Kerala News Today: SFI-DYFI workers stage protest against Ranni Marthoma Medical Mission in 5-year-old's death

4.30 PM:  Man files missing complaint of five members of his family in Kozhikode

A man filed a missing complaint against five members of his family in Kozhikode. A man named Madhushetty approached the police with the complaint that five members of the family, including his wife and two children, were missing. His wife Swapna, children Poojashree (13) and Kavyashree (12), and Swapna's sister's children Bharti (18) and Tej (17) have been missing since January 20. Madhushetty filed the complaint on January 24.

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3.30 PM: Probe begins in tusker Thanneer Komban's death

Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre told Asianet News that a detailed report has been sought on the death of elephant 'Thanneer Komban'. The minister said that the information was received that the elephant had slipped while being moved to the forest and the forest department is investigating in detail how the elephant slipped. The head of the forest department has been asked to submit a detailed report after the post-mortem. He said that strict action will be taken if any kind of lapses are found.

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2.45 PM: 'Bharat Mata not your mother?' Minister Meenakshi Lekhi lashes out at Kerala audience over poor chant response

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi expressed displeasure at the audience for not chanting the 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan after her speech in Kozhikode. The incident took place during a youth conclave speech in Kozhikode. The minister ended her address with the slogan but noticed a lack of response from the audience. Reacting provocatively, she lashed out at the audience for their apparent reluctance to echo the slogan.

'Bharat Mata not your mother?' Minister Meenakshi Lekhi lashes out at Kerala audience over poor chant response

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2.00 PM: Kerala Congress (M) candidate wins Pala Municipal Council election

Kerala Congress (M) candidate Shaju V Thuruthan won the Pala Municipal Council Chairman election. He won the post of municipal chairman by getting 17 votes in the 26-member municipal council. The Left had 16 votes. An independent member of the municipal council also cast his vote for the leftist candidate. UDF candidate Prince VC Thayil got nine votes. The re-election for the post of municipal chairman was held after the resignation of the CPM representative as per the agreement of the Left Front.

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1.30 PM: Vadakara Taluk office fire case: Accused Narayana Sathish acquitted by Vadakara court

The court acquitted the accused in the Kozhikode Vadakara taluk office arson case. Narayana Sathish, a native of Hyderabad, was acquitted by the Vadakara Assistant Sessions Court. In three similar cases, the prosecution failed to prove the accused guilty. With this, the court acquitted the accused. The incident related to the case happened on December 17, 2022.

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12.20 PM: SFI-DYFI workers stage protest against Ranni Marthoma Medical Mission in 5-year-old's death

SFI and DYFI workers took out a protest march to Ranni Marthoma Medical Mission Hospital in connection with the 5-year-old boy's death alleging medical negligence.  Relatives alleged that the reason for the child's death was a mistake in giving anesthesia. When the protest was stopped by the police, there was a stampede at the place.

Read More: Kerala: 5-year-old dies after falling while playing at school; Family alleges medical negligence

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12.00 PM: Jayanthi Krishnan appointed as principal chief commissioner of IT-Dept in Kerala

Jayanthi Krishnan, a 1988 batch IRS Officer, has been appointed principal chief commissioner of the Income Tax Department in Kerala. She also held positions as Under Secretary in the Foreign Tax Division of the Central Board of Direct Taxes in New Delhi and Director of the Direct Taxes Regional Training Institute in Chennai.

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11.30 AM: 37 fake seals, letterheads of banks, colleges, doctors seized; three arrested in Kasaragod

In an appalling incident, three people possessing fake seals of various banks, doctors and private institutions were arrested by the Bedakam police in Kasaragod district.  The preliminary conclusion is that this is a group that sends people abroad illegally by making fake certificates. The accused were arrested during a vehicle inspection near the Kerala-Karnataka border.

Kerala: 37 fake seals, letterheads of banks, colleges, doctors seized; three arrested in Kasaragod

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10.50 AM: Man accused in domestic violence arrested after 19 years in Kannur

A man accused of domestic violence and eloped 19 years ago was arrested by the police in Kannur. Biju Sebastian (49) of Thalappuzha Kommayad Pulpara house was caught by the Thalappuzha police in Kannur's Ulikkal. The relevant incident took place in 2005 when Biju's wife committed suicide after poisoning her one-and-a-half-year-old child. According to the police, he was released on bail after spending three months in jail in the case and went to Maharashtra. After working in a rubber plantation there for two years, he came to Ulikal to work with his relatives. While working in a farm, the police received intelligence about the suspect.

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10.15 AM: Out of 28 lakh job seekers in Kerala, only 2,080 receive unemployment allowance

Only 2,080 individuals in Kerala were getting unemployment benefits, a sharp decline from the previous total of almost 3,00,000 recipients, despite the state's high unemployment rates. The inadequate payment of Rs 120, which has not been revised in over 25 years, has been blamed for the decline in the number of beneficiaries. Candidates are eligible for unemployment benefits if their monthly personal income is Rs 100 and their family income is up to Rs 12,000 per year.

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9.30 AM: Kerala to face power crisis?

In January of this year, there was a 257-megawatt increase in electricity need compared to the same month last year. In comparison to 2023, there has been a 9 million unit rise in utilisation. As summer approaches, April will break new records for electricity use if the current trend holds. Kerala receives a central share of 1,600 megawatts of power. In addition, the state obtains 1,200 megawatts of electricity through a variety of arrangements. Kerala also produces 1600 megawatts of electricity using hydel power. The sum of all of these is 4,400 megawatts.

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9.00 AM: Three arrested for stealing liquor bottles in Thiruvananthapuram

A three-member gang was arrested for stealing 11 bottles of foreign liquor from the Palode Beverages outlet in Thiruvananthapuram. The next theft of the three-member gang was on the same day that they were released from jail in a theft case. Sajeer, Babu and Vishnu, natives of Kallara Vallakudi, were arrested by the Palode police.

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8.30 AM: Electric scooter worth Rs 1.5 lakh catches fire in Kozhikode

An electric scooter parked in Thamarassery caught fire. The scooter was owned by Mohammad Nizam who runs Bharat Medicals in Chinimukku. The incident took place on Friday at 6 pm. Initially smoke was detected and later the vehicle got gutted.

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8.19 AM: RTI Commission to conduct flash checks at govt offices over failure in implementing RTI Act

Right to Information Commission to conduct lightning checks in government offices to catch officials failing to implement the Right to Information Act. The decision was based on the assessment that government officials had failed to consider applications under the Right to Information Act.  The Right to Information Commission's move to take further steps in this regard comes amid criticism that government officials are failing to respond to requests under the Right to Information Act. RTI officers will conduct lightning checks in all offices in the state.

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8.12 AM: Wild tusker 'Thaneer Komban' dies in Bandipur

Thaneer Komban, the rogue tusker that was captured by Kerala forest officials after administering tranquilliser shots, died in Bandipur on Saturday morning. The tusker reportedly fell unconscious in a lorry.