venu, Yasoda’s son, over petty issues.Police said Venu asked her mother not to provide food to Murthy anymore. Agitated Murthy quarrelled with Yasoda for not giving him food. In a fit of rage, Murthy allegedly stabbed her when she was returning home on Sunday.Police said residents and neighbours raised the alarm and alerted the Polur police. A case was registered. Murthy was arrested and lodged at Central Prison in Vellore. Further probe is under way. Published - June 15, 2026 12:15 am IST

Members of the Federation of North Chennai Residents’ Welfare Association submitted the field study report to GCC Commissioner G.S. Sameeran on June 11, 2026. | 8% of the surveyed residents living near the incinerator plant of the waste-to-energy (WtE) project at the Kodungaiyur dump yard reported adverse health symptoms, according to a community health survey conducted on February 16 and 17, say residents’ associations.The Federation of North Chennai Residents’ Welfare Associations and the Alliance for Incinerator Free Chennai submitted a petition to Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner G.S. Sameeran on Thursday, demanding the permanent closure of the incinerator plant.The survey, which was conducted in 415 households across eight neighbourhoods within a two-kilometre radius of the 50 Metric Tonnes Per Day (MTPD) facility, documented severe socio-economic disruptions.A total of 93.4% of the respondents attributed their illnesses to the facility’s smoke. While all of them observed smoke from the plant, 91.6% reported that their groundwater was visibly degraded or undrinkable.The survey also revealed that 53% of the households faced disruptions to children’s education, and 45.5% reported frequent work absences. More than half of all the surveyed households reported health, educational, and economic burdens.The associations reiterated their demands for the cancellation of the other proposed incinerator projects — including a 2,100 TPD facility in Kodungaiyur, a 1,500 TPD plant in Tambaram, and a proposed facility in Coimbatore.The federation requested the civic body to implement their ‘Green Chennai Initiative’ proposal for solid waste management. It also demanded comprehensive impact assessments and medical remedies for the affected communities. Published - June 12, 2026 12:56 am IST

image for representation | The victim, identified as Raju, a resident of the Pulimoodkunnu Michabhoomi area in Kattikulam, was seriously injured when the elephant attacked him around 10 am, officials said.The attack occurred while forest officials and residents were attempting to drive the elephant away after it entered a populated area.Raju sustained severe injuries and was rushed to the Mananthavady Medical College Hospital.Doctors later decided to shift him to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for specialised treatment as his condition worsened.However, he died before he could be transferred.The incident has once again highlighted the growing problem of human-elephant conflict in Kerala’s forest-fringe regions, where encounters between people and wild animals have become increasingly common.Just a day earlier, a woman was killed in an elephant attack at Chinnakkanal in the hill district of Idukki, an area that has witnessed repeated elephant intrusions into human settlements.Similar cases have been reported from other forest-bordering districts, fuelling concerns among residents over safety and prompting demands for stronger mitigation measures. Published - June 10, 2026 02:56 pm IST

A case of alleged fraud involving a ritual and gold jewellery has been registered at Arasikere Rural Police Station. | Kanthubai, a resident of Halekallanayakanahalli in Arasikere taluk, on Wednesday, filed a complaint with the police alleging that she was defrauded by persons from Harnahalli and Kodimatha villages.The accused allegedly visited her home on July 15 last year and performed a puja, assuring her that the ritual would relieve her husband of the health issues that he was facing. As part of the ritual, the accused asked her to place various items, including a gold chain weighing 27.2 grams, in a steel box. The accused allegedly instructed her not to open the box for 45 days.After 45 days, the woman contacted the accused to ask if she could open the box, but she was advised against doing so that day.Suspecting foul play, she opened the box on March 22 and found the gold chain missing. On contacting the accused, the woman was informed that the gold chain would be returned. Later, the accused claimed that the chain had been pledged at a finance company.The woman subsequently filed a complaint, alleging that she had been cheated in the name of god. An investigation is under way. Published - June 04, 2026 06:57 pm IST

file image for representation | The deceased has been identified as Jessie, 46, and her husband is Shaji, a resident of Puthumala. Shaji has been admitted to the VIMS Medical College Hospital, Meppadi. He works a security guard at a private hospital.Shaji was on his way to work around 6 a.m. when the couple was attacked by the wild elephant at Kalladi Choondi. The elephant was crossing the road then. Jessie was seriously injured and immediately taken to the hospital, but she could not be saved.Local residents told the media that the presence of a wild elephant was detected in the area two weeks ago. Published - May 26, 2026 09:54 am IST

Residents of the P&T apartment towers in Mundamveli are set to lay an indefinite siege to the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) office at Kadavanthra from Tuesday (May 26, 2026), demanding a long-term solution to the leakage of their apartments.The P&T Apartment Owners Association had given an ultimatum to the GCDA secretary last Tuesday (May 19, 2026), warning of such a protest unless remedial measures were taken to plug the leakage at the earliest. Residents had cautioned that they would be at the gate of the GCDA office immediately after the next shower. As such, the apartments continued to leak during the heavy downpour that lashed the city on Sunday (May 24, 2026).Residents have been protesting the persistent leakage since 78 families moved into the apartments built by GCDA in January 2024. They have also raised concerns about cracks and an alleged tilt in the buildings, which have largely gone unaddressed.“We have not fixed any time limit for our protest. We will stay put until the authorities take action,” said Abhilash P. Parameswaran, president of the P&T Apartment Owners Association. He also expressed doubt whether the apartment complex had been built in violation of the mandatory distance limit from the 400 kV high-tension electric line passing through the neighbourhood, endangering the lives of residents, especially during rains.After much delay, a pilot project was launched in April this year to plug bathroom leaks, as recommended by IIT Madras, which was appointed as consultant to address structural flaws. Two coats of a leak-proof solution were applied to the floor of one apartment bathroom, which was then left flooded for about ten days to test its effectiveness.Meanwhile, fibre plastering of the exterior of the twin towers, originally planned to plug leakage and estimated to cost ₹28 lakh, has been dropped. IIT Madras rejected the proposal and instead recommended another methodology focusing on joints, using a solution with attributes to prevent water seepage. However, residents opposed its implementation and insisted that IIT Madras representatives convince them in a meeting. Work on a proposed truss, complete with solar panels funded through the local MLA’s development allocation, has also made little progress. Published - May 25, 2026 08:12 pm IST

An Indian-flagged commercial vessel came under attack off the coast of Oman. File photo for representational purposes only. | The MEA described the attack as "unacceptable", but its statement did ‌not say ​who had carried out ⁠the attack which took place on Wednesday (May 13, 2026).Israel-Iran war LIVE updates - May 14, 2026"The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted," the statement said."All Indian crew on board are safe and we thank the Omani authorities for rescuing them," it added.The MEA further said India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided. Published - May 14, 2026 02:15 pm IST

Image used for representation purpose only. | The two accused have been arrested in connection with the incident that took place on the night of May 11, the sources said.Delhi Police has not yet issued an official statement on the incident. Based on the woman’s statement, an FIR was registered under sections 64(1) (rape), 70(1) (gang rape) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Rani Bagh police station on May 12, the sources said.“The accused have been arrested and further investigation is underway,” a police source said, adding that the bus has been seized.According to the police sources, the woman was returning home after working at a factory. When she reached near the B-Block bus stand in Saraswati Vihar, she saw one of the accused standing near the bus door and asked him the time. The accused then allegedly dragged her inside the bus and raped her.The Opposition AAP likened the incident to the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case and said it was a “big shame”. In a post on X, Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj condemned the incident.“Big Shame - Nirbhaya repeated. 30 yr old woman was picked up in the bus at night on pretext of asking time. Then she was raped by multiple people in the moving bus for around 2 hours. Bus kept moving in Rani Bagh area of Delhi covering 7 km,” he said. Published - May 14, 2026 09:47 am IST

A woman who fell into the Hussainsagar surplus drain early on Friday evening, spent the night in the murky water, her life hanging by a thread. She was rescued by the Disaster Response Force personnel under the Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency the next day.The woman, named Indira, is a resident of Bhagyanagar Colony of Golnaka. She was reported missing on Friday night, at around 8 p.m., and her whereabouts were not known the whole night.On Saturday morning, after 10 a.m., passers by heard feeble cries for help and noticed the woman who was hanging to a branch 15 feet down in the drain. They immediately called HYDRAA’s helpline and sought help.“As soon as we got the complaint, we rushed to the spot and assessed the situation. We also informed the Fire Services department, and got their help,” P. Swamy, in-charge of rescue operations in HYDRAA informed.After falling into the drain, the woman was drawn by the current for some distance before she caught hold of a tree branch. She held on to the branch the whole night, and her calls for help were not heard by anybody as the location was very steep and covered by vegetation.“The rescue was tough too. We used a ladder, but owing to nightlong exposure to contaminated water, her legs went numb, and she could not move at all. We had to literally carry her up the ladder,” Mr. Swamy said.Ms. Indira was in shock after rescue and could not recall how she fell into the drain. Mr. Swamy said she was not found intoxicated or under the influence of any substance at the time of rescue. She did not receive any injuries, so was sent home to her family after the rescue.Five persons from DRF, including Mr. Swamy, and three from the Fire Services, participated in the operation. This is the second notable rescue operation led by Mr. Swamy, who had earlier brought to safety nine engineers and workers stranded on a boat in the middle of Mir Alam Tank after the engine of the boat failed. Published - May 09, 2026 11:54 pm IST