Kerala

Kochi, Oct 20 (PTI) Activist Rehana Fathima's house was allegedly vandalised by unidentified persons while she was attempting to reach the Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala on Friday, police said.

She had made a failed attempt to reach the temple with heavy police protection.

Police said Saturday that the attackers reached Fatima's house in Panambilly Nagar here while she was climbing the hills.

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 12 (PTI) Members of the Opposition Congress and BJP in Kerala Friday staged demonstrations to express solidarity with Ayyappa devotees even as the CPI, the key partner in the CPI-M led LDF, said there was an attempt to "politicise" the Supreme Court order on Sabarimala.

The BJP said its protest would not be confined to Kerala and would expand to other South Indian states.

Kochi/Thrissur, Oct 12 (PTI) Burglars struck at two automated teller machines in Thrissur and Ernakulam districts of Kerala making away with Rs 35 lakh in the early hours Friday, police said.

Police suspect the involvement of a single gang.

In the first incident, the ATM of a nationalised bank at Irumbanam in Thrippunithura in Ernakulam district was looted.

The gang used a gas-cutter to break open the ATM and decamped with Rs 25 lakh, police said.

The incident is suspected to have occurred before 3.30 am.

Kochi, Oct 3 (PTI) The Kerala High Court Wednesday dismissed the bail plea of Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal, arrested over allegations of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a nun.

Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan dismissed the bail plea while accepting the prosecution argument that the accused, holding a high position in society will try to influence witnesses in the case, if he is granted bail.

Police said the investigation in the case is progressing even after the arrest of the accused.

New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The Supreme Court Friday paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala.

The five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in its 4:1 verdict, said that banning the entry of women into the shrine is gender discrimination and the practice violates rights of Hindu women.

The CJI said religion is a way of life basically to link life with divinity.

New Delhi, Sep 25; PTI:  The Kerala government Tuesday sought a special grant of Rs 5,000 crore from the Centre for livelihood development in the flood-ravaged state.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here and submitted a memorandum listing the devastation in the state, rehabilitation works done and the assistance required for rebuilding Kerala after the deluge last month.

Vijayan, however, said that there is no change in the Centre's stand over the issue of accepting assistance from any overseas government.

The Supreme Court of India has awarded Rs 5 million as a compensation to former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan for his unnecessary arrest and harassment by Kerala police.

Narayanan was arrested on November 30, 1994 on allegations of espionage.

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 30 (PTI) As Kerala picks up the pieces, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said the government would explore the possibility of legal options to avail the funds offered to the state, including that from abroad.

His statement assumes significance in the wake of a row over the Centre's refusal to accept the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) reported offer of Rs 700 crore to the flood-hit state.

Hyderabad, Aug 23; PTI:  If the Centre wants to reject the Rs 700-crore offer of the UAE to Kerala for flood relief operations, it should give a Rs 2,600-crore interim assistance as sought by the southern state, the Communist Party of India (CPI) said today.

Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, the national general secretary of the CPI -- the second biggest constituent in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala -- also accused the Centre of "standing on false prestige" on the issue of foreign aid at times of natural disasters.

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14 (PTI) Heavy rains pounded various parts of Kerala, especially the northern regions this morning, compounding the miseries of the people of the state where thousands are lodged in relief camps.

In view of the situation, educational institutions in most places have declared a holiday today.

Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kannur, Kasaragod and Palakkad are being lashed by heavy rains, disaster control room sources said.

In most of these places landslides had been reported yesterday.