The New Indian Express News

THRISSUR: Lalitha sat on the verandah in the Welfare Partys office in Thrissur, frozen, her eyes blank. A numbness has enveloped the 35-year-old since Sunday night, when she saw the lifeless form of her husband Ramnarayan Baghel, a Chhattisgarh resident who was lynched by a mob at Attappallam in Palakkad on December 17 over suspicions of theft and being a Bangladeshi. It had not let go of her when TNIE spoke to her on Monday night. Nearby, her children, aged 10 and 9, watched videos on the mobil

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 2.54 crore voters have been included in Kerala's draft electoral roll published on Tuesday following the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The electoral roll finalised on October 27 featured 2.78 crore voters; 24.08 lakh voters have been excluded from the draft list following the SIR. The excluded persons mainly include those categorised as Absent, Shifted or Dead (ASD). According to Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rathan U Kelkar, those exc

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following the allegations of accepting bribes for facilitating parole and illegal activities for prisoners, the state Home Department has suspended Prisons Deputy Inspector General (DIG) MK Vinod Kumar. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has booked the officer in the issue, as part of which he will be out of service with immediate effect till the probe is completed. Based on the primary investigation of the Special Cell Unit, Vinod was found to have misused his powers b

KOZHIKODE:Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ouided Bouchamaoui visited the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls, Nadakkavu, on December 18as a distinguished guest of the Faizal and Shabana Foundation. The visit marked a significant and inspiring moment for the school community, students, and faculty alike, said a press release from the Foundation. During her visit, she held cordial interactions with the principal and headmaster of the institution, gaining insights into the schools ac

Sadakku sadakku The trend centres around Thakilu Pukilu, the popular song from the 2001 Malayalam film Ravanaprabhu, which re-released in October. Fans revelled in Suresh Peters high-energy beats and Mohanlals macho maximus presence. Videos from the theatre went viral. So much so that even a local politician became an overnight star after a video showed him grooving to the song. Riding this renewed interest, the web world was taken over by AI-generated Poochandi cat dance clips using the song as

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A special fast-track court here has sentenced a man to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 65,000 for abducting two minor girls by impersonating a police officer and sexually assaulting one of them. The accused, Vishnu, 35, a native of Madathuvila near the Medical College, was found guilty by Special Fast Track Court Judge Anju Meera Birla. The court also directed that the fine amount be paid to the survivor and that the Legal Services Authority prov

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The controversial Varkala Dakshin Kashi project, launched at the ancient Janardhana Swamy Temple under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme, has landed in legal trouble, with environmental activists filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court seeking its intervention. The PIL highlights the archaeological and immense heritage value of the nearly 2,000-year-old Janardhana Swamy Temple and alleges that the project is causing damage to the temple. It further claims tha

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Artist Subin Abrahams paintings are rooted in memories, emotions and self-reflection. And his latest solo exhibition, Sole on the Soil, on display at Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan, stands as a testament to that. The exhibition brings together paintings that represent the natural world and the essence of village life. Though Subin portrays the realities and hardships of rural life, they appear nostalgic and serene. Maybe he was trying to convey, the hardship behind the idyllic.

KOZHIKODE: Beypore is preparing for three days of colour, competition and coastal celebration as the fifth edition of the Beypore International Water Festival will begin on December 26. The festival is spread across six locations in and around the historic port town in Kozhikode. One of the key highlights this year will be the international kite festival, which is expected to see participation from flyers representing five countries. The countdown to the festival will begin on December 25 with a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major move aimed at promoting women workforce and gender equality across the state, the Kudumbashree Mission is all set to roll out a comprehensive state-wide gender campaign, Uyare from January 1, 2026. The campaign aims to raise womens participation in the labour force from the current 20 per cent to 50 per cent, while simultaneously working towards the creation of safe and inclusive workplaces. As part of the first phase, campaign-related information and awareness pro

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dousing the BJPs high hopes of expanding its base in the state , the partys vote share declined in the just concluded local body polls to 14.76%, according to data released by the State Election Commission on Monday. The saffron party-led NDA had secured 19.26% of total votes polled in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, while the fronts vote share hovered around 15% this time. The Congress emerged on top with 29.17% of the votes, while CPM finished second with 27.16%. However, desp

KOCHI/TPURAM : In a landmark moment for Indias public healthcare, the Ernakulam General Hospital (GH), performed a heart transplant on a Nepalese woman on Monday, marking the first time a district-level government hospital in the country has undertaken such complex procedures. Durga Kaami, a 22-year-old woman from Nepal, received the heart of Shibu, 46, a Kollam resident who was declared brain dead on December 21 following a road accident. After his family comprising mother Shakunthala and sibli

KOCHI: At a time when former presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) are facing a probe into the alleged disappearance of gold from the Sabarimala temple, Govardhan, a jeweller from Ballari arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), has claimed that the newly gold-plated door frame was donated by him in June 2019. He stated that he donated 184g of gold, valued approximately at Rs 9 lakh. UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya had sponsored the gold cladding of the temple, including the

SABARIMALA: The four-day procession carrying the Thanka Anki, the golden attire to be adorned on the idol of Lord Ayyappa during the Mandala Pooja ceremony on December 27, will be taken out from Aranmula Lord Parthasarathy temple at 6 am on Tuesday. Thanka Anki, the 24-carat golden attire weighing 456 sovereigns, donated by the former head of Travancore royal family Chithira Thirunal Marthanda Varma, will be taken in specially-decorated vehicle after performing special pooja at Lord Parthasarath

KOCHI: The forensic report in the narcotics case against actor Shine Tom Chacko, that came out on Sunday, has revealed that the forensic examination failed to establish the actors drug consumption. Following the report, the police are likely to drop further proceedings in the case registered at the Ernakulam Town North police station. The case related to the summoning, interrogation, subsequent arrest and bail of the actor, following allegations that Shine and a friend had consumed narcotics in

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress, that secured the highest vote share of 29.17% in the recently concluded local body election put up its best performance in its traditional strongholds such as Idukki, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta, going by the district-wise data released by the State Election Commission on Monday. The party clocked its highest vote share of 38.60% in Idukki followed by 37.34% in Ernakulam and 37.06% in Pathanamthitta. Malappuram, which is the bastion of its ally Muslim League sa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM state secretary M V Govindan is facing the internal heat for the first time, as criticism builds up over his leadership and decision making in view of the partys poor performance in the recent local body elections. On Monday, the Thiruvananthapuram district committee held to review the local body election results criticised Govindan and the state leadership for failing to address critical issues. Govindan had directly overseen the election preparations for the corporation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid the crackdown on supply chains that push drugs into the state, the state police have charted out a fresh initiative to tackle the rise in demand for contraband among youths. The Prevention of Drug Abuse (PODA) project will be implemented in coordination with private enterprises, where new hires will be made to sign an undertaking that they will not indulge in drug abuse. The explicit consent will also be obtained to facilitate random drug testing at the workplace. Those

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kudumbashree workers delivered an impressive performance in the recently concluded local body elections, with 7,210 candidates emerging victorious across the state. The results highlight the growing political presence of the states flagship womens empowerment mission at the grassroots level. According to official figures, 17,082 Kudumbashree members contested the elections to grama, block and district panchayats, municipalities, and corporations. The winners were spread acros

SABARIMALA: Age has done little to wane Parukkuttys faith. At 102, she climbed the sacred 18 steps at Sabarimala and offered prayers at the Lord Ayyappa shrine, completing her third pilgrimage to the hill temple, an inspiring journey that reads like a film script. This is the third consecutive year Parukkutty has reached the Sabarimala. She first visited the shrine in 2023 at the age of 100, when she undertook the pilgrimage as a first-time Malikappuram devotee. She returned last year and once a

KOZHIKODE: Life has come full circle for singer Mohammed Danish Malappuram, who after getting caught in the crossfire of controversy is now steadily reclaiming his space in Keralas devotional music landscape. A sound engineer and native of Padinjattumuri, Malappuram, Danish shot to fame and notoriety with the viral parody song Pottiye Kettiye Swarnam Chembayi Mattiye, inspired by the popular Swamiye Ayyappa chant. Written by Nadapuram-based expat G P Kunhabdulla Chalappuram, the take-off emerg

KOLLAM: Arare deep-sea octopus species, believed to have vanished from scientific records for nearly five decades, has been rediscovered off the Kerala coast. The octopus, Opisthoteuthis philipii, landed accidentally at Sakthikulangara harbour in Kollam during deep-sea trawling operations. It was first spotted in the waters off Alappuzha in 1976. The original reference specimen described nearly 50 years ago was lost, and in the absence of genetic data, the species disappeared from scientific rec

KOCHI: As the Yuletide spirit fills the air, posters, cutouts and dolls of Santa Claus crop up everywhere, heralding the season of love and sharing. However, not many may know that Santa, the most popular symbol of Christmas, is inspired from and modelled after St Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop from Myra in ancient Turkey known for his generosity and secret gift-giving. Some may find it hard to believe that the real-life Santa has a Kerala connection. For more than a century, Pampakuda, a sle

KOCHI: Buoyed by its decisive local body election victory, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has moved swiftly to widen its political base, inducting P V Anvars Trinamool Congress and C K Janus Janadhipathya Rashtriya Sabha as associate members . The decision was taken at a high-level UDF leadership meeting held in Kochi on Monday, signalling an early and aggressive build-up to the Assembly elections. Along with Anvar and Janu, Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan of Kamraj Congress was also

KOCHI: P Poulose, a member of the Kerala football team that lifted the Santosh Trophy for the first time in 1973, passed away on Monday. He was 76. A native of Aluva, Poulose was the youngest member of the title-winning 26-man squad. They beat Railways 3-2 in the final held at the Maharajas College grounds in Kochi on December 27, 1973. Pouloses football journey began at St Marys High School, Aluva, where his early promise earned him a place in the Kerala junior team. Later, he represented Calic

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Thiruvananthapuram First Class Judicial Magistrate Court has issued notices to outgoing Mayor Arya Rajendran and MLA Sachin Dev based on a complaint filed by KSRTC driver Yadu. The notices were issued on a petition challenging the police decision to exclude both of them from the charge sheet in connection with the incident in which a KSRTC bus was stopped in the middle of the road. The police had filed a charge sheet excluding Arya Rajendran and her husband, Sachin Dev. T

KOCHI: In a landmark moment for public healthcare in India, the Ernakulam General Hospital is set to perform a heart transplant for a Nepalese woman on Monday. This is the first time a district-level government hospital undertakes such complex procedure. The recipient is 21-year-old Durga Kaami, a native of Nepal, who has been battling a rare genetic heart condition since childhood. She will receive the heart of Shibu, a Kollam native who was declared brain-dead following a road accident. Durgas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government on Monday assured stringent action in the mob lynching of a Chhattisgarh native who was allegedly beaten to death after being mistaken for a thief, and promised justice to the victims family, even as the ruling CPI(M) accused the RSS of being behind the assault, an allegation strongly denied by the BJP. Ramnarayan (31) was allegedly beaten to death on Wednesday after being accused of involvement in a theft at Kizhakeattappallam near Walayar in Palakkad d

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The suspense over who will be the next mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram corporation continued on Sunday, even as councillors took oath amid keen public and political interest. While the ceremony drew several leaders and supporters, the question about the partys mayoral choice prevailed among those present. Several senior BJP leaders had expected the party to announce its mayor before the oath-taking ceremony. When asked, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar told TNIE that

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Promising a visual treat, the annual flower festival Vasantholsavam at Kanakakkunnu Palace will begin on Wednesday. This edition plans to feature a wide variety of flowering plants, making it the grandest flower show ever held in the state capital. The 12-day festival will come to a close on January 4. Vasantholsavam, along with the annual light festival, is being organised by the State Tourism Department and the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), in collaboration wit

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left-backed syndicate members of the Kerala University have called for the resignation of chancellors nominee Vinod Kumar from the syndicate. A staffer of the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Vinod Kumar was recently removed from the post of principal scientist in the institution. A statement issued by Adv G Muraleedharan said Vinod Kumar should either resign or the Governor should withdraw his nomination in the wake of the develo

You have been actively taking up the cause of farmers. Are you too from a family of farmers? Yes. I come from a farming family that migrated from Travancore to Malabar. There was a large migration from the Meenachil taluk of Kottayam district during my grandfathers time, when land in Travancore was controlled by feudal landlords. These migrants settled in Malabar, bringing with them their faith, lifestyle, and farming traditions, which gradually shaped the region. Since they were primarily farme

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pankaj Bhandari, chief executive officer of Chennai-based Smart Creations, and Govardhan, a Ballari-based jeweller, had a key role in Sabarimala gold theft case and their involvement was revealed by the key accused Unnikrishnan Potti, the remand report said. The remand report filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) before the Kollam Vigilance court said evidence revealing the involvement of the duo in the subterfuge were accessed during the course of the probe. The two

THRISSUR: The family of Palakkad mob lynching victim Ramnarayan Bhayar on Sunday refused to accept his mortal remains until all those involved in the incident were brought to book. The family also demanded that the police invoke murder charges and provisions of the SC/ST Atrocity (Prevention) Act against the accused. Ramnarayans wife, two children, brother and mother-in-law arrived at the Government Medical College mortuary to identify his body. Ramnarayan, from Bilaspur in Chattisgarh, came to

PATHANAMTHITTA: As part of the annadanam initiative, a traditional Kerala sadya has begun being served to pilgrims at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam. The sadya includes parippu, sambar, rasam, avial, achar, thoran, pappadam and payasam. While the varieties of avial and thoran will change daily, one among moru, rasam or pulissery will be included each day. A different variety of payasam will also be served daily. The Kerala sadya will be offered on alternate days in the coming period. At noon, Devasw

KOCHI/PATHANAMTHITTA : The Kerala High Court has nullified key stages of the land acquisition process for the proposed Sabarimala greenfield airport, ruling that the state government failed to determine the minimum extent of land required for the project as mandated by law, and directed the authorities to restart the process after a fresh assessment. On December 30, 2022, the state government issued an order granting sanction for the acquisition of 2,570 acres of land, comprising the Cheruvally

KOCHI: Sreenivasan s residence in Kandanad, near Tripunithura, swarmed with mourners from Sunday morning as people from the movie industry and fans gathered in their thousands to pay their last respects to the veteran actor and writer who passed away on Saturday. Among those who paid tributes was Tamil actor Suriya, who travelled from Chennai to visit the family. I am a fan of Sreeni sir. I have followed his work, his writings, and his contributions. I pray for his soul, Suriya told reporters. A

MALAPPURAM: The famed Nilambur teak, which holds a cherished place in the forest departments history, fetched record price at a recent auction. Two logs together realised Rs 31,85,828, including tax, at an auction held at the departments Aruvakode central depot in Nilambur. The timber, estimated to be more than 100 years old, was felled after it posed a threat, near the Punchakoli tribal hamlet within the Nellikuthu forest station limits of Vazhikkadavu range. The logs were later transported to

ALAPPUZHA: Naveen Harikumar, a native of Thiruvambadi in Alappuzha, has been honoured with the prestigious Rising Star award by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The award acknowledges his outstanding patient care, exemplary mentorship to colleagues, and innovative contributions to nursing practice. His achievement is a pride and inspiration for hundreds of Malayali nursing professionals working across the UK. The 32-year-old Naveen currently serves as a Clinical Practice Educator at Northwick

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has filed a report with the state government, seeking tougher action against Prisons Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) M K Vinod Kumar, against whom the state government agency has filed a case for corruption. The officer, who is set to retire next year, has been accused of receiving kickbacks from inmates to help them get parole and facilitating their illegal acts within the prison, including smuggling of drugs and alcohol. The

KOCHI: Its a digi-tell all! In a clear pivot from cash, Kerala is increasingly taking to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) figures reveal that 444.9 million UPI transactions were processed in the state in November, marking a 29.6% year-on-year increase. The value of these transactions rose 28.6% to `59,793 crore. Per capita usage climbed to 12.7 transactions a month, up from 9.8 a year earlier, indicating not just wider adoption but also more fre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KSRTC has shifted into high gear with its premier revenue earners, particularly the new premium superfast AC services that stop at fewer stations and generate higher earnings per kilometre (EPKM). Despite operating on fewer routes, the premium services have significantly boosted collections. KSRTC recorded its highest-ever single-day revenue of Rs 11.53 crore on December 15, nearly Rs 3 crore more than last year. Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar attributed the rise to impr

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pointing out major inaccuracies in the inclusion of voters in the uncollectable forms category as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, majority of the recognised political parties in the state have demanded extension of the SIR enrolment time-frame at least till the end of December to rectify the anomalies and enrol more voters. The demand was raised by representatives of political parties, except the BJP, at the weekly meeting chaired by Chief Ele

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Special poojas were conducted and offerings made to mark the 31st day of murajapam ritual at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple here on Saturday. As part of the ritual held once every six years, vedic scholars also recited devajapam and sookthajapam to mark the occasion. The temple was decked up to mark the occasion. Pooyam Tirunal Gouri Parvathy Bai, Aswathi Tirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bai and Aditya Varma of the erstwhile Travancore royal family visited the temple during the vedic r

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Goas liberation from the clutches of Portuguese through Operation Vijay marked a highpoint in the feeling of patriotism and nationalism in the country, said Governor Rajendra Arlekar. He was speaking after felicitating 24 families of the state who participated in the Goa Liberation movement of 1961. The governor said that it took nearly 14 years since Independence for Goa to be formally integrated in the Indian Union. Indias Independence of 1947 remained incomplete until Goas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Alleging that he was brutally assaulted by police personnel of Mannanthala station, a 46-year-old autorickshaw driver has raised a complaint. The complainant, Dastakeer, a native of Nalanchira, alleged that he was beaten up by the police initially at his house and later at the police station on Friday. He claimed that he was taken to the station and moved to an area without CCTV and beaten up on his back and thighs. Dastakeer, who is diabetic, also claimed that he was not eve

KOCHI: In a significant move towards modernising Keralas road infrastructure, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to evaluate a proposed National Highway corridor connecting Kottayam and Kochi, with a strategic link to the upcoming Angamaly-Kundannoor bypass. The decision follows a draft report earlier submitted by Kottayam MP Adv K Francis George, highlighting the urgent need for a high-speed alternative to th

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid criticism of the CPMs significant losses in the local body polls in Malabar, particularly in Malappuram, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the LDFs relationship with the Muslim community cannot not be judged solely on the basis of electoral outcomes. He made the remarks while inaugurating the reception to the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulamas Sandesa Yatra, organised as part of the Sunni Muslim bodys centenary celebrations. The yatra, which began in Nagercoil on

Sreenivasan was an honest person who always stayed true to himself. He had the rare courage to speak the truth. Embodying a unique personality, he never hid or covered up his feelings and thoughts, even if they were brutal. His way of presenting and addressing issues was different, and that made him and his work special and stand out. Sreeni was widely respected within the industry, and his death is a great loss to Malayalam cinema. He is an irreplaceable figure in the industry. To me, Sreeni wa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A week after the declaration of results of the city corporation elections , the BJP which emerged as the single largest party is gearing up to announce its mayoral candidate by Wednesday. The delay in the announcement, with multiple contenders in the fray, has triggered discussions and criticism in political circles. The oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected councillors will formally mark the beginning of the new councils term on Sunday, while the election to the post of