Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 20 (PTI) In yet another complaint against a central agency, Kerala Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta has written to the Centre about the alleged harassment faced recently by a state government official from Customs and sought an unbiased and time-bound probe.

The letter in this regard was sent by Mehta on January 9.

The state Assistant Protocol Officer, M S Harikrishnan, had appeared before the customs officials at Kochi on January5 following summons issued to him in connection with the sensational gold Smuggling case.

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 8 (PTI): Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Friday flayed the contentious farm laws passed by the Centre, against which farmers are on the warpath in Delhi, saying it would undermine regulated markets and help the corporates.

Khan read in full length the remarks against the farm laws, against which the Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution on December 31 demanding its immediate withdrawal.

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 3 (PTI):The fourth Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF2021), aimed at a global discussion and development of ayurveda, would be held from March 12 to 19 as a virtual meet, Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan said on Sunday.

The Union Minister, who is also the Global Ayurveda Festival chairman, said the fest would feature 12 seminars per day at five venues.

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 2 (PTI) At least 25 health workers each took part in the dry run, organised in four districts of Kerala on Saturday to asses the preparedness of the state's health sector for the COVID-19 vaccination once the vaccine is received.

The vaccine mock drill was conducted in four districts- Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Wayanad and Palakkad from 9 am to 11 am.

Kozhikode (Ker), Dec 29 (PTI) Rashtriya Swayam Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday inaugurated 'Kesari Media Studies and Research Centre' at nearby Chalappuram and said the new generation should remember the struggle through which the organisation marched forward.

Bhagwat said 'Kesari', a Sangh Parivar affiliated weekly which started publishing in 1951, is a product of certain thoughts "focused on the upliftment of Bharat".

Kochi, Dec 28 (PTI) The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church on Monday said it had a "cordial" meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has initiated discussions with two rival Kerala-based Syrian church groups to end their bitter battle for possession of over 1000 churches and their properties.

Modi is expected to hold discussions with representatives of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church faction on Tuesday over the issue, sources said.

Palakkad (Ker), Dec 26 (PTI): Two people, including the father-in-law of a 27-year old man, who was hacked to death in Palakkad district on Friday, have been taken into custody in connection with the incident, which is suspected to be a case of honour killing.

Aneesh, a painter, had married Haritha (21) some three months ago.

Due to the differences in their caste and financial status, the woman's father, Prabhukumar and uncle Suresh Kumar, used to threaten them often, Aneesh's relatives told media personnel.

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 22 (PTI) Twenty eight years after the mysterious death of Sister Abhaya, an inmate of St.Pious convent at Kottayam in Kerala, a CBI special court here on Tuesday held it was a case of murder and found a priest and nun guilty of killing her.

Special CBI Judge K Sanal Kumar, while pronouncing the verdict, said the murder charges against the two will stand.

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 17 (PTI) The BJP in Kerala has braved many odds to make its presence felt in the state's bipolar politics, dominated for decades by the traditional coalitions-CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-headed UDF.

But, once again the saffron party has failed to create magic in electoral politics in the southern state as it couldn't perform according to its expectations when the counting for the crucial local body polls was taken up on Wednesday.

Kochi, Dec 17 (PTI) A court here on Thursday granted the Enforcement Directorate seven days custody of Popular Front of Indias student wing leader K A Rauf Sharif, arrested by it in connection with a money laundering probe being conducted against the Kerala-based outfit.

Considering a plea by the ED, the Special Court on Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases here sent the Campus Front of India (CFI) leader to its custody till December 24.