Former Indian footballer and coach T K Chathunni dies
Kochi (PTI): T K Chathunni, a former Indian football player and coach, died on Wednesday morning at a private hospital here, members of Kerala football fraternity said here.
Chathunni, 79, was undergoing treatment for cancer.
As a defender, he played for Kerala and Goa in the prestigious Santhosh Trophy.
After his playing career, Chathunni transitioned to coaching.
One of the finest coaches in Indian football, Chathunni had a significant impact on the game for over 40 years.
He coached several well-known teams, including Mohun Bagan, Dempo Goa and FC Cochin.
In 1979, he became the coach of Kerala's Santhosh Trophy team.
Chathunni also authored an autobiography titled "Football My Soul," reflecting on his life and career in football.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan condoled his demise.
In his message, the Chief Minister recalled that Chathunni was active as a player and coach for four decades.
Condoling his demise, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan said, "When the history of Indian football is told, Chathunni will be at the forefront."
Chathunni was on the field for more than four decades as a player and coach. He had unmatched achievements as a coach, he said.
"Coach Chathunni played a major role in bringing the generation of I M Vijayan and C V Pappachan to the heights of excellence. Chathunni's demise is a great loss to the sports world," Satheesan added.
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Dalit outfits call state-wide hartal over dental student’s death
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Various Dalit organisations on Monday announced a state-wide hartal seeking justice in the death of Kannur Dental College student Nithin Raj.
The hartal will be observed on Tuesday from 6 am to 6 pm.
As many as 52 Dalit organisations, including Justice for Nithin Raj Action Council, have announced the strike.
Organisations requesting cooperation for the strike said that no vehicles will be forcibly stopped and that all essential services are exempted.
Raj, a first-year BDS student at a private dental college in Anjarakkandy in Kannur district, was found critically injured after falling from a building on April 10 and later succumbed to his injuries.
Police have registered a case against two faculty members on charges of abetment of suicide and under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, following allegations by the student’s family that he was subjected to caste- and complexion-based harassment.
Kerala Pinnokka Samudaya Munnani (KPSM), one of the organisations supporting the hartal, alleged in a statement that police had shown apathy in the investigation and were attempting to protect the accused in the case.
KPSM state president K V Padmanabhan and general secretary S Anwar alleged that the probe into Raj’s death was being deliberately misdirected and delayed.
While the family has firmly alleged that caste discrimination and mental harassment by faculty members led to the student’s death, police were attempting to divert the investigation towards loan app borrowings, they claimed.
The organisation alleged that this was a planned move to shield the real accused.
KPSM further alleged that by deliberately delaying the arrest of the accused teachers, police enabled them to secure anticipatory bail.
They said there was no confidence in the present police investigation and demanded that the case be handed over to an independent agency at the earliest.
