High Court sentences nine to life imprisonment in 'Dinakaran' office attack case
Madurai: The Madras High Court Thursday convicted nine people to life imprisonment in a case related to the attack on the office of Tamil daily 'Dinakaran' here in 2007 in which three men were killed.
Gopinath, Vinoth and Muthuramalingam were killed in the attack on May 5, 2007. On December 9, 2009, all the 17 people arrested in the case were acquitted of murder charges by a CBI special court.
Later, the CBI, which investigated the case, and Vinoth's mother filed an appeal.
A bench of justices P N Prakash and B Pugalendi of the high court's Madurai bench sentenced 'Attack' Pandi, Vijaya Pandi, Kandasamy, Ramaiah Pandian, Prabhu, V Sudhakar, Thirumurgan, Ruban and Malik Batcha to three terms of life imprisonment.
Cases were filed against them under the Explosives Act and charges of causing damage to properties and murders.
The judges also sentenced them to five years of rigorous imprisonment under under the act. The sentences would be run concurrently. 'Attack' Pandi is, at present, lodged at the Palayamkottai Central Jail for the murder of 'Pottu' Suresh.
The judges directed that the eight others should be arrested immediately and sent to jail. They also directed that Rs 5 lakh each should be given as compensation to families of the three deceased people.
The court has decided that a DSP, Rajaram, was also an accused in the case, and directed him to appear before the court on March 25, the bench said. Saravanamuthu, another accused, died during the trial.
Regarding the seven others, the bench said they would undergo five years of imprisonment under the Explosives Act and on charges of causing damage to properties and murders.
Three employees of the daily were killed in the attack on the office following the publication of a survey which gave an edge to the then deputy chief minister and DMK president late M Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin over his brother and then Union minister M K Alagiri to succeed their father.
The CBI, after a long delay of over four years, had filed the revision petition in 2014.
Of the 17 convicts acquitted by the district and sessions court here in December 2009, 11 had been arrested after the bench issued non-bailable warrants as they failed to appear for hearing of the appeal.
Another convict, Dayamuthu, is absconding and stated to be staying somewhere in Malaysia, while the others have obtained bail.
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Palaniswami takes lead in announcing poll promises, AIADMK dt secretaries begin campaign
Chennai (PTI): With party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami taking the lead in announcing poll promises for the upcoming Assembly election to Tamil Nadu, AIADMK district secretaries initiated an outreach campaign to take the poll assurances to the people.
This move follows the crucial district secretaries meeting chaired by AIADMK general secretary at the party's state headquarters in Royapettah here on February 4.
The office bearers of Ariyalur, Thanjavur South, Chengalpattu West, Perambalur, Cuddalore west and Chengalpattu east districts, among others, commenced the campaign distributing pamphlets containing the AIADMK's election promises to the public.
"Also, during the door campaign we highlighted the positive impact these welfare announcements would make in their lives once they are implemented," a senior leader said.
Palaniswami had unveiled ten key election promises on the social welfare front, employment, housing and women empowerment, thus emerging as the first leader among the political parties to announce the poll manifesto ahead of the official announcement of the election schedule and even before the parties finalised the seat-sharing agreement.
He set the tone and tenour on which the AIADMK will take on the ruling DMK by announcing financial assistance of Rs 2,000 to women heads of family ration cardholders (Kula Vilakku Thittam), free travel in public transport (city buses) for men and continuing the existing facility for women, Amma Illam (housing scheme) for the homeless poor, and SC, increasing the mandays under the VB-GRAM G to 150 days, and Amma two-wheeler scheme of providing Rs 25,000 subsidy to five lakh women.
He announced five more assurances, including three LPG cylinders to ration cardholders, a hike in old age pension to Rs 2,000 from Rs 1,200 at present, waiving education loans, waiving of cooperative loans for the physically challenged, and interest-free self-employment loans for women from minority communities, and said his party would implement them when it formed the government this year.
