Assault on T.J. Joseph - 2 more held

Two more persons have been arrested and remanded in connection with the assault on T.J. Joseph, professor and Head of the Department of Malayalam, Newman College, on Sunday last, taking the total number of those arrested to four.

Kamaruddhin, 30, and Sajeer, 30, from Muppathadam, Aluva, were arrested on Friday on charges of conspiracy. Three others were also taken into custody from Thodupuzha while sticking posters, on charges of disturbing communal amity.

Director-General of Police Jacob Punnoose said the investigation was progressing in the right direction and more arrests would be made soon.

Another senior police official said treating the case in isolation might take the sting out of investigation. The case should be treated as an offence against the nation with the active participation of seditious elements from abroad. The evidence in support of this was clear in the CDs, suspected to be used by the Al-Qaeda to train its members in crude methods of executions, taken into custody from the vehicle of one of the suspects.

CRPF man killed, woman Maoist held

A CRPF inspector was killed in a bomb blast at Ettegata village on Injaram-Bheji road in Chhattisgarh�s Dantewada district Friday. Inspector S Ramachandran Nair from Kerala was injured when a pressure bomb planted by Maoists went off as CRPF men were combing the area. Nair was immediately airlifted to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, Dantewada SP Ambreesh Kumar Mishra said. In another incident, Head Constable Ajay Bhagat of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) was seriously injured in a gunbattle with Maoists near Karkeli in Bijapur district.

Meanwhile, the police raided a Maoist hideout in the forests near Hatkara village in Kanker district early Friday morning and arrested a woman Naxalite leader Renu Mandavi.

Eviction on war-footing in Munnar, says Balan

All encroachers of Munnar will be evicted on war-footing, said Power Minister and member of the cabinet sub panel A K Balan. All new encroachers of Munnar will be evicted, he said.



Talking to reporters before the sub panel meet in Munnar, he said the LDF meet convened Friday had decided to take strict steps to evict the encroachers.



As the first step, the check dams constructed by TATA on the leased land will be demolished. A notice regarding the demolition has been issued to them, he said. The cabinet sub panel will visit check dams constructed by TATA at Kundala and Lekshmi Estate.

Two killed in bike-lorry collision

Two motorists were killed when their vehicle collided with a lorry on the Palakkad-Cherppulasseri Road near Vayilyamkunnu Temple at Kadambazhippuram, Friday night.


The dead have been identified as Renjith (24), son of Karunakaran of Pulakoottam and Vineesh (19), son of Balakrishnan of Kadambazhippuram.

Paul murder case: FIR submitted

The CBI, which over the probe of Muthoot Paul George murder case, Saturday submitted the FIR at the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court. No changes were made in the list of accused as per the report.




The list has named Kaari Satheesh as the second accused, Puthenpalam Rajes as the 24th accused and Om Prakash as the 25th accused. A case has been filed against them for possessing explosive materials.