The income tax authorities carried out raids at nearly 15 institutions owned by the SRM group in Chennai and seven others in Tiruchi, Bangalore, Ghaziabad, Sonepat in northern Haryana state and New Delhi last week.
The SRM group, founded by T R Pachamuthu aged 72, a mathematics teacher from Salem district, began as a medical and engineering university at Kattankulathur in suburban Chennai about 30 years ago. Today the group has expanded into film production, media, hospitality and entertainment, scientific research and other businesses.
Police acted on a complaint from a student’s parents that the SRM University demanded Rs3mn as capitation fee for a medical seat.
More than 250 income tax officers were involved in the raids lasting more than 30 hours. They recovered Rs6.7mn unaccounted cash and other incriminating documents from Pachamuthu’s offices.
Seven students die in Pudukkotai road accident
Seven government school students were killed when the milk van they hitch hiked collided with a bus in eastern Pudukottai district last week.
Reports said nine students from Vijayaraghunathapuram village had walked 1.5km to the highway to hitch a ride because buses rarely stopped in the area. The collision tossed the milk van in the air causing instant death of seven students. Two other students and the truck cleaner sustained critical injuries. Passersby who alerted police said the bodies of the students were strewn near the capsized vehicles.
Three policemen killed as mock drill turns tragic
Three policemen died during a mock anti-terrorist drill titled Operation Hamla in Chennai last week. Sub-inspector Ravi fainted after the drill at Kadapakkam and was declared dead at a nearby hospital, while another sub-inspector Chandrasekhar was hit by a speeding vehicle at Koovathur during another phase of the mock exercise.
In a third incident, a policeman died when a lorry hit his two-wheeler as he was on his way to a Hamla venue.
Operation Hamla is a routine military exercise jointly organised by coastal security group, navy and coast guard to check inland and coastal infiltration.
Anti-mosquito saplings to be planted
Choosing an eco-friendly solution to the growing mosquito menace, the Chennai Corporation has announced that 500,000 nochi or Vitex plant saplings would be planted in 15 zones of the city soon.
Mayor Saidai Duraisamy said the saplings would be bought through tenders to farmers and horticulturalists.
Vitex requires little water, can be grown in pots, prevents soil erosion and is pest and insect repellant. Vitex is also used in ayurvedic or herbal medicine as an antibiotic and body rejuvenator.
Security expert B Raman dead
Bahukutumbi Raman or B Raman, a well-known security expert and founder of the national counter-intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), died of cancer in Chennai on June 16.
He was 77. Raman was additional secretary of the federal cabinet and a lifelong director of Institute of Topical Sciences in Chennai. He wrote many books on counter-terrorism, India’s foreign policies and military issues.
His opinions helped shape Indian foreign policies with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China. His autobiography, Kaoboys of Research and Analysis Wing: Down Memory Lane, advocates Gandhi-Nehru rule as ideal for India’s foreign relations.