History-sheeter shot dead in 'encounter', says police
Perambalur (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): A history-sheeter was shot dead in an encounter near Thirumanthurai in Perambalur district on Tuesday morning after he allegedly attacked a sub-inspector while trying to escape from custody, police said.
The deceased, identified as Kottu Raja alias Azhaguraja, was a prime suspect in the recent attack on another notorious criminal, Vellai Kali.
Inspector General (IG) of Police (Central Zone) V Balakrishnan provided a detailed account of the events leading to the encounter during a press briefing.
On January 24, a police escort team was transporting Vellai Kali from Dindigul to Chennai. While the team stopped for lunch, a gang of more than 10 people, including Azhaguraja, hurled country-made bombs at the vehicle.
"A policeman suffered multiple fractures and severe muscle injuries during this assault and is currently receiving advanced medical treatment in Coimbatore," the IG said.
Following the incident, an attempt to murder case and explosives-related charges were filed at the Mangalamedu police station. Five special teams were formed to track the suspects.
"Based on intelligence that the group was hiding in Ooty, police tracked and arrested Azhaguraja on Monday evening. Azhaguraja's extensive criminal history included more than five cases, featuring three murder charges, attempt to murder, and violations of the Arms Act," Balakrishnan said.
According to him, during interrogation, Azhaguraja claimed he had hidden weapons and country-made bombs near the Tiruchi-Chennai National Highway.
On Tuesday morning, the Mangalamedu Inspector took him to the site to recover the cache.
"Azhaguraja initially misled officers by taking them to several wrong locations. Upon reaching the actual spot, Raja suddenly hurled a country-made bomb at the police vehicle, causing significant damage.
"As the Kunnam Sub-Inspector tried to apprehend him, Azhaguraja used a hidden sharp-edged weapon to attack the SI’s hand. In response, the Mangalamedu Inspector fired his weapon, striking Azhaguraja in the head," Balakrishnan said.
As the 108 ambulance was delayed, police rushed Azhaguraja to the Perambalur Government General Hospital in their own vehicle, where he was declared dead, he added.
The injured SI is currently receiving treatment at a government hospital, the IG said.
"As per legal protocol, a magistrate inquiry is being conducted into the encounter, and the First Information Report has been forwarded to the court," he added.
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Texas halts H-1B visas at state universities, agencies; to affect Indians
Houston (US) (PTI): Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies and public universities to immediately halt new H-1B visa petitions, tightening hiring rules at taxpayer-funded institutions, a step likely to impact Indian professionals.
The freeze will remain in effect through May 2027.
The directive issued on Tuesday said that the state agencies and public universities must stop filing new petitions unless they receive written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission.
The governor's order, in a red state that is home to thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes as the Trump administration has initiated steps to reshape the visa programme.
“In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa programme, and amid the federal government’s ongoing review of that programme to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter,” Abbot said.
Institutions must also report on H-1B usage, including numbers, job roles, countries of origin, and visa expiry dates, the letter said.
US President Donald Trump on September 19 last year signed a proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers’ that restricted the entry into the US of those workers whose H-1B petitions are not accompanied or supplemented by a payment of USD 1,00,000.
The H1-B visa fee of USD 1,00,000 would be applicable only to new applicants, i.e. all new H-1B visa petitions submitted after September 21, including those for the FY2026 lottery.
Indians make up an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), with China in the second spot. The major fields include technology, engineering, medicine, and research.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the second-highest beneficiary with 5,505 approved H-1B visas in 2025, after Amazon (10,044 workers on H-1B visas), according to the USCIS. Other top beneficiaries include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).
Texas public universities employ hundreds of foreign faculty and researchers, many from India, across engineering, healthcare, and technology fields.
Date from Open Doors -- a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the US -- for 2022-2023 showed 2,70,000 students from India embarked on graduate and undergraduate degrees in US universities, accounting for 25 per cent of the international student population in the US and 1.5 per cent of the total student population.
Indian students infuse roughly USD 10 billion annually into universities and related businesses across the country through tuition and other expenses – while also creating around 93,000 jobs, according to the Open Doors data.
Analysts warn the freeze could slow recruitment of highly skilled professionals, affecting academic research and innovation.
Supporters say the directive protects local jobs, while critics caution it could weaken Texas’ competitiveness in higher education and research.
The order comes amid broader debate in the US over skilled immigration and state-level interventions in federal programmes.
H-1B visas allow US companies to hire technically-skilled professionals that are not easily available in America. Initially granted for three years, these can be extended for another three years.
In September 2025, Trump had also signed an executive order ‘The Gold Card’, aimed at setting up a new visa pathway for those committed to supporting the United States; with individuals who can pay USD 1 million to the US Treasury, or USD 2 million if a corporation is sponsoring them, to get access to expedited visa treatment and a path to a Green Card.
