TIRUCHY l saturday l april 01, 2023 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Jury indicts Trump in criminal case, setback for his prez race dON ALLEGEDLY PAID $130,000 HUSH MONEY A grand jury on Thursday voted to indict the former US president for paying porn star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence over an alleged affair Expected to be arraigned on Tuesday Daniels claimed she had a sexual encounter with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006. Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen reportedly paid her $130,000 a month before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence about the alleged affair. Hush money payment isn’t illegal in the US. Trump is being charged with falsifying business records to make the payment ■ The US president from 2017 to 2021 is expected to fly from his home in Florida to New York on Monday and be arraigned in court on Tuesday ■ The indictment remains under seal and it is not clear what crimes and how many criminal counts Trump has been charged with ■ With this, Trump becomes the first ex-US prez to face criminal charges | P9 30 Trump faces that many counts related to business fraud, according to CNN CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI More cash in your pocket as small savings rates up Govt relaxes deposit limits for post office, senior citizen schemes SAC H I N K U M A R @ Mumbai Incentivising small savings Existing rate Savings deposit 4% 1-year term deposit 6.6% 2-year term deposit 6.8% 3-year term deposit 6.9% 5-year term deposit 7% 5-year recurring deposit 5.8% Senior Citizen Savings Scheme 8% Monthly Income Account Scheme 7.1% National Savings Certificate 7% Public Provident Fund Scheme 7.1% Kisan Vikas Patra 7.2% Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme 7.6% Instrument New rate 4% 6.8% 6.9% 7% 7.5% 6.2% 8.2% 7.4% 7.7% 7.1% 7.5% 8% IN a move that could bring cheer to individual investors reeling under high inflation, the Centre on Friday raised the interest rates on most small savings schemes by 10-70 bps for the April-June quarter. After the revision, the rates on these savings schemes now range from 4% to 8.2%. The government’s decision to hike rates reflects the hardening of interest rates in the economy . The highest hike is seen in the National Savings Certificate, which will now attract a decent 7.7%, up from 7% earlier, for the April 1-June 30, 2023 period. The rate for the popular girl child savings scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi, has been increased to 8% from 7.6%. The new rate for Senior Citizen Savings Scheme — its maximum investment limit has been raised to `30 lakh from `15 lakh — and Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) is 8.2% (8% before) and 7.6% (7.2%), respectively KVP . will now mature in 115 months against 120 months earlier. After the revision, the oneyear term deposit with post offices would earn 6.8%, up from 6.6% before, the two-year deposit will offer 6.9% (6.8%), three-year deposit will give 7% (6.9%) and five-year deposit will offer 7.5% interest compared to 7% earlier. The rate for Public Provident Fund has been retained at 7.1% and that of the savings deposit at 4%, while the rates of Post Office Monthly Income Scheme has been raised by 30 bps to 7.4%. The monthly scheme’s maximum deposit limit has been enhanced to `9 lakh from `4 lakh for single account holders. The finance ministry also notified Mahila Samman Savings Certificate — a new savings 100% mask use mandatory in TN hospitals Kalakshetra: 100 plaints filed, CM assures action E x p r e ss ne ws s e r v i c e @ Chennai As the number of Covid-19 cases is increasing by the day in the state, health minister Ma Subramanian on Friday said 100% face mask compliance will be ensured in all government hospitals across Tamil Nadu from Saturday . At least 139 people tested positive for Covid on Friday, up from 123 on Thursday and 112 cases on Wednesday This was a . steep increase compared to last month when only three had tested positive on February 3. Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a health council conference at the Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital in Omandurar Estate on Friday, the minister said hospital heads will ensure 100% mask compliance on the premises. All patients, attenders, and healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, must wear face masks at all times in hospitals, he said. Subramanian said the instruction has been issued as cases first start increasing from hospitals. Though the situation is not alarming, people should protect themselves by wearing masks, he said. Passengers from Singapore and Dubai are mostly testing positive for Covid-19 in the random 2% test being carried out at airports, the minister said.  P5 B i n i ta Ja i swa l @ Chennai Even as Chief Minister M K Stalin promised proper investigation and action against wrongdoers in the sexual harassment allegations against some faculty members of the Kalakshetra Foundation in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Friday, over 100 students of the foundation gave written complaints to the chairperson of the Tamil Nadu women’s commission who visited the institute on Friday and called off their two-day sit-in protest. The students on Friday also wrote letters to the CM and union culture minister naming four male teaching staff and sought action against them. The letter written by a newlyformed Kalakshetra students’ union, which was shared by the students with TNIE, said students have been facing sexual and verbal abuse and harassment for decades from assistant professor Hari Padman, and repertory artists Sanjit Lal, Sai Krishnan, and Sreenath. Students have also been facing body shaming, verbal abuse and casteist remarks from serving director Revathi Ramachandran and head of the dance department, Dr Jyolsna Menon, the letter said. The management of the foundation failed to give satisfactory answers to queries on why no action was taken on the sex- scheme for women which will offer 7.5% interest rate. The government reviews the interest rates on small savings schemes every quarter and this is the third time in the past nine months that the ministry has hiked the rates for these instruments. The latest hike was on expected lines as interest rates have moved up in the broader economy over the past few months. The Reserve Bank of India has raised its repo rate by 250 bps since May 2022 in a bid to tame inflation, which remains about its comfort zone of comfort zone of 6%. Cops book first case The Chennai city police late on Friday registered a case against assistant professor Hari Padmanaban under IPC sections 354A (sexual harassment) 509 (use of words, gestures or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 4 of Women Harassment Act. The complaint was lodged by a former student at an All Women Police station. ual harassment complaints from students, said AS Kumari, chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women, who conducted an inquiry on Friday on the campus of Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts, Kalakshetra Foundation. Responding to the issue raised by members of various political parties in the assembly during zero hour, the CM said, “When the issue was brought to my notice, I spoke to the district collector and got the details. A team of revenue and police officials was sent to Kalakshetra for inquiry. On Friday morning, this team met the students and the Kalakshetra administration and had discussions. A police team headed by a woman inspector has been posted there to ensure the safety of the girl students.”  P2 Guj HC quashes order on PM’s degree, fines Kejri E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Ahmedabad The Gujarat High Court on Friday quashed a seven-yearold order of the Central Information Commission (CIC), directing the Gujarat University to provide infor mation on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Justice Biren Vaishnav also slapped a cost of `25,000 on Kejriwal and refused to stay the order despite a request by his lawyer Percy Kavina. The Aam Aadmi Party alter said it would Security personnel cordon off an area after clashes between two groups during a Ram Navami procession the previous day, in Howrah district on Friday | PTI P r o na b M o n d a l @ Kolkata Fresh brick-batting was reported in Howrah’s Shibpur area on Friday, a day after violence and arson broke out there during a Ram Navami procession. At least three police personnel were reported injured in the stoning. The situation was brought under control after a police lathi-charge. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed and a In a bizarre incident of ‘robbery’ at a grocery shop in East Midnapore in West Bengal, the culprit turned out to be a rat! Amal Kumar Maity the own, er of the shop in Tamluk market, closed it as usual on Wednesday night. “Next morning, when I came to my shop around 9 am, I found `13,000 missing from the cash box. I have an employee I trust who stays in the shop overnight. sourav roy contingent of the Rapid Action Force was deployed in the area. Concerned over the situation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose, who had earlier taken up the matter with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In all, 45 people have been arrested. The violence also led to political sparring. Mamata alleged that the route of Thursday’s proces- sion was deliberately changed to target a minority community-dominated pocket. She blamed the violence on the BJP Bajrang Dal and other af, filiated outfits. Appealing to the people to maintain peace, Mamata said, ‘’The conspiracy behind Thursday’s violence was hatched a month ago. The was no permission to take the procession through the area where the incident took place. The route was changed deliberately. It was part of the conspiracy .” BJP MLA and leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari went to Shibpur on Friday and submitted a CD to the office of the superintendent of police demanding immediate arrest of the culprits. Adhikari alleged that the police stood as mute spectators when the procession was attacked. express read Fee to be hiked in 33 TN toll booths from today Chennai: Motorists may soon have to shell out more as user fee has been hiked by 10% to 15 % at 29 toll plazas on national highways and four booths on Chennai Outer Ring Road. The revised fee will come into effect across the state from April 1 | P4 Madras HC to decide on OPS’ plea on Monday Chennai: The Madras HC will decide on Monday whether to grant interim relief to deposed AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam or not. OPS is challenging a single judge order that rejected his plea to stay the polls for the general secretary post of AIADMK | P4 New trade policy targets $2 tn exports by 2030 New Delhi: India on Friday came out with a “dynamic and responsive” foreign trade policy aiming to push rupee trade, increase outward shipments to $2 trillion by 2030, and promote e-commerce exports, amid global uncertainties | P10 Rats! Rodent robber in currency in West Bengal The lock of the drawer was not also picked and its key was in my possession,” said Maity . He discussed the matter with other traders and considered lodging a police complaint but first decided to check the shop’s CCTV footage. While reviewing the footage twice, a fellow trader spotted something unusual. The time stamp on the footage ed the Delhi University and the Gujarat University to provide information to Kejriwal on Modi’s degrees. Three months later, the Gujarat High Court stayed the CIC order after the University filed an appeal. The then CIC based his directive on a letter Kejriwal wrote to him seeking information. Modi’s post-graduation became a subject of interest as it was initially claimed he had completed his MA in Entire Political Science in 1983 with 62.3% as an external student of Gujarat University The prefix . ‘Entire’ for Political Science was what was curious. Reacting to the verdict, Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi, “Doesn’t the country even have the right to know how much the PM has studied?” The BJP hit back with its spokesperson Sambit Patra saying, “what Kejriwal is doing reflects his frustration.” Fresh violence in Howrah; Month-old plot, says mamata Heist at dawn P r o na b M o n d a l @ Kolkata appeal against the order. The court said the CIC was well aware that it was a fishing and roving enquiry since it did , not specify any time limit for compliance. Yet, it chose to pass the order. Despite the degree in question being put on the website of the University “and despite this fact being made expressly clear” before the court during the hearing, Kejriwal persisted with the matter, one reason why cost was imposed on him, the judge reasoned. In April 2016, the then CIC M Sridhar Acharyulu had direct- showed it was around 7 am. “It showed a rat pinching currency notes from a gap near the cash box, sprinting to a hole in a corner of the shop and disappearing. It came back again and again to do an encore,’’ recalled Maity . The traders found the hole and safely dug out `12,700. “300 is still missing,” Maity said, who is more amused that concerned. As Sherlock Holmes would have said, “Elementary Mr Watson.” , Ruturaj fires for csk Chennai Super Kings opener Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed a swashbuckling 50-ball 92 (four fours and nine sixes) against Gujarat Titans in the opening game of the 2023 IPL in Ahmedabad on Friday. CSK posted 178 for 7 in 20 overs | pti Bengaluru shocker as girl gangraped in moving car E x p r e ss N e ws Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru IN a shocking incident, a 19year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped and gangraped by four men in a moving car for over five hours in Bengaluru. The incident took place in Koramangala police station limits on March 25 night. Four persons have been arrested in this connection. The police said the girl, who works with a private firm, was smoking with her boy friend in a park attached to National Games Village, which has residential complexes that house judges and top bureaucrats, at around 9.30 pm last Saturday . One of the accused objected to their sitting in the park at night and smoking. The girl and her friend told him it was none of his business. Strangely, the girl’s friend then left the place saying he forgot his mobile phone at home, while the accused was standing there, making phone calls. In a few minutes, three others came to the park and forcibly dragged the girl into their car and sped away They drove . around the city for hours. “While the car was on the move, the accused allegedly raped the woman,” said DCP (south-east division) C K Baba. The accused finally dropped the girl near her house at Ejipura around 3.30 am. The accused have been identified as Satish, Vijay, Sridhar and Kiran, all residents of Bengaluru, and aged 23-24 years. Two of the accused work as office boys, the other is an electrician while another accused works with a BPO. The orphaned calf was cared for by Oscar fame couple Bomman and Bellie at the Theppakadu camp | Express 3-month-old elephant calf fed with Lactogen dies of diarrhoea Express news servi ce @ Coimbatore A three-month-old elephant calf that was orphaned after being separated from its herd in Dharmapuri recently, died of diarrhoea at the Theppakadu elephant camp inside the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Friday The calf was . being cared for by Bomman and Bellie who featured in the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers. The calf separated from its mother on March 7, and fell into a well near Neerkundhi village in Hogenakkal range on March 11. After rescuing it, forest department officials tried to integrate it with a herd but their efforts failed and the calf was shifted to the camp. According to a statement released by Theppakkadu Forest Range Officer N Manoharan, the calf was brought to the camp on March 16. It was fed Lactogen, a milk powder given to human babies as supplement. “Normally, elephant calves do not have enzymes in their stomachs to digest lactogen. But they gradually adapt with the feeding,” Manoharan said. This is the standard feed given to all calves, but some animals develop lactose intolerance which results in diarrhoea, Manoharan said. Electric fence kills jumbo, case comes out after 1 year Erode: An elephant had died of electrocution because of an illegal fence in a farmland near Bargur in Erode in May last year. The incident came to light on Thursday when forest department arrested the farmer who caused the death and buried the carcass without informing officials sidhuout likely to walk of prison today Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, currently serving a one-year rigorous imprisonment in a 1988 road rage case, is set to walk free on Saturday, according to his lawyer