By Umaima Shafiq
Veteran actor Raghavan dies aged 90
Well-known actor V S Raghavan died of pancreatic cancer at a private hospital in Chennai on January 24. He was 90 and is survived by two sons and grandchildren.
Born in Kancheepuram, Raghavan dropped out of school after his father’s death. He worked as a journalist and later formed a drama troupe called Indian National Artistes. This troupe included the late award-winning director K Balachandar and his friends Malli, Vadiraj and Natraj.
Raghavan debuted in the Tamil film Vairamali in 1954 and mostly played character roles for six decades. He was also a good mimic and comedian and had the rare honour of playing father to late superstars M G Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Jayaram Jayalalithaa who was his co-star in some films said: “He treated everybody with love and affection. His death is a great loss to the film industry. I convey my heartfelt condolences to his family and friends in the film fraternity.”
Raghavan’s memorable films include Nenjil Ore Aalayam (1962), Karnan (1964), Kaadhalikka Neramillai (1964), Bommai (1964), Iru Kodugal (1969) and Urimaikkural (1974).
9 killed, 43 injured in bus accident
Nine people including two children died and 43 were injured when a Krishnagiri-bound government bus fell into a 100ft gorge on the Pennagaram-Hogenakkal hill road in Dharmapuri district last week.
The driver Sivakumar reportedly lost control while trying to overtake a van. Two fire service teams and local villagers helped in rescue efforts. The injured were admitted to a hospital in Salem.
In another incident, a reckless lorry driver mowed down four bikers including a woman at a traffic junction at Kolathur in Chennai. The driver ran away even as the public were helping the victims and retrieving two children caught under the truck.
Search is on for the driver.
Prisoner on parole hacked to death
Police are on the look out for three men who allegedly beheaded a 48-year-old prisoner who was out on parole and placed the decapitated head outside his house at Melakkal at Sholavandan in suburban Madurai last week.
Police claimed it was a revenge attack as Muniyandi had killed one of their female friends and her mother about three years back.
Muniyandi was arrested and was in jail since then and had recently come out on bail.
In a separate incident, a gang hacked a prisoner to death inside the busy Poomallee court in Chennai while police were escorting him.
The gang attacked Varadharajan with sickles and knives and fled before police or public could catch them. Varadharajan died in hospital. He was the prime accused in the 2010 murder of an AIADMK activist.
Worker injured in minor blast
A sanitary worker clearing garbage bins on the busy Munichalai road was injured when a small container exploded in Madurai city last week.
Police and bomb disposal squads cordoned off the area but concluded that it was a stray incident, as the container only had some paint. They also searched all the garbage bins in the area.
Public apprehension has intensified in the city after 11 country made bombs were found in a garbage bin at Anna Nagar about two months ago.
In a separate incident, a loud explosion at Rengamalai hills in Vendasandur town in nearby Dindigul district sparked panic. However a probe by the forest department revealed that it was natural phenomenon.