With as many as 5,524 persons having been discharged, the recoveries have now increased to 4,70,192. (File)
Tamil Nadu Chennai Coronavirus News Live Updates: Tamil Nadu reported 5560 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday with 992 cases being reported from Chennai alone. The overall tally stood at 5,25,420.
With 59 deaths in the past 24 hours, the toll has reached 8,618. With as many as 5,524 persons having been discharged, the recoveries have now increased to 4,70,192.
According to the media bulletin by the Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department, 46,610 cases are active in the state. A total of 84,524 samples have been tested on Thursday and 62,17,923 samples have been tested till date.
On Thursday, apart from Chennai, 530 cases were reported in Coimbatore, 291 in Salem, 283 in Chengalpet and 239 in Thiruvallur. A total of 18 districts reported less than 1000 cases on Thursday.
So far 22,321 children below the age of 12 and 68418 above 60 years have tested positive for Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu.
The modus operandi, the officer said, differed from place to place and it was not a centralised fraud. (Reuters)
The findings of a CB-CID probe into the PM Kisan scheme scam in Tamil Nadu suggest that fraudulent elements, most of them backed by local politicians, looted money from several other welfare schemes too.
The investigators have also found that some listed beneficiaries, including poor farmers and farm labourers, did not receive any money and had not even heard about the scheme. The fraudsters, the probe found, collected documents from them to create bank accounts in their names without their knowledge.
READ | Tamil Nadu: Not just PM-Kisan, fraudsters may have targeted other schemes too
During the lockdown, a senior officer investigating the case said, “loan fests” were organised by local leaders of political parties, including BJP and the ruling AIADMK. At these events, people were promised loans and financial benefits from the state and central governments.
Also Read | This ‘Plastic Wall’ in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris helps prevent landslides
With three students taking their lives a day before Sunday’s NEET exam, top actor Suriya was among those who issued statements condemning the situation in Tamil Nadu over the controversial competitive examinations. But certain portions of the popular Tamil actor’s statement have now kicked up a storm with a Madras High Court judge calling for judicial contempt action and senior retired judges lining up in support of the star.
READ | Explained: Why Tamil actor Suriya’s remarks on NEET are being scrutinised for contempt of court
The statement had a portion referring to the judiciary: “Courts were delivering justice through video-conferencing due to life-threatening coronavirus fears (but) are ordering students to fearlessly go and write the exams.” This offended Justice S M Subramaniam who wrote to the Chief Justice A P Sahi for initiating contempt proceedings against Suriya. Justice Subramaniam wrote that the statement claims “Hon’ble Judges are afraid of their own life and rendering justice through video conferencing. While-so, they have no morale to pass orders directing the students to appear for NEET Exam without fear.”
Tamil Nadu Chennai Coronavirus September 16, 17 Highlights
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chennai/tamil-nadu-coronavirus-news-live-updates-chennai-covid-19-lockdown-edappadi-cases-stalin-live-6600678/
