1. Three female elephants electrocuted to death in Dharmapuri village
Three adult female elephants, aged about 30 years, were electrocuted by an illegal electric farm fence at Kali Kavundar Kottai village in Kendanahalli in Dharmapuri, when an anti-depredation squad that was tracking a group of three adults and two calves in Marandahalli briefly lost sight late last night.
The two calves, aged under nine months were saved in time after the forest squad alerted the TANGEDCO staff to disconnect the wire. They were roaming around the area trying to get close to their dead mothers at periodic intervals this morning. A 67-year-old farmer K. Murugesan was arrested in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, an animal rights activist made an urgent mention before the Madras High Court seeking a direction to Tamil Nadu Forest Department to take custody of elephant calves that had been orphaned and to take steps to unite them with some other herd that has a lactating mother.
2. Migrant workers issue | CM interacts with migrant workers at Tirunelveli
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who was on this way to Thoothukudi airport from Nagercoil this morning, visited a surgical gloves manufacturing unit near Kaavalkinaru and interacted with the migrant workers at the unit to allay fears sparked by rumours being spread on social media.
At Chennai, a delegation of officers from Bihar government called on Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu, relating to the issue. Meanwhile, Maraimalai Nagar police arrested a Jharkhand youth for circulating a video of disinformation campaign as if migrant workers were being attacked in the city.
3. No fatality due to flu caused by H3N2 virus: Health Minister
In view of the rising flu cases, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian reiterated on continued adherence to the COVID-19 appropriate behaviour of masking, physical distancing and frequent handwashing.
Noting that the H3N2 virus was causing infections across the country, he said there were no fatalities or cases requiring intensive care treatment, and symptoms such as body pain, headache and throat pain persisted for three to four days .He added that 1,000 special fever camps would be conducted across Tamil Nadu, including 200 camps at Chennai, on March 10.
4. Migration of BJP functionaries to AIADMK is good for BJP: Annamalai
Reacting to BJP functionaries quitting party and joining the AIADMK, Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai who addressed mediapersons at Chennai airport said it was good for the party, as new positions in the party could be filled up with new people and that it would help next level leaders to grow.
Earlier on Sunday, C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar who was formerly the Tamil Nadu BJP Information Technology wing president joined the AIADMK and some of his supporters including Dileep Kannan, Jothi, Krishnan and Vijay joined the AIAIDMK today. They had blamed Annamalai’s leadership for their decisions.
5. Coimbatore police opens fire at murder accused
A 31-year-old local gangster identified as M. Sanjay Raja of Sivanandapuram in Coimbatore who was in police custody for the investigation of a murder reported in the city last month, was shot in his leg by the police this morning, allegedly after he opened fire at police personnel when he was taken to a neighbourhood for the recovery of a pistol.
Raja was hit on his left knee and was admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. According to the police, Raja and four others murdered R. Sathyapandi (31) of Arapalayam in Madurai on February 12 and Raja had surrendered before a court at Egmore in Chennai last week. Sathyapandi was one of the accused in the murder of Hindu Munnani supporter C. Biju, 31, in Ram Nagar in Coimbatore on September 13, 2020.
Only a week ago, a 25-year-old murder case accused, K. Vinod Kumar from Madurai suffered bullet injury on his right leg, when a team of Madurai City Police opened fire in self defence near Vandiyur on February 28.
