Chennai:An online fraud involving the siphoning of Rs 22.10 crore from bank accounts in the state came to light, police said on Tuesday. Currently, efforts are underway to track the transactions and also check the involvement of local bank handlers or compromised credentials used to execute the transfers, police said.

The police suspect the involvement of an international cybercrime syndicate from Nigeria. BJP leader Vinoj P Selvam claimed that this incident raised yet another set of serious questions about the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led TVK government’s administrative oversight, accountability and preparedness.

“These are funds meant for rural development, essential services and public welfare. Money entrusted to the government for the benefit of ordinary citizens. How did cybercriminals allegedly penetrate government payment systems? How were transactions worth crores executed? Where were the security checks, financial controls and monitoring mechanisms?” Selvam said on X today.

Taking a dig at the ruling TVK, he said, “Every political party in the world has an IT wing. But Tamil Nadu seems to have witnessed something extraordinary. For the first time, an actor’s fan club and its social media army have gone from trending hashtags to running a state government! Unfortunately, managing hashtags and managing a state are two very different things.” He said Tamil Nadu needed transparent answers, stronger institutions and a government that can demonstrate its ability to safeguard public funds.

Three die while cleaning wastewater treatment tank

Krishnagiri :Three contract workers suffocated to death while cleaning a wastewater treatment tank at the Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) facility in Hosur in this district, police said on Tuesday.

The deceased -- Kaveri (30) of Hosur, alongside B Akmal (28) and M Sarathi Kumar (28), both hailing from Dharmapuri district -- were exposed to lethal poisonous fumes and severe oxygen depletion while desilting an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) storage tank on Monday evening.

According to police, Akmal initially peered into the tank to inspect it, only to collapse immediately from gas exposure.

Attempting a rescue, Kaveri directed Sarathi Kumar to check on their fallen colleague, but he fainted upon entry. Kaveri then rushed inside the enclosure himself, succumbing to the toxic atmosphere moments later.

A fourth crew member who observed the tragedy unfold alerted nearby staff.

Rescuers pulled all three individuals from the tank and rushed them to a private hospital in Hosur, where doctors declared them dead on arrival.

The remains were subsequently transferred to the Government Medical College Hospital in Krishnagiri for post-mortem examinations.

Visiting the site to inspect safety protocols, Krishnagiri district collector C Dinesh Kumar confirmed that asphyxiation during sludge removal was the primary cause of death.

He announced that a comprehensive inquiry has been launched into the breach of safety regulations at the plant, which manufactures and assembles components for Apple iPhones.