MA Yusuf Ali of Lulu group caught in Kerala CPM feud?

May 27, 2013
Thiruvananthapuram, May 27: Two prominent Middle East-based businessmen who hail from Kerala appear to be caught in the factional feud of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Kerala.

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The Ernakulam unit of the CPI-M has accused MA Yusuf Ali, owner of the Emke Group, of encroaching upon the government land for his Rs 1600-crore Lulu Shopping Mall project here that opened in March this year.

The Ernakulam district committee of CPI-M is believed to have allegiance to the party's state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, while Ali is said to be in the good books of former chief minister VS Achuthanandan, who is believed to be leading the opposing faction of the party.

"All the sanctions for the shopping mall were given while the previous Left government of Achuthanandan was in power," said Kochi's Mayor Tony Chammany.

Another of Ali's major trouble relates to the 10.59 hectare of land in Kochi, around 200 km from here, on which Ali was planning to build a state-of-the-art convention centre and other facilities.

The plot was allotted to the businessman through an open bid and tender process initiated by the Cochin Port Trust. It was leased out to Ali in November 2010 for a sum of Rs 72 crore for 30 years.

Following the allegation of encroachment by the CPI-M's Ernakulam district committee, Ali told media persons in Dubai that he was deeply hurt by it.

"I have always taken the lead to promote Kerala to leading investors of the world. This statement has deeply pained me," Ali said.

He also announced that he was backing out from the convention centre project, and that he would invest in another state, according to a report.

"We welcome the decision of Ali to back out of the convention centre project, and hope that the land would be handed back to the Cochin Port Trust," CPI-M Ernakulam secretary Dinesh Moni said.

The other Middle East-based businessman who has been caught in the crossfire between the two CPI-M factions is Ravi Pillai, owner of plush hotels at popular tourist destinations Kovalam and Kollam in the state.

While the CPI-M faction led by Vijayan is completely mum over the allotment of a parcel of land to Pillai near his Kovalam project, Achuthanandan has raised a red flag over the deal.

In a press release here on Saturday, Achuthanandan said the 16 hectare of prime land belonged to the government.

"This is a blatant violation of the law of the land which the state government has done, and if need be I will not hesitate to take legal action against this," the veteran Marxist leader said.

However, CPI-M politburo member MA Baby denied any tussle was ongoing between the party factions led by Vijayan and Achuthanandan. He termed it as a wild imagination of the media.

"The media has to come out with juicy and spicy reports. The truth is that every district committee of the party takes up an issue based on the situation and so do leaders. There is nothing beyond that," Baby told media persons

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May 10,2024

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Madikeri: A 15-year-old was bludgeoned to death and the accused fled with her severed head at Mutlu village in Somwarpet of Kodagu district on Thursday late night, hours after her SSLC examination result was declared.  

The victim has been identified as US Meena, a 10th grade student of Surlabbi High School. She had passed the SSLC examination and her school attained 100% results. 

However, she was brutally murdered by accused Prakash (32), a resident of the village. The police have launched a search operation to find the suspect, said Kodagu SP K Ramarajan 

It is said that the minor girl's engagement with the suspect was thwarted by officials from Women and Child Development department on May 9, and later officials had even convinced her parents of not to marry the minor girl.

However, the suspect barged into her house in the night and allegedly kidnapped her. Later, he took her to an area near the periphery of the forest and murdered her after which he fled with her severed head.

Victim's mother too has suffered injuries and is admitted to a hospital for treatment. The reason for the murder will be known after the probing officials have inquired the victim's mother, said the SP. 

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News Network
May 6,2024

Mangaluru, May 6: A five-year-old girl from Arendur village of Siddapura taluk of Uttara Kannada district died of Kyasanur Forest Disease (monkey fever) recently.

As her health deteriorated, she was admitted to the KMC Hospital in Mangaluru, where she failed to respond to the treatment and died on Friday night.

It is learned that the KFD is slowly spreading to the newer areas of coastal and malnad areas of Karnataka

According to officials, KFD spreads due to bites of ticks that generally survive on monkeys. This tick bites humans which causes the infection. Humans also contract the disease by coming in contact with cattle bitten by ticks.

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News Network
May 12,2024

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In an intriguing turn of events, authorities have levied a fine against an actress for breaching traffic regulations depicted within a television serial.

In the 14th episode of the popular serial ‘Seetha Raama’ a Kannada language drama series airing on Zee Kannada, a scene featuring two individuals riding a scooter caught the attention of viewers. While the rider adhered to safety protocols by wearing a helmet, the actress on the pillion did not.

Jayaprakash Yekkur, a vigilant resident of Mangaluru, took swift notice of this discrepancy and promptly lodged a complaint with the Mangaluru City Police Commissioner. Yekkur underscored the concern that such portrayals of traffic violations by actors and actresses could potentially convey misleading messages to viewers, particularly those who are impressionable. He urged authorities to take decisive legal action against the actress, the serial’s director, and the broadcasting channel.

In response to Yekkur’s complaint, the Commissioner of Police forwarded the matter to the Mangaluru Traffic Police station. Subsequently, notices were issued to the owner of the two-wheeler featured in the scene and the serial’s director. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the scene had been filmed in Nandini Layout, Bengaluru, and was referred to the Rajajinagar police station for further scrutiny.

On May 10, after thorough inquiries, the Rajajinagar police station imposed a fine of Rs 500 on both the actress and the owner of the two-wheeler. Furthermore, the production manager of the serial committed to adhering strictly to traffic regulations in future episodes.

Expressing his contentment with the resolution, Jayaprakash Yekkur commented that the prompt response from the police, coupled with the imposition of a fine, serves as a valuable lesson and contributes significantly to enhancing public awareness.

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