Salem Navigates Ganesh Chaturthi Festivities Amid Tantric Abuse Arrest and State Infrastructure News
Salem district in Tamil Nadu emerged from a week that combined fervent religious observance with unsettling crime revelations and significant state-level policy attention. District authorities coordinated the eco-friendly immersion of more than 2,500 Ganesh idols in approved waterways, deploying hundreds of police personnel to manage the crowds. At the same time, Vazhapadi police arrested a 50-year-old self-styled tantric accused of drugging and secretly filming women and schoolgirls and selling the recordings on the dark web. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, who made a high-profile visit to Salem, generated attention when he gifted a pair of Rs 40,000 Dior sunglasses to an elderly woman he encountered — a gesture that quickly went viral. In the background, the central government's approval of Rs 6,000 crore in new rail projects for Tamil Nadu brought renewed focus on the state's infrastructure needs.
🪔 Salem Directs Ganesh Chaturthi Immersions to Approved Water Bodies, Deploys Heavy Security
Salem district authorities oversaw the immersion of more than 2,500 Ganesh idols during the Chaturthi season, issuing directives that the idols be submerged only in authorized waterways to protect local water quality. The approved immersion locations included sites at Mettur, Pulampatti, Kalvadangam, Dhammampatti on the Vasishta River, Pelur, and Mookanneri within Salem city. Officials from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board emphasized that only idols made from natural clay without chemical additives — including those made from tuber flour — would be accepted for immersion in these waterways, in keeping with environmental guidelines designed to minimize harm to river and reservoir ecosystems. A large deployment of police personnel was arranged to manage the processions and ensure orderly immersion at each designated site. The Ganesh Chaturthi season, one of the most widely celebrated Hindu festivals in Tamil Nadu, draws large crowds and typically involves several days of public worship before the idols are taken for immersion on the third or fifth day following consecration. The logistics operation underscored Salem district's administrative capacity to manage large-scale religious events while adhering to environmental standards. [5]
Tantric Arrested in Salem for Drugging and Secretly Filming Women, Selling Videos on Dark Web
Salem police arrested a 50-year-old man identified as Vijayaraja, who operated a tantric and occult practice center near Vazhapadi, on charges of sexually exploiting women and minor girls and recording them without their knowledge. Investigators allege that Vijayaraja lured women to his "Shaniswar" center under the guise of religious rituals, then served them water or prasad containing sedatives before filming them while they were unconscious. A laptop seized from the accused reportedly contained more than 50 videos of women and schoolgirls. Police say he sold these recordings to a website via the dark web for money. The case came to light after Vijayaraja allegedly attempted to molest a schoolgirl who had visited his center to collect Vinayaka Chaturthi donations. Her family alerted local youth, who confronted Vijayaraja at his center; he fled but was caught hiding nearby and handed over to Vazhapadi police. Officers have registered charges and are investigating whether others were involved in recording or distributing the material. Vijayaraja had previously worked at a utensil factory before reinventing himself as a baba following the factory's closure. [7]
🗳️ CM Vijay Visits Salem as Centre Clears Rs 6,000 Crore Rail Projects for Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's visit to Salem drew considerable public attention after he removed his Rs 40,000 Dior sunglasses and gifted them to an elderly woman he encountered during the visit — a moment that was widely circulated on social media and highlighted the CM's accessible style of public engagement. The visit came amid a broader period of policy activity for Salem and Tamil Nadu. Separately, the central government approved three new rail projects for Tamil Nadu worth a combined Rs 6,000 crore, according to reporting by The New Indian Express. The proposed additional rail lines are expected to carry 7.21 million tonnes of freight annually, providing a significant boost to the state's logistics and industrial sectors. Salem, as one of Tamil Nadu's major inland cities and an important manufacturing and textile hub, stands to benefit from improved rail connectivity that could reduce transportation costs for local industry. The combination of a high-profile CM appearance and incoming central investment projects put Salem at the center of the state's political and economic narrative for the week. [10]
Sources: [5] AIMA Media · [7] Bhaskar English · [10] Moneycontrol.com