REFUGEE

CHENNAI: More than six months after the Sri Lankan government announced that the LTTE chief V Prabakaran had been killed, the information is yet to be officially conveyed to the TADA court hearing a part of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

While Rajiv was assassinated in May 1991, a special court for TADA cases at Poonamallee near here convicted a total of 26 persons and sentenced them to death.

During the trial, the court, however, had to split the case in respect of three most important conspirators -- V Prabhakaran, Pottu Amman and Akhila.

The case of 26 convicted persons attained finality, with the Supreme Court confirming death for only four -- Nalini, Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan -- while awarding life term for three others -- Robert Payas, Jayakumar and Ravichandran. That Nalini's death penalty was commuted into life term by the Tamil Nadu governor in 2000 is a different story.

The split case involving Prabhakaran and two others is still pending before the TADA court and it comes up for hearing periodically, only to suffer a long adjournment.

Meanwhile, in 1999, the Jain Commission of Inquiry, which probed the wider conspiracy behind the assassination, recommended the constitution of a Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) to go into other aspects of the conspiracy. It was also mandated to file progress reports.

Accordingly, more than 40 progress reports have been filed so far by the MDMA. The matter, which came up for further hearing on Friday, assumed significance because it was the first time it was taken up after the death of Prabhakaran.

When the special judge (incharge) Ananthakrishnan took up the matter on Friday, central officials filed a new progress report in a sealed cover, the contents of which were not known. As the proceedings too were held in camera, the media did not have access to that as well. The matter has now been adjourned to the third week of February 2010. (Times of India)

An official of Thiruvallur collectorate on the accident spot told IANS: “Thirty two charred bodies have been recovered after the blaze. The dead include shop workers as well as firecracker shoppers.”

The Thiruvallur police have arrested the building owner Jaishankar and the person who ran the shop Anandakumar.

According to him, 12 people from Andhra Pradesh and four from Tamil Nadu have been employed in the shop.

The cracker shop was functioning out of a godown located behind a rice mill in Palipattu village where many people had gathered to buy crackers on the eve of Diwali.

Suddenly fire started and gutted down the cracker shop, killing and injuring several people.

Two fire tenders doused the fire.

The Pallipattu police are investigating the cause of the accident as well as whether the shop has been licensed to sell firecrackers.

Thiruvallur District Collector V. Palanikumar and top police officials are on the spot overseeing the rescue operations.

The charred bodies have been taken to the government hospital in Tiruttani. The injured have been sent to the same hospital.

Hitting back at AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa for her criticism of the visit of MPs delegation to Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today questioned her commitment to the cause of Tamils and said the team was not a guest of the island government.

Reiterating that the delegation's visit to study the condition of internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka was not a Centre-sponsored effort, he said if the opposition was really concerned about the Tamils welfare, "they should stop targetting us and focus on ways to ensure their welfare".

Such differences besides fratricide also weakened the Tamils' struggle, he said in a letter to his party cadres.

"The MPs delegation has not been deputed by the Centre or state government.

Once again Meera Jasmine's name is in the limelight for wrong reasons!


The actress has pulled out of her affair with Mandolin artiste Rajesh, the younger brother of Mandolin Srinivas.


This was formally announced by Rajesh himself recently at an informal press meet at Bangalore.

Rajesh has been staying with Meera for the last couple of years in a sort of live in relation.

Recently at the ‘pooja’ launch of Meera’s new Kannada film in Bangalore, she refused to answer a journalist and walked out of the press conference, after he asked her about her affair with Mandolin Rajesh.

Now Rajesh has openly admitted the split between them. At a music function in Bangalore, he himself confessed,"Yes... it is all over. I had a great dream which went bust leaving me with a lot of painful memories. Anyway, I believe that time would be a great healer for all kinds of wounds. Hereafter music is my only life partner!"

After actress Nayantara, another Tamil actress is debuting in Kannada films. Actress Monica, who has played glamourous roles in Tamil, is now set to star alongside hat-trick hero Shivaraj Kumar in his forthcoming Kannada film Devaru Kotta Tangi.

Malayalam actress Meera Jasmine is playing the sister of Shivarj Kumar in the movie Devaru Kotta Tangi. Monica will play his lady love. She is all excited to star in Kannada. The actress says, “I’m very happy to act with popular South Indian stars like Shivanna and Meera Jasmine.


Earlier, the Tamil actress has acted in movies like Indira, Alagi, Bhagavathi, Sandaikozhi, A Aa E Ee in Tamil. Now she is all set to make his mark on Kannada screen through the movie Devaru Kotta Tangi. According to her, audiences like her very much in the role of a college girl.

Chennai, Oct 10 (ANI): A delegation of Member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu will leave for Sri Lanka today for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in the relief camps.

A ten-member delegation led by former Union Minister T R Baalu includes MPs from the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK), the Congress and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).

The visit is being held on the invitation of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Issues like need for resettling the displaced Tamils in the places will be discussed with the Lankan Government. The delegation will also reviewed how the Lankan Government is spending Rs 500 crore relief sanctioned by the Centre.

The delegation will return back on October 14.

The delegation comprises four DMK MPs-T R Baalu, Kanimozhi, T K S Elangovan, A K S Vijyan, Helen Davidson, Congress MPs Sudarsana Nachiappan, N S V Chittan, J M Haron Rashid and K S Azhagiri and VCK MP Thol Thirumavalavan.

Around 300,000 Sri Lankan Tamils were displaced in the final months of the offensive to wipe out the Tamil Tigers rebels, which ended on May 18.

The Sri Lankan Government had announced that it would resettle at least 80 per cent of the displaced people by the end of the year.

The United Nations, Indian and the Western Governments have urged Sri Lanka to let Tamil refugees return to their homes quickly.

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) A delegation of MPs from Tamil Nadu will travel to Sri Lanka tomorrow to see for themselves the situation in camps where more than 3 lakh Tamils, displaced due to the civil war there, are currently living.

The delegation comprising 10 MPs from DMK, Congress and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) will leave from Chennai on a five-day visit to Sri Lanka during which they are expected to meet various Tamil leaders.

Reliable sources said the team will be headed by senior DMK leader T R Baalu and members are Kanimozhi, T K S Elangovan, Helen Davidson and A K S Vijayan from DMK and Sudharasana Natchiappan, N S V Chitan, J M Haroon and K S Azhagiri from the Congress.

VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, a first-time MP, will also be a member of the team.

The Editor of the Tamil daily, Dinamalar, which allegedly made baseless allegations against top Kollywood stars, has been arrested in Chennai on Wednesday (October 7). A week after a small time actress, Bhuvaneswari, was arrested on charges of prostitution in Chennai, the newspaper, carried reports that many other popular actors were involved in prostitution and ran brothels in Tamil Nadu. Information they claimed was based on the actress’ confession. But Kollywood is peeved that these reports were published on the basis of wild allegations alone.

Two days ago, a contingent of actors lead by Sarath Kumar lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, asking for action against the newspaper. Superstars Rajnikanth, Surya, Sarath Kumar among others held protests in Chennai. Acting on a tip-off, a police team had nabbed Bhuvaneswari from her house for forcing two models into the flesh trade. The girls were later sent to a government home.

Busty South Indian glamour actress Bhuvaneswari who acted as a callgirl in the hugely popular Tamil movie "Boys" was arrested by Chennai police for prostitution.

Newspapers in Tamil Nadu reported that she was arrested at her home after being tip-off by neighbours who had seen her clients come and go.


Police set up a sting operation with an officer posing as a wealthy businessman. The anti-vice squad moved in after she agreed to the price.

It was reported that the actress charged between 10,000 Rupees (S$298) and 100,000 Rupees (S$2980) for her sexual favours.

This is the second time that Bhuvaneswari was held over vice.

Seven years ago, she was arrested by the police on suspicion of running a brothel in her house but was later acquitted.

The actress, who is known for her bold and glamorous roles in Tamil and Telugu films and TV serials, initially denied the latest accusation and said that she was with her friends when she was arrested.

She also challenged the anti-vice unit to arrest her, claiming she had powerful connections with politicians but the police would have none of it.

Bhuvaneswari gave in and admitted to being involved in prostitution. And she also agreed to spill the beans on her elite clientele.

However, she did so only on condition that police also took similar action against other actresses who were also involved in "selling" their bodies.

"She listed out the names of the actresses as well as the charges they imposed," according to one news report.

Meanwhile, the South Indian Actors Association has taken exception to Bhuvanesari's statement and has scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss it.

A group of film personalities met Chennai Police Commissioner and had requested him to take appropriate action against Bhuvaneshwari.

The Tamil film Singam means Lion in Tamil and Surya has whiskers to suit the title and the muscles to match the king of the jungle.

The action film, which is expected to release next year, is directed by Hari. It stars Surya as a cop and Anushka Shetty as the heroine.

Shooting is currently on in the red sand forest area of Therikudieruppu -- in the heart of Tuticorin district -- which literally means a desert homeland. And in this desert, in sweltering 40 degrees heat, Hari, who hails from Kachnavillai village 5 kms from here, has put up a massive open air temple.

HENNAI: Two persons were feared killed and several injured in a blast at Cholavandan Railway station near Madurai Tuesday, police sources here

said.

The incident occurred at around 6 pm when the Mayiladuthurai-Tirunelveli Express train was leaving the station.

There was no damage to the train, the sources said adding police teams had rushed to the spot.

More details awaited.