Kerala

Kottayam(Ker), June 3 (PTI) A Dalit Christian, who died last year in a suspected case of honour killing, was forcibly drowned in a stream in Kollam district, forensic experts informed a court here Monday.

This was not a case of accidental death or a suicide, but a case of homicidal drowning, forensic experts of the Kottayam Government Medical College hospital who performed the postmortem of P Kevin Joseph told the District Additional Sessions Court here.

Kottayam(Ker), June 2 (PTI) A 63-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl in Thalayolaparambu in the district, police said Sunday.

Yusuf from Muppathadam in Ernakulam district was arrested in Thrissur on Saturday, they said without divulging further details.

The accused had left Thalayolaparambu recently when he came to know that the police have started investigation into the case based on a complaint.

He has been charged underProtection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, police said.

Kochi, May 29 (PTI) The Kerala High Court has allowed a petition seeking to quash a rape case on the ground that the parties have compromised and that the petitioner has married the victim.

The man, the petitioner, was the accused in a case filed in the Court of the Judicial First Class Magistrate-1, Pathanamthitta.

Thiruvananthapuram, May 27 (PTI) Kerala Director General of Police Jacob Thomas, who is under suspension for the past 18 months for alleged violation of service rules, is now facing a criminal case and termination threat for writing his autobiography.

Kochi, May 26 (PTI) A crisis loomed large over Kerala's influential Syro-Malabar Catholic Church with priests of an Archdiocese reading out a circular during Sunday mass in churches under its jurisdiction blaming Church head Cardinal George Alencherry over a criminal case filed against a section of priests.

The "unprecedented" move by the priests comes days after they came out openly against the arrest of a 24-year-old man for allegedly forging bank documents against Alencherry, who is also the major Archbishop of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.

Thiruvananthapuram, May 25 (PTI) Coming out in support of the AICC chief, Congress leaders in Kerala said there was no need for Rahul Gandhi to resign in the wake of the party's poll debacle.

Gandhi had offered to resign as the Congress received a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress party had faced similar defeats earlier also and has bounced back, Opposition leader in the state ssembly Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here.

Thiruvananthapuram, May 20 (PTI) Rejecting the exit poll results which predicted the return of the NDA government at the Centre, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Monday said there is no need to rely on "speculations based on speculation".

Vijayan, who met mediapersons soon after he returned from a 13-day Europe trip, exuded confidence that the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will record an impressive win in the Lok Sabha polls.

The exit polls have forecast a poor showing by the ruling Left Front in Kerala.

Kottayam (Ker), May 10 (PTI) Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping and sexually assaulting a nun in Kerala, Friday appeared before a magistrate court in Pala.

The Pala Judicial First Class Magistrate Court (JFMC), which issued summons to the accused last week directing him to appear before it on May 10, accepted his plea seeking further extension of bail.

The accused was handed over a copy of the charge sheet and other related documents filed against him by the Special Investigation Team of the Kerala police which investigated the case.

Thiruvananthapuram, May 5 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has extended solidarity to the people and the government of Odisha, which was hit by cyclone Fani.

Vijayan, in a letter sent to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday, said Kerala would do everything possible to assist in relief and rehabilitation of the cyclone-affected.

The Kerala chief minister said Kerala and its people "offer all assistance" including provision of medical teams, fire and rescue services and state electricity board personnel if necessary.

Wayanad, Apr 23 (PTI) Billed as a key seat given the presence of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on the ballot, the Wayanad Lok Sabha segment witnessed a record turnout of voters Tuesday as polling was held in the State's 20 constituencies.

The voting percentage was 76.21 as of 6 pm when the polling time officially ended, three per cent more than what was recorded in 2014 (73.2).