Ramesh Babu is HT’s bureau chief in Kerala, with about three decades of experience in journalism.
Articles by Ramesh Babu
Kerala moves high court against bail granted to writer Civic Chandran
The plea mentioned some of the controversial observations made by sessions judge S Krishnakumar while granting bail to the accused in two separate sexual harassment cases this month. People close to the government said an appeal will be filed in the second case by next week.
Published on Aug 20, 2022 12:38 AM IST
Kerala gold smuggling case: HC dismisses Swapna Suresh’s plea to quash FIRs
Swapna Suresh was booked under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 153 (provoke with an intent to cause riots) of the Indian Penal Code in connection with the Kerala gold smuggling case of 2020
Updated on Aug 20, 2022 12:30 AM IST
Kerala guv stays appointment of CPI(M) leader’s wife to varsity
A controversy had erupted after it was alleged that Priya Varghese was appointed to the post of associate professor flouting all norms of the University Grants Commission and overlooking deserving candidates.
Published on Aug 18, 2022 12:26 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala court cites provocative dress to grant bail in sexual harassment case
Activists decried judge Krishnakumar’s order, which was passed on Friday last but was made available on Wednesday, and sought the Kerala high court’s intervention
Published on Aug 17, 2022 02:28 PM IST
Tetrapod fencing relief for locals affected by sea erosion in Kerala’s Chellanam
It was a sight to behold for the villagers who had gathered in large numbers to see the waves retreating after hitting the tetrapods this time around
Published on Aug 15, 2022 11:58 AM IST
Centre using guv to topple Left govt: CPI(M)
A week after Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan refused to sign 11 ordinances, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) sharpened its attack on the latter saying he was trying to sabotage the only Left government in the country.
Published on Aug 13, 2022 12:24 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Walayar siblings case: Kerala Pocso court rejects charge sheet, calls for fresh CBI inquiry
The girls, aged 9 and 13, were found dead inside their one-room house in Walayar 52 days apart — the elder sister was found dead on January 13, 2017; and the younger one on March 4 that year.
Published on Aug 11, 2022 12:38 AM IST
Walayar siblings case: Court rejects chargesheet, orders CBI for reinvestigation
The CBI had filed a chargesheet two months ago agreeing to the conclusion of the state police that girls were driven to suicide
Published on Aug 10, 2022 02:53 PM IST
Kerala CM Vijayan helped UAE man flee, claims Swapna Suresh
Swapna Suresh claimed that the UAE national had arrived at the Kozhikode airport (north Kerala) on June 30, spent four days in the state and he was apprehended while going back. She alleged that the “CM had misused his power to help a foreign national whose antecedents were suspicious.”
Published on Aug 09, 2022 12:27 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
UAE national caught with satellite phone in 2017, CM helped him escape: Swapna Suresh
Interacting with media persons in Kochi, she said that on July 4, 2017, an Egypt-born UAE national was detained by CISF personnel at the Cochin airport with a Thuraya satellite phone
Published on Aug 08, 2022 05:46 PM IST
Kerala tribal youth’s lynching case: Mother alleges attempts to weaken case
The latest to turn hostile was Kakki Moopan, 19th witness in the case, in the special court in Mannarkkad (Palakkad) on Saturday.
Published on Aug 01, 2022 12:17 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Deceased Kerala man tested positive for monkeypox in UAE: Health minister
The state government will confirm the infection only after getting swab results from the National Institute of Virology, the minister said.
Updated on Aug 01, 2022 02:30 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala health officials baffled as man suspected to have contracted monkeypox
A senior official of the Kozhikode airport said it was really baffling how he jumped the screening and thermal test at the airport. After the first monkey pox case was reported in the country on July 12, also a returnee from the UAE in Kollam in south Kerala, screening of passengers in all four airports had been intensified
Updated on Aug 01, 2022 02:12 AM IST
Kerala tribal man lynching : Victim’s mother alleges attempts to weaken the case
The number of witnesses who turned hostile in the 2018 Kerala tribal man lynching case rose to nine with one more witness turning hostile on Saturday
Published on Jul 31, 2022 06:25 PM IST
Suspected monkeypox patient dies in Kerala: Health officials
Relatives of the deceased said he returned to the country from the UAE three days ago and was suffering from high fever.
Published on Jul 31, 2022 12:42 PM IST
Kerala trekking group formed during lockdown spreads green message
What started with a small group of 10 people in 2020, now boasts of a presence of 600 members with units set up across multiple districts in the state and even in the UAE.
Published on Jul 29, 2022 12:27 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala bishop let off by ED after 10-hour questioning
At least 19 cases were registered against the diocese in four years alleging that it took huge amount of money from students promising them MBBS and post-graduate seats at Somervell Memorial Medical College in Karakonam in Thiruvananthapuram district
Published on Jul 27, 2022 11:55 PM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Cong call fails to woo LDF allies in Kerala
The two parties — Kerala Congress (Mani) and Loktantric Janata Dal (LJD) — that had left the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) before the assembly elections, on Monday made it clear that there is no scope for political realignment in the state.
Published on Jul 26, 2022 12:09 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Congress sends out open invite to ex-allies in Kerala. 2 swift rejections follow
Kerala Congress chief K Sudhakaran said the state’s ruling LDF’s policies were similar to that of the central government and many of the ruling coalition’s constituents were unhappy
Updated on Jul 25, 2022 04:53 PM IST
Nanjiamma: Herdswoman to national award winner for best female singer
Tribal singer Nanjiamma (62) won the national award for best female playback singer for her song in Malayalam movie ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’
Updated on Jul 23, 2022 09:04 AM IST
Kerala reports India’s 3rd case of monkeypox; contacts in isolation
Kerala health minister Veena George said the 35-year-old man with monkeypox returned to the country on July 6 and after three days, he developed a fever. The minister said he was rushed to Manjeri medical college hospital on July 15 after he showed symptoms and all his contacts were quarantined after he was found to be infected.
Published on Jul 23, 2022 12:12 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala reports India’s 3rd monkeypox case
The state started testing for monkeypox on Tuesday at the regional centre of NIV in Alapuzha after getting testing kits from the National Institute of Virology in Pune
Updated on Jul 22, 2022 11:47 PM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala healer killer behind twin murder in UAE: SIT
Harris was found dead with his wrist slit and Densi was suffocated to death, and police believed that Harris had killed Densi before committing suicide.
Published on Jul 21, 2022 12:05 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala healer killer and mastermind behind twin murders in UAE, reveals SIT
The main accused Shaibin Ashraf reportedly plotted to kill his erstwhile business partner TP Harris and his manager Densi Antony
Published on Jul 20, 2022 04:24 PM IST
Kerala NEET frisking case: Testing agency forms panel, 5 women officials held
The incident came to light on Monday, when the father of an undergraduate medical aspirant told reporters that his 17-year-old girl daughter, who was sitting for her first NEET exam, was traumatised after being forced to sit for the over 3-hour-long exam without a brassiere.
Updated on Jul 20, 2022 02:30 AM IST
Ramesh Babu and Fareeha Iftikhar, Hindustan Times, Thiruvananthapuram/new Delh
Kerala NEET controversy: 5 women arrested after girl students register complaint
The state women rights commission has registered a case and the human rights commission too sought a report from the Kollam SP
Updated on Jul 19, 2022 11:00 PM IST
28-yr-old drug case returns to haunt Kerala minister
The case had unfolded with the arrest of Australian citizen, Andrew Salvatore Cervelli, in Thiruvananthapuram airport on April 9, 1990 on charges of carrying 61.5 gm of hashish. He reportedly concealed the contraband in a small pocket in his underwear. The inner was produced as the key evidence when he was produced in a court. A junior lawyer then, Raju, was one of his counsels.
Published on Jul 19, 2022 12:55 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
IndiGo bans ‘unruly’ Kerala LDF convener from flying for 3 weeks
The two Youth Congress workers have been handed out a two-week flying ban by the airline under aviation rules governing unruly passengers, a person aware of the development said.
Published on Jul 19, 2022 12:54 AM IST
Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Row after women told to take off innerwear at Kerala NEET centre
According to NEET (UG) 2020 guidelines, “any ornaments/metallic items” are banned at examination centres. The guidelines do not describe the nature of such items in detail
Updated on Jul 19, 2022 06:32 AM IST
Kerala CPM leader EP Jayarajan banned from flying IndiGo for 3 weeks. He hits back
The IndiGo airline’s investigation into the June 12 incident concluded that the conduct of the two Congress workers, who raised slogans against chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and the CPM leader EP Jayarajan who tried to stop them was unruly
Updated on Jul 18, 2022 02:31 PM IST