A fourth-grade youngster in a primary school in Gujarat’s Dahod district got 211 out of 200 in Gujarati and 212 out of 200 in mathematics, raising worries about the state’s educational system. Vanshiben Manishbhai received her scorecard and was surprised to see her marks in both subjects. The picture has become popular on social media. However, it was later shown that this was due to an error in the result compilation.

A new result sheet was then produced, and corrected marks of 191 out of 200 in Gujarat and 190 out of 200 in mathematics were granted. The scores in other subjects stayed unchanged.

Vanshiben received 934 points out of 1000 in the latest results.

The school department’s error became apparent when the youngster joyfully presented her scores with her family. It was then determined that the scored marks exceeded the combined marks of the two exams.

The district education officials launched an investigation to determine the root cause of the blunder and prevent similar instances in the future.

A 31-year-old man who had added “Lord Hanuman” as a party to a dispute over a temple built on private property and asserted the right to worship was fined Rs. 1 lakh by the Delhi High Court on Monday. Ankit Mishra, the appellant, filed an “objection petition” with several other people, but the additional district judge (ADJ) dismissed it. 

He then moved to the Delhi High Court. The additional district judge stated in their ruling that Mishra could not provide “any bona fides” that would have allowed him to file a lawsuit in the future as Lord Hanuman, the god’s friend. The ADJ further held that no deity housed in a religious structure “can vest in an illegal religious structure built on private land belonging to another,” in accordance with Article 25 of the Indian Constitution and that in such a case, no right vests in the deity.

Justice C Hari Shankar’s one-judge bench noted in its ruling on Monday, “I never thought that God would, one day, be a litigant before me. Fortunately, this is an instance of divinity by proxy. “Public worship at a private temple, even with free access, does not ipso facto indicate that the temple is a public temple,” noted Justice Shankar. Justice Shankar went on to say that just because someone is permitted to worship in a private temple does not imply that the deity owns the “land on which a private temple is constructed.”

Fundamentally, what matters are the intentions behind the temple’s construction, its dedication to the deity housed within, and its public opening. Justice Shankar emphasised that “all the persons who (are) asserting have the onus to establish that the temple, though initially privately constructed, acquires public character with the passage of time.”

Judge Shankar noted that there is no mention in the case of whether the land was ever endowed for religious purposes. All mentioned is that the temple is a place of public worship. Even that is merely a brazen assertion without citation to any supporting evidence. It is not asserted that the worship was, on principle. A private temple does not become a public temple simply because members of the public worship there. Therefore, the HC emphasised, “the averments in the objection petition do not even make out a prima facie case of the disputed temple, in the present case, being a public temple.”

After depriving Suraj Malik (respondent in the appeal and plaintiff before the ADJ) of its use for 22 years and demanding and recovering Rs 11 lakh to regain possession of it, Justice Shankar noted that this is unquestionably a case of rank collusion with an intent to seize the suit property.

Judge Shankar further noted that it was acknowledged that Suraj Malik, Respondent No. 5 in the appeal, currently possesses the private land on which the temple was built. According to Justice Shankar, Mishra’s objection petition makes no mention of how the temple came to be built. Although there is a claim that the temple was built in 1997, even that claim is unproven. Thus, the exact date of the temple’s construction is entirely speculative, according to Justice Shankar.

According to Justice Shankar, the ADJ ruled that Ankit Mishra lacked the right to worship at the temple because Suraj Malik was the temple’s legitimate owner when it was reclaimed “because no such right existed in the first place.”

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail plea, challenging his arrest in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. The top court told the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor that if it grants him bail, it will not allow him to perform his CM duties.

The SC bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, said that if we grant you interim bail, we are clear that we won’t let you perform your duties as Chief Minister. The apex court said that it would continue hearing the matter post lunch, adding that it will pass an order at 2:30 pm. The Aam Aadmi Party national convenor was arrested by the anti-corruption agency on March 21, in connection with a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

Tuesday’s attack on Rafah in Gaza by Israel caused an increase in oil prices, but the cease-fire talks with Hamas remained unresolved. At 06:35 GMT, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures increased by 7 cents, or 0.09%, to $78.55 per barrel, while Brent crude futures gained 9 cents, or 0.11%, to $83.42 per barrel. According to Yeap Jun Rong, IG’s market strategist, “Oil prices opened up this morning, with market participants pricing in geopolitical tensions to potentially drag for longer due to some roadblocks in the ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas”.

In addition, Yeap noted that market players will be anticipating the release of data regarding U.S. crude inventories. A preliminary Reuters poll released on Monday indicated that a decline in U.S. crude oil and product stockpiles was predicted for the previous week. Based on projections from analysts, the weekly drop in oil inventories could have been as much as 1.2 million barrels on average. A stronger dollar limited gains in oil futures during the session because it made crude more expensive for traders holding other currencies. With the greenback compared to six major peers, the dollar index was up at 105.25 the last time it was checked.

Monday’s closing oil prices partially reversed last week’s declines. Because of the market’s focus on the weak U.S. jobs data and the potential timing of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut, both contracts had posted their steepest weekly losses in three months. On Monday, the militant Palestinian group Hamas accepted a proposal from mediators for a ceasefire in Gaza; however, Israel declared that the terms did not satisfy its demands and proceeded with strikes in Rafah, intending to continue talks towards a deal.

Over one million Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah, which is located on the southern edge of Gaza after Israeli forces launched air and ground strikes on the city. As a result, residents were ordered to evacuate certain city areas. Oil prices have been supported by the lack of a settlement between the parties to the conflict, which has lasted for seven months. Investors are concerned that a regional escalation of the war will disrupt Middle Eastern crude supplies.

Prices were also helped by Saudi Arabia’s decision to increase the official selling prices for the crude it sold to Asia, Northwest Europe, and the Mediterranean in June, which suggested that demand would likely be high this summer. The top exporter in the world increased the price of its flagship Arab Light crude oil to Asia in June, pushing it above the Oman/Dubai average to $2.90 per barrel—the highest level since January and above traders’ expectations, according to a Reuters survey.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee, a well-known figure in the international fashion industry, has once again demonstrated his value by being the first Indian fashion designer to walk the coveted Met Gala carpet. The designer accessorised his carefree ensemble with “tourmalines, pearls, emeralds, and diamonds from Sabyasachi High Jewellery,” accessorising his “embroidered cotton duster coat from the Sabyasachi Resort 2024 collection,” as he posted on his Instagram page. The master stylist kept his ensemble ultra-sophisticated by accessorising it with brown loafers and tinted sunglasses.

Not only that, but the couturier also designed this year’s ensemble for Alia Bhatt at the highly anticipated fashion event. Wearing a sheer pastel-coloured sari that “pays homage to nature’s beauty, echoing the earth, sky, and sea,” the Brahmastra actor made her second appearance. It featured delicately embroidered floral motifs made of silk floss, glass beading, and semi-precious gemstones.

The timeless sophistication of Indian nobility inspired us as we looked to the past for guidance into the future. We highlighted fine workmanship, including hand embroidery, precious stones, and exquisite fringes and beading characteristic of the 1920s fringe style. This ethereal saree was created by 163 committed people, including master artisans, embroiderers, artists, and dyers, who put in a total of 1965 man-hours of work, Alia posted on Instagram.

The executive director of the Serum Institute of India, Natasha Poonawalla, wore a Sabyasachi piece to the fashion show earlier. In 2022, Poonawalla combined the design icons of Maison Schiaparelli and Sabyasachi to create an architectural gold hand-forged bustier paired with a sari and a trailing train “embroidered with silk floss thread and embellished with bevel beads, semi-precious stones, crystals, sequins, and appliquéd printed velvet.”

The elite of the fashion and entertainment industries gather for the annual Met Gala on the first Monday in May. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is hosting the event, which is curated by former Vogue editor Anna Wintour. The Garden of Time is the theme for this year.

A video clip of a road rage incident, purportedly showing a family in a car being chased by four men in a luxury car in Knowledge Park, Greater Noida, has surfaced on social media. Senior police officers said though the victim’s family had informed them that they did not want to pursue the matter legally, the police have taken suo motu cognizance of the matter and arrested three people on Monday evening.

Investigators claim that four men were seen overtaking the victim’s family’s car and throwing stones at it during the incident, which was captured on the dash cam. The family quickly reversed the vehicle and left the area where they came under attack. The incident was captured at 1.15 am on May 2, 2024, according to the video’s time stamp, but it wasn’t until May 5 that it was shared on the social media site Reddit.

After taking suo motu cognizance of the video, an FIR was filed at Knowledge Park police station against four suspects under sections 279 (rash driving) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. On Monday night, three suspects were taken into custody in the Beta-2 neighbourhood, stated Ashok Kumar, an additional deputy commissioner of police for Greater Noida.

The police have recovered the BMW car and identified the arrested suspects as Saket, Vipin, and Arun (only their first names are known). Saket and Vipin live in Beta-2, whereas Arun is a resident of Rajasthan. They are currently looking for work after earning their BTech from a private university in Greater Noida. Teams are seeking the fourth suspect. The officer declared that the Goonda Act would also be used to take action against them.

According to the police, the victim’s car contained one woman and two men when the incident occurred. The family was driving in Greater Noida on a two-way road when a second car approached from the front and hit their side-view mirror, which is not visible in the video. This incident was captured on camera and posted to the Reddit social media site.

In the conversations captured by the dashcam, the family stated they were going to a nearby hospital. In a matter of minutes, the injured party was audibly reporting that the vehicle that struck them was pursuing them. The grey BMW overtakes the victims, and four men get out just as they are turning towards the Expo Mart roundabout. They begin throwing stones at the victim’s car as they rush towards it. The victims swiftly reverse their vehicle and leave the scene while under attack. Before the video ends, you can hear his family calling the local SHO’s number in the background.

The elegant drama Heeramandi, directed and composed by BAFTA-nominated Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas), chronicles the lives of India’s elite courtesans, or tawaifs, as they struggled for freedom from British rule in 1920. The courtesans plot to satisfy their hidden desires and subvert the established order while entertaining aristocrats. Starring in the epic Indian musical series are Aditi Rao Hydari, Sonakshi Sinha, and Manisha Koirala. 

Alamzeb is the daughter of Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala), the elite brothel’s madam at Shahi Mahal in Lahore’s Heera Mandi pleasure district. Another daughter of Mallikajaan is Bibbo (Aditi Rao Hydari), a celebrated singer-turned-revolutionary spy. The Raj faced increasing resistance in the 1940s. For protection and titles, the immaculate nawabs work for their foreign overlords. However, the courtesans set the tone, keeping their clients’ secrets hidden and occasionally driving them to bankruptcy. 

Story Plot: Heeramandi – The Diamond Bazaar

The show opens with a series of intense flashbacks. As it turns out, Mallikajaan is hiding a horrific crime from her past with the help of the depraved nawab Zulfikar (Shekhar Suman). When discovered, it refers to a struggle for dominance between her and Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha), a rival courtesan who infiltrates Heera Mandi and begins to tease out both old and new feathers. 

The story revolves around Fareedan’s intricate plans for retaliation, an awkwardly developing romantic relationship between Alamzeb and Tajdar (Taaha Shah), a young, rebellious nawab, and the agitation of the revolutionaries. Jason Shah’s villainous police superintendent, Cartwright, prowls the area looking for skeletons. It takes time for Bhansali and his writers to weave the many threads together. Even with the spotless sights and sounds available, the wait gets lengthy. The exciting political landscape of the time is depicted in general terms, which doesn’t help (the Muslim League and the call for a separate Pakistan state are not mentioned).

Web Series Review: What happens in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar?

Heeramandi Review: In the Indian-walled city of Lahore, the all-powerful Mallikajaan has ruled over a house of courtesans for years. They reside in a lavish home known as Heeramandi, where nawabs are invited to perform elaborate and private shows. Mallika has 25 years of industry experience and is unbreakable until her late nemesis’s daughter, Fareedan, returns to exact her revenge.

As Mallika governs her group of courtesans in Heeramandi, the surrounding city is becoming increasingly unstable as people fight against the oppressive British Raj to keep the Crown as the ultimate authority over India and Pakistan. Mallika’s youngest daughter, Alam, dreams of a life beyond the kotha, or bazaar, where she can follow her true passion: poetry. Meanwhile, her courtesan daughter, Bibbo, secretly gathers intelligence to aid the revolutionaries and win freedom from Britain and her mother. Could their passions come together for a higher good, though, when Alam meets Tajdar, the son of a nawab who is hiding secrets of his own and has just returned from Oxford to study law? 

Cast & Crew of Heeramandi

• Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
• Cast: Manisha Koirala, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharmin Segal, Taaha Shah, Fardeen Khan
• Episodes: 8
• Run-time: 45-65 minutes
• Storyline: The courtesan’s power struggles and intrigues during India’s revolution.

The Supreme Court is set to discuss today whether to grant interim bail to Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal. He has been in custody since March 21 and is currently confined in Tihar jail under judicial custody. The case is linked to the money laundering allegations surrounding the scrapped Delhi excise policy.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta began the proceedings by considering the plea of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader. On May 3, the Supreme Court hinted at the possibility of granting interim bail to Mr Kejriwal in light of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Acknowledging the potentially time-consuming nature of the legal proceedings, the court expressed its willingness to hear arguments from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding interim relief to the AAP chief before elections in Delhi, scheduled for May 25.

What happened in the last hearing?

During the previous hearing, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, expressed opposition to Mr Kejriwal’s bail, citing statements made by AAP leader Sanjay Singh following his release on bail in a related case. 

What SC said?

“We are not commenting on it either way. We are just saying we will hear on interim bail and not saying we will grant interim bail. We may or may not grant interim bail,” the Supreme Court had said.

The bench also raised questions regarding Mr Kejriwal’s official duties, particularly his signing of official documents, given his current legal predicament. Additionally, fresh controversy erupted after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against Mr Kejriwal, alleging political funding from the banned group Sikhs for Justice.

Gautam Buddha University: The dead body of a woman was found in a water tank in Noida’s Gautam Buddha University, a public university (state govt. uni.) on Monday. As per the media reports, the body was decaying in the tank for the past 2-3 days. Panic struck the campus, and preliminary reports are saying that the woman was living with her husband and mother-in-law and she was murdered, and as per the police officials, the murderers fled the spot. 

Police suspect husband:

The whole campus is in shock after the news of a woman’s body found in the water tank at the staff quarters. Police suspect her husband and reported that her husband, who works at JIMS Hospital, had a quarrel with the woman repetitively, which ended up in the woman’s murder. The police are searching for her husband and searching all the related cues of the case.

A senior police officer said:

Senior police officer Shivhari Meena said the body has been sent for autopsy. “We have registered a case, and a team has been formed to search for the accused of absconding. All aspects are being probed, and the matter will be unearthed soon,” he said. The police are now looking for her husband and mother-in-law. Based on a complaint by the relatives of the deceased woman, a case has been registered, and teams have been formed to track down the missing accused.

Ex-Congress Spokesperson and Aid to Priyanka Gandhi Acharya Pramod Krishnam commented on Rahul Gandhi after his nomination from Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli. He said, “Rahul Gandhi should contest from Pakistan’s Rawalpindi instead of Raebareli. Furthermore, in a shocking statement, he claimed that with all the conspiracy, Rahul sidelined his sister from politics within the party. On Monday, he also mentioned that if Congress came into the central power, it would overturn the apex court verdict on Ram Mandir.

Acharya Pramod Krishnam was expelled from the party in February 2024 over his statement on the newly built Ram Mandir.

In a conversation with ANI, Acharya Pramod said,” I have spent more than three decades in the Congress party and during the verdict on Ram Mandir came, during the party meeting, Rahul said that he would overturn the decision over Ram Mandir if the Congress formed the Government at central. In addition to this, he mentioned that he would overturn the decision just as Rajeev Gandhi overturned his decision on the Shah Bano Case.