Baby’s cry restores him to maternal aunt

CHENNAI: THE inconsolable cry of a 20-month-old child, which echoed in the corridors of the Madras High Court on Tuesday, restored him back to his maternal aunt. The child’s mother was no more, as his father, who was in jail now, had murdered her. When the police grabbed the child from the possession of the aunt, he started crying which went on for quite a long time, till he was returned to the maternal aunt. This helped a division bench of Justices Rajiv Shakder and N Sathishkumar to order the restoration of the child back to the maternal aunt. The matter relates to a habeas corpus plea from Vijaya of Udayarpalayam in Ariyalur district, the grandmother, seeking possession of her grandson Bharani.

After the murder of her sister Kanakavalli and incarceration of the husband, her sister Latha took possession of the child. Alleging that the child was forcibly taken away, the grandmother filed the petition.
When the matter came up on Tuesday last, Latha brought the child to the court hall. When the police grabbed the child, it started crying profusely. The police found it very difficult to console the child, which was taken out to the corridor. The grandmother and Latha, who followed them, also indulged in an altercation over the possession of the child outside the court. All this made the bench to pass over the case for some time.

When the case was taken up again after about 30 minutes, the child was seen in the arms of his ‘Sitthi’, quiet and comfortable. Latha also explained to the judges the harassment and ill-treatment meted out to her sister by her in-laws and the sequences leading to her murder. When the petitioner attempted to grab the child, it started crying again. After watching all this, the bench ordered the restoration of the child back to Latha. “The parties shall ensure that the child continues to be in the possession of his maternal aunt till the orders are passed by a competent court,” the judges said and directed the police to provide security to Latha.

As the matter proceeded against the grandmother, her counsel sought to withdraw the petition and the bench dismissed the same as withdrawn.

Plea seeks transfer of medicos

Chennai: A writ plea has been made in the Madras High Court to transfer 146 second year students of Annai Medical College and Hospital at Sriperumbudur to some other government colleges. Justice N Kirubakaran, before whom the petitions from Hari Prasad of Arcot and 145 others came up on Friday, adjourned the matter till October 10. According to A Sirajjudin, a senior advocate, the petitioner students were admitted in the first year MBBS course during 2016-17 under the government as well as management quota. They were in the second year now.

However, by an order dated August 10, 2017, the Union Health Ministry had debarred the college from admitting students for two years i.e. for 2017-18 and 2018-19 as the college did not rectify the deficiencies pointed out by Medical Council of India. The order also authorised MCI to encash the bank guarantee of D2 crore. The students feared that the same deficiencies would prevent them from getting quality education. The hospital attached to the college was also locked and there was no staff at present, as they had left jobs following the August 10 order.

The college was run by Sri Devi Karumari Amman Educational Trust, which had borrowed D86 crore from Central Bank of India and another D60 crore from Bank of India. Now, the whole loan had become NPA and Central Bank of India had taken possession of the land and building. It was also bringing a part of the land for auction. Loss of this property in the auction would create further deficiency in the infrastructure. Hence, the present petition for a directive to the State Health department to transfer the petitioner students to other medical colleges run by the department, counsel said.