Latest news with #Midhun
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
Municipality suspects sabotage in collapse of old school building in Eroor
A portion of an old building of Government KMUP School, Eroor, collapsed in heavy rain on Sunday night, averting a potential tragedy since the incident took place at night on a holiday. However, the Thripunithura municipality suspects it to be an alleged act of sabotage and has demanded a police inquiry. The building, which once served as a kitchen, was no longer in use and had been in a dilapidated state for long. Local residents have been demanding its demolition to avoid a tragedy since it stood on the school campus. Over 200 students from the neighbourhood attend the school. A meeting chaired by the municipal chairperson and attended by the education standing committee chairperson and municipal engineering wing officials was held on Monday morning to take stock of the situation. Later in the day, the chairperson, education standing committee chairperson, municipal secretary, municipal engineer, and assistant engineer visited the school. The school headmistress and PTA president were also present. An inspection by the Engineering department and video footage of the said building taken by the school authorities showed that it did not have the kind of damage till before the alleged collapse. This was also vouched for by the headmistress and the PTA president, leading to suspicions of alleged conspiracy for willful sabotage, a statement issued by the municipality said. 'The building is no longer in use and has been marked out for demolition. A contractor has been assigned to do that work. He will demolish the building once he finishes the maintenance works of two other schools that are now under way. Anyway, the building has been isolated and locked with no access to either students or teachers. It has not been issued a fitness certificate either,' said Rema Santhosh, municipal chairperson. At another meeting later in the afternoon, the headmistress was asked to lodge a petition with the District Police Chief (Kochi City) and the Station House Officer concerned in the wake of suspicions that an alleged conspiracy was hatched to deliberately inflict damage on the building. It was also decided to reinspect the school buildings, which were inspected by the engineering wing ahead of the start of the academic year. The engineering department has also been asked to submit a comprehensive report on the necessary measures to be taken. The recent incident in which 13-year-old M. Midhun was electrocuted by a low-hanging electric wire over the cycle shed of the Thevalakkara Boys High School in Kollam district has drawn attention to how oversight left school students highly vulnerable to life-threatening incidents. The probability of such incidents increases manifold during heavy rain and wind. A local resident said that he had made a Facebook post on the threat posed by the old building on August 23, 2024. 'However, the authorities showed scant regard to an issue that exposed students to danger. The protruding iron rods of the old structure still pose a threat,' he said.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Electrocution: Thevalakkara school manager disqualified
1 2 3 4 T'puram: More than a week after a student was electrocuted to death at the Thevalakkara Boys High School in Kollam, the general education department on Saturday disqualified its manager and took over its administration. Kollam district education officer will function as the manager until a new manager is appointed. Midhun, an eighth-standard student died on July 17 after coming into contact with a dangling power cable. General education minister V Sivankutty announced on Saturday the decision to disqualify the school manager, Thulaseedharan Pillai, who, according to the education department inquiry, committed grave mistakes by not adhering to the instructions given by the govt to ensure the safety of school students. Thevalakkara Boys High School is under the Thevalakkara Boys and Girls High School management, run by a pro-CPM educational society. Sivankutty said the department inquiry found that several students reached the school compound well before the school working hours. There were serious lapses on the part of the school headmistress and the manager in ensuring the safety of students. The headmistress was already suspended from service. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3 & 4 BHK Starts ₹1.65 Cr in Kukatpally Honer Signatis Book Now Undo The manager failed to adhere to the KER Rule 9 of Chapter 3, which holds the aided school manager responsible for implementing the directions given by the govt from time to time. The manager was disqualified as per Rule 7 of KER, Chapter 3. The department had given a show-cause notice to Pillai to cite reasons, if any, for not disqualifying him as manager. He, however, denied all the charges of duty dereliction. Meanwhile, the school management announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the family of Midhun. KSTA, a pro-CPM school teachers' association, also announced Rs 10 lakh to the family. The general education department sanctioned Rs 3 lakh and KSEB provided Rs 5 lakh assistance to the family. Sivankutty said the department would take steps to ensure that students do not face any danger on school premises. A checklist on the safety of schools will be prepared. Officials will carry out inspections and submit reports in three weeks. "A safety cell has been set up under the director of general education. The public can approach this cell if they have complaints about safety in schools," he said.
Indian Express
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Jagan Mohan Reddy's ‘voice in Delhi', who is Midhun Reddy, arrested in Andhra liquor scam probe?
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) floor leader in the Lok Sabha, three-time MP, son of former Andhra Pradesh Minister and party strongman Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, and former CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's 'voice in Delhi'. These are some hats that YSRCP's Rajampet MP P V Midhun Reddy has donned in his decade-long political career. With the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arresting Midhun on Saturday in connection with the alleged Andhra Pradesh liquor policy scam, the YSRCP is likely to feel the pinch of his absence in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which commences Monday. Sources in the party said Midhun could 'withstand the game of political vendetta' as he belongs to a family with a strong political background. 'He was arrested only because he is a prominent leader and is Peddireddy's son,' the source said. Referring to Midhun as a 'mass leader', another source said the Rajampet MP often rubs shoulders with Jagan. 'His rise has not just irked the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) but also the BJP,' the source said. Following the YSRCP's drubbing in last year's Lok Sabha polls, where it managed to win only four of the 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, and the exit of key leader V Vijayasai Reddy, Midhun emerged as the party's voice in the capital and was seen by many as the de facto number two in the YSRCP. 'After Vijayasai Reddy's exit, Midhun was the go-to man for young workers. He was also the party's face in Delhi. His father has been one of the TDP's biggest critics. By arresting him, the TDP wants to send a message that even Jagan's closest aides would not be spared,' a party insider said. A mechanical engineer by qualification, Midhun went on to complete his MBA in International Business and worked at a private firm in Hyderabad before entering politics in 2014, when he first won the Rajampet seat. He has held it since. In 2014, Midhun defeated former Andhra BJP chief Daggubati Purandeswari by over 1 lakh votes and followed it up five years later by winning the seat against the TDP's D K Sathya Prabha. Last year, he successfully contested against former CM of undivided Andhra, N Kiran Kumar Reddy, winning by more than 76,000 votes. Midhun is accused number 4 in the alleged scam, which, according to the SIT, pertains to the liquor policy during Jagan's term between 2014 and 2019. According to the SIT, the policy was allegedly tailor-made to benefit a few local liquor brands by replacing popular liquor brands with lesser-known ones in exchange for bribes to the tune of Rs 3,200 crore. According to the arrest notice, Midhun is a 'core conspirator (of the scam) from inception to execution, who has orchestrated policy changes and coordinated with co-accused to secure kickbacks from distilleries and suppliers'. The notice goes on to add that the 'transaction trail (between entities involved in the alleged scam) indicated the use of front or shell companies for laundering kickbacks, warranting further investigation into potential quid pro quo'. Early into his political career in 2015, Midhun found himself at the centre of a controversy after he allegedly assaulted an Air India staffer at Tirupati airport and spent time in a Nellore jail in connection with the case. Dismissing the allegations of 'political vendetta', the TDP claimed there was 'enough to prove Midhun's involvement in the scam'. 'The money acquired through illegal means was used to fund the YSRCP's 2024 assembly election campaign,' a source said. However, YSRCP leaders said Midhun was in talks with several BJP leaders at the Centre over TDP 'targeting local-level workers' and was arrested as the 'TDP did not want him to be in touch with the BJP'.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Liquor scam: No SC relief for Rajampet MP Midhun Reddy
Vijayawada: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the anticipatory bail petition filed by Rajampet MP P Midhun Reddy in the alleged liquor scam case. The SIT probing the case named Midhun as an accused (A-4) and termed him the mastermind behind the scam. Andhra Pradesh high court earlier dismissed his anticipatory bail petition, noting that it is necessary to give a free hand to the investigating officer as the prosecution had made a prima facie case against the YSRCP leader. Challenging the HC order, Midhun moved the apex court seeking relief from arrest. Arguing on his behalf, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the case was foisted for political reasons. He said the SIT called the YSRCP MP for inquiry only once and no new material was produced by the investigating agency against him. The SIT is already in the process of filing a charge sheet in the case, and no custodial interrogation is necessary as the petitioner is willing to cooperate with the investigation. The SC bench, comprising of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, asked how the investigation agency can file a charge sheet without arresting the accused. As the bench was not inclined to grant any relief, Singhvi sought one week's time to surrender. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo However, the bench declined to pass any orders and dismissed the petition. Following the dismissal of Midhun's anticipatory bail application, the SIT filed a memo for a warrant before the trial court to arrest him. The SIT has been arguing that Midhun played a key role in changing the excise policy and altering the order-placing mechanism from automatic to manual system. It was also alleged that he was the mastermind in collecting commissions from suppliers and transferring money to different entities.
New Indian Express
18-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Kerala to take strict action in Thevalakkara student electrocution death case; family to get house, aid
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Department of General Education will take strong action in the incident where Midhun, a Class 8 student of Thevalakkara Boys High School in Kollam, allegedly died after being electrocuted on campus, said Minister V Sivankutty. The decision comes after the department received a detailed report from the Director of General Education. The minister announced a series of steps to ensure accountability and prevent similar tragedies in the future. The school headmistress will be suspended with immediate effect. A show-cause notice will be issued to the school management for allegedly failing to act on safety lapses. The management has been asked to respond within three days. The Additional Educational Officer who was in charge of the school at the time will be asked to provide an explanation. Since the District Educational Officer of Kollam had retired when the academic year began, AEO Antony Peter had been given the DEO's additional charge. The department will use powers under Rule 7 of Chapter 3 of the Kerala Education Rules to take further action against the management if necessary. The minister also urged the management to seriously consider providing financial assistance to Midhun's family.
