A week-old boy who was kidnapped last week from the maternity ward of the Salem Government Hospital was found within two days.
Indhu gave birth on October 24 and the lost the baby the following day while she had gone to the bathroom. Based on her complaint, police found a woman wearing a yellow sari carrying a baby, on the hospital’s surveillance camera and began their search. They checked bus stands, nearby areas and later alerted primary health centres with photos of the baby and the woman.
Finally they got a call from Karavur village in Dharmapuri district, where a woman named Vennila had come with the baby for vaccination. Police arrested Vennila, got the baby and handed him to Indhu.
Vennila confessed that she had stolen the baby to appease her husband’s family who had been harassing her for being childless.
Investigations are underway.143

Kamal Haasan, Gautami separate after 13 years

Star couple and award winning actors Gautami Tadimalla and Kamal Haasan separated last week after living together for nearly 13 years.
Gautami announced it on her Twitter website and blog. She said: “It is a devastating decision for any woman. I neither need sympathy nor blaming anyone for this. I have always been good friends with Shruti and Akshara (Kamal’s daughters). I will continue doing so in the future. At the same time I want to be a good mother as I have certain responsibilities.” 
Gautami has a daughter from an earlier marriage. Shruti and Akshara are both actresses.
Gautami and Kamal worked in many films before she left to get married. However her marriage failed and she got back with Kamal who was divorced. The couple lived together with their three daughters. 
Gautami did character roles, television shows and some social work. Her major re-entry into the Tamil films was in 2015 in Papanasam with Kamal Haasan. 
Film buffs claim that Gautami fell out with Shruti over costume designing for the latter’s films. 

Valparai post office celebrates its centenary

A post office at Valparai hill resort, about 60km from Coimbatore, is celebrating its centenary this year. 
Valparai town was established in the 1800s when British planters set up tea and coffee plantations in the area. Businessmen and traders soon built houses, offices and shops in the area that was accessed by a road with around 40 hairpin bends. 
The Valparai post office was set up on October, 1906 for the convenience of these settlers, whose post and telegrams were often delivered by mail runners, either by foot or on horseback, through forest and mountain tracks. The mail was carried stuffed inside giant tea bags. 
In 1916, the Valparai post office was upgraded to a head post office and shifted from its rented premises to a Gothic style building that stands even today. 
Officials are urging the Tamil Nadu government to give this building heritage status along with 34 others in the state.

New harbour in Nagapattinam starts functioning

The newly-built Akkaraipettai fishing harbour began functioning from November 4 in southern Nagapattinam district.
The harbour was inaugurated by Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalithaa in September and is built on 17 hectares. Its facilities consist of 750m of docking yard, an administrative office, goods safety building, fishing equipment, power generator, security room, overhead water tank, effluent treatment plant and halls for fish auction, net knitting and parking lots.