Dhaba tandoor to tax terror: Cook gets Rs 46-crore notice
Ravindra Singh Chauhan, a dhaba cook in Madhya Pradesh, was earning Rs 10,000 a month. But the Income Tax Department has accused him of evading taxes worth Rs 46 crore.
Ravindra, who spends his days frying pakoras and rolling rotis, says he has never seen that kind of money in his life, let alone hide it.
“My account doesn’t even see transactions of three lakh rupees in a year. How can I be accused of 46 crores?” he told reporters.
The twist came from a job he once held at a Delhi toll plaza in 2017–18, where his supervisor allegedly tricked him into opening a bank account with promises of extra pay.
That account, later linked to a shell company, became the channel for crores of rupees in transactions — all without Ravindra’s knowledge.
Now, between trips to the income tax office and police complaints, Ravindra has swapped his ladle for legal documents.
He fears losing his cooking job while battling paperwork.
Social media has reacted with sympathy and sarcasm. One user wrote, “He earns Rs 10,000 a month but is accused of hiding crores — that’s some masterclass in savings.”
Another said, “He must be the only cook in India who can make both dal tadka and a 46-crore balance sheet.”
For Ravindra, the situation is no laughing matter. As he puts it, “I only know how to cook. But now they want me to explain 46 crore rupees. Where do I even begin?”
UP car owner fined for 'not wearing helmet'
A car owner in Ghaziabad was issued a challan for "not wearing a helmet" in an apparent mix-up, with the police on Thursday saying they will probe the matter.
The image of the challan, which went viral, shows the photograph of a car. After a user on X tagged the police and officials, Additional DCP (Traffic) Sachidanand responded, saying that it was just a "human error".
Officials clarified that a traffic sub-inspector had photographed the car for parking in a no-parking zone, but the image was attached to a challan intended for a two-wheeler violation.
The mix-up went viral, drawing reactions from social media users and prompting questions about how such an error could happen. The police has admitted the mistake and assured that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.
A social media user said he received a similar challan in Noida, where the fine showed a bike’s violation, but the picture was of their car. Someone else shared that they faced a similar issue in Haryana.
Cycle in AC local
If you thought Kolkata’s AC locals were only about office-goers rushing with backpacks and earphones plugged in, think again. Two recent incidents on Sealdah Division trains had passengers laughing their hearts out.
First came the man with a cycle. Yes, a full-sized bicycle inside the shiny AC compartment. For a moment, fellow passengers weren’t sure if it was a stunt or just a case of “jaha jagah mile waha le aao.” Before the cycle could settle in, a policeman arrived and showed the rider the door. Exit, cycle and all.
Then there was the Bongaon AC local where an elderly commuter decided he’d had enough of the chilly blast from the vents. His solution? Open an umbrella, inside the compartment.
Cycles may be banned inside AC coaches, but umbrellas, it seems, are still fair game.
AI Baba scam: Retired woman loses Rs 3.75 crore to deepfake ‘blessings’
A 57-year-old retired woman in Bengaluru has become the latest victim of a scam that blends spirituality with artificial intelligence.
Fraudsters allegedly used a deepfake video of a prominent spiritual leader to convince her that investing in a trading platform would bring blessings. The price of her faith: Rs 3.75 crore.
It began in February, when she stumbled upon a YouTube video where the guru appeared to endorse a trading firm, complete with a link in the description.
Believing the message to be divine guidance rather than digital trickery, she clicked.
Soon after, she was contacted by men posing as investment experts, who guided her through an app, Zoom calls, and promises of high returns.
Over two months, she kept pouring in her savings — more than three and a half crore rupees — only to discover later that her “profits” were nothing more than pixels.
The fraud came crashing down when she tried to withdraw her earnings and found the accounts frozen.
Social media users, both amused and aghast, have called it “the costliest YouTube click ever” and “the new-age prasad scam.”
Others pointed out the growing dangers of AI deepfakes blurring trust, especially when mixed with religious figures.
Legs in action
Somewhere in Kerala, during Onam, a quirky contest had participants trying to wear colourful underwear without using their hands.
Several men and a minor boy took part, with bright reds, blues, and yellows flying as they twisted, stretched, and hopped to get the job done.
One participant even attempted vaults, dance steps, and stretching exercises, while the women watching couldn’t stop laughing.
In the end, the minor boy and one man walked away with the prize money.