Year Ender 2023: Top stories that made headlines in Kerala

From Kerala Kalolsavam to Aluva rape and murder case to Dr Vandana's death case, let's have a look at the top stories that made headlines in Kerala in 2023.

The 61st edition of the Kerala School Kalolsavam was officially inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kozhikode. This cultural event is a significant platform for approximately 14,000 secondary school students who are expected to participate. The Kalolsavam showcases the talents of students in various cultural and artistic disciplines, providing them with an opportunity to display their skills and creativity. 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested M Sivasankar, the former principal secretary to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, in Kochi in February 2023. The arrest is linked to the ED's money laundering probe into the Life Mission project of the state government. Sivasankar had previously spent 98 days in jail in October 2020 in connection with charges related to the gold smuggling case. 

This case gained attention when 30 kg of gold was seized by Customs from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consulate in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, in June 2020. Sivasankar's arrest in connection with the Life Mission project suggests an ongoing investigation into financial aspects related to government projects.
 

A massive fire incident occurred at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant in Kochi on March 2, resulting in a dark plume of smoke and widespread flames engulfing the area. Approximately 14 fire tenders were promptly dispatched to the site to combat the blaze.

The Opposition in Kerala said that the fire at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant was the biggest man-made disaster that the state had seen. Opposition leaders created a ruckus in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, stating that the government's negligence was the cause of this tragedy

Shahrukh alias Shahrukh Saifi (27) is accused of committing a terrorist act by setting the D1 Coach of Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express on fire on April 2, 2023. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against the sole accused in the Kerala train arson case, in which three passengers, including a child, lost their lives, and nine others sustained injuries in April.

The case was initially registered at Kozhikode railway police station and later taken over by the Special Investigation Team in Kerala. Saifi, who also suffered burn injuries during the incident, was arrested and charged with murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code by a district session court in Kozhikode. The National Investigation Agency took over the investigation on April 17, highlighting the severity and national implications of the case.

The Tanur boat accident took place on the evening of May 7, 2023, when a boat capsized at Tanur Beach in Tanur, Malappuram, Kerala, India. The incident happened in the estuary at Kettu Azhi claiming the lives of 22. At least 15 children also lost their lives in the mishap. 

The two-decker boat service is operated by a private individual with permission from the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC. However, reports say that the boat does not have a license. The boat belonged to a local named Nasser from Tanur. The police have registered a case against the owner of the boat under non-bailable sections.

An accused who was taken to the hospital for treatment at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital on Tuesday night stabbed five people, including a female doctor and police officers. Dr Vandana Das succumbed to her severe injuries. Sandeep, according to hospital officials, stabbed the doctor six times in the back.

She had stab wounds to her back and abdomen, according to the doctors who treated her at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. Due to the extensive internal injuries they produced, this turned out to be fatal. 

Shraddha, a native of Thiruvankulam in Tripunithura of Ernakulam was found hanging in her hostel room on Friday (June 2) evening after college officials allegedly took her mobile phone. The girl's family alleged that the teacher's mental torture led her to commit suicide. The family also accused the college authorities of deliberately failing to take the girl to the hospital. 

The head of the department at Amal Jyothi Engineering College spoke to his daughter after seizing her mobile phone, harassed her, and only lost her mental equilibrium after she left the HOD's cabin, her father told Asianet News citing her college friends. Additionally, Shraddha's relative claimed that if the college administration had informed the doctor that the girl had attempted suicide, she would have received the appropriate care. Instead, they claimed that she felt dizzy.

The lifeless body of a five-year-old girl was tragically discovered in a garbage yard, almost a day after she was abducted from her family's rented house in Aluva, near Kochi. The incident took place while her parents were away at work.

The victim was the daughter of Ramdhar Tiwari, hailing from Bishambharpur in Bihar's Pashchim Champaran district. She was just a Class 1 student at a local school, and her family resided in a rented apartment within the Choornikara Panchayat.

Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer stirred controversy when he said that the Centre was attempting to educate kids about Hindu myths rather than advances in science and technology.
 
"They are attempting to prove that plastic surgery, infertility therapy, and aircraft have been around since the beginning of Hinduism. Wright Brothers were credited with creating the airplane during the time I was in school. They are currently attempting to prove that Pushpak Vimana is the first aircraft," he said. Shamseer continued by claiming that the Hindutva ideologists spread the concept that Lord Ganesh received his face through plastic surgery and dismissed it as a myth. NSS demanded an apology from Shamseer to all Hindu devotees, however, the Thalassery MLA and the CPM jointly refused to apologize. 

The United Democratic Front (UDF) has secured an emphatic victory in the Puthuppally byelection, the counting of votes for which was undertaken on Friday morning (Sep 8). With this, the UDF has retained the seat vacated due to the untimely demise of former MLA Ommen Chandy. UDF’s Chandy Oommen, LDF candidate Jaick C. Thomas, and BJP’s G. Lijin Lal were contesting the byelection. As per the latest figures, Chandy Oommen won by a majority of 36454 votes. The largest victory margin in Puthuppally for Oommen Chandy was in 2011 when he defeated CPM candidate Suja Susan George by a margin of 33,255 votes.
 

n explosion rocked a convention centre in Kalamassery in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, claiming a person's life and injuring over 25 others. The injured have been shifted to Kalamassery Medical College.  The death toll in the Kalamassery blast has risen to 4 .As many as 35 people are undergoing treatment and seven people are admitted to the ICU.

The explosion took place during a meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to eyewitnesses, around 2,000 people had been participating in the religious congregation when the explosion went off. 

A six-year-old girl was kidnapped by a group of people while going to tuition in Kollam. Abigail Sara Reji, daughter of Reji, a native of Ayoor, is missing. As per complaints, a group of people who arrived in a white Honda Amaze car were abducted. The incident happened when she was going to tuition with her elder brother, Jonathan. 

Padmakumar, a native of Chathanoor, and his family were arrested in the case of the kidnapping of a six-year-old girl in Kollam. Padmakumar, his wife Anitha, and daughter Anupama were arrested. The police took all three of them into custody from Thenkasi on December 1. Padmakumar faced a huge financial burden during COVID time. All his properties worth crore were mortgaged. The abduction case was marked by significant pressure, and the primary demand of the perpetrators was the return of the child.
 

Dr. Rajiv Bahl, the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), revealed that a case of the JN.1 subvariant of COVID-19 was detected in Kerala on December 16. This was made during the routine surveillance conducted by INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium).

The Union Health Ministry is actively engaged in communication with State Health Authorities, ensuring coordination and information exchange. They are closely monitoring the situation to stay abreast of developments and respond effectively to any emerging needs or challenges related to public health and hospital preparedness.