Flyover goes viral for narrowing from four lanes to two
A newly constructed flyover in Thane's Mira-Bhayandar has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.
A video showing the flyover narrowing midway from four lanes to two has flooded social media, inviting confusion and memes.
Shot from above, the clip shows vehicles cruising comfortably on four lanes before being gently but firmly reminded that comfort is temporary.
The sudden slimming of the road drew instant comparisons with Bhopal’s Rail Over Bridge that featured a dramatic 90-degree turn, a structure so memorable that it led to the suspension of seven engineers, including two chief engineers of the Public Works Department.
The Mira-Bhayandar flyover, however, is not amused by the comparison.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which built the double decker structure, stepped in on Tuesday to clarify that nothing here is wrong, broken or embarrassing. The narrowing, it said, is planned.
According to the MMRDA, the flyover does not narrow “suddenly,” despite video evidence suggesting otherwise. The authority said the transition from four lanes to two was designed keeping width constraints and future planning in mind.
“As per planning, the flyover has been designed with two lanes for Bhayandar East and two future connecting lanes for Bhayandar West,” the state-run authority said in a statement.
It added that since the Bhayandar East arm comes first along the alignment, the four-lane configuration currently transitions into two lanes. In simple terms: the flyover is thinking ahead.
The explanation did little to slow the political traffic. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray responded to the MMRDA’s defence with biting sarcasm.
“Next year, another MoU on teaching this design to other countries. The bridge will be complete by the timeline of everything else that was promised- 2047. What stupidity can lead to this spurt in such horrid designs- the 2 lanes, reduced from 4 suddenly and the MMRDA defending this stupid, if not corrupt practice,” Thackeray said.
The former state minister also pointed out that a smoother transition into two lanes was always an option. Any reduction of lanes, he said, is bound to create chaos and traffic, future connections or not.
Man climbs 150-ft mobile tower after love affair setback in Jharkhand's Bokaro
Bokaro witnessed what might be India’s most vertical tantrum when a man decided that a 150-foot mobile tower was the perfect place to air his grievances.
The reason for the climb wasn’t immediately clear from the gripping live-action footage that soon spread across social media.
Some speculated it was frustration, some said it was attention-seeking, and a few suggested he just wanted the best network coverage in town.
Local police and a rescue team had their own crash course in tower diplomacy as they coaxed the man down. Nobody slipped, dropped or turned the incident into an impromptu zip-line experiment.
The man was eventually brought safely to ground level and taken into custody, where he can continue to air his views without defying gravity.
Social media reacted with a blend of awe and exasperation. Some users applauded his commitment, others pointed out that unless there was free Wi-Fi at the top, morale remains unclear.
Dancing cop loses a stripe
Traffic in Indore apparently has choreography. At the centre of it stands a man who believed a zebra crossing could double up as a stage. The internet called him the “dancing cop.” The police department called it indiscipline.
A traffic policeman in Indore, known online for performing Michael Jackson-style moves while regulating traffic, has been demoted from the rank of officiating head constable back to constable. The reason, officials said, was his conduct on social media.
According to police, the constable had been promoted as an officiating head constable in 2021 on orders from headquarters. But that extra stripe has now been removed.
“As part of the disciplinary action, Singh has been stripped of the rank of officiating head constable and has been posted to his original rank,” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya told PTI.
The demotion follows the resurfacing of social media content that the department called indiscipline. This is not the first time the constable’s online presence has landed him in trouble. He has appeared on television programmes and remains widely known for moonwalking on busy city roads, baton in hand, traffic watching in mild disbelief.
This week, however, the performance ended without applause.
Doctor prescribes ‘no treatment’ for police
Cooch Behar witnessed a rare medical emergency this week — not in the operation theatre, but on Facebook — after a government doctor announced a bold new healthcare policy: “I will not treat any police personnel!”
The declaration came from Asit Chakraborty, a surgeon at Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Medical College, who appears to have lost more than just Rs 5 lakh to thieves — he has also lost patience with the police. And unlike stolen cash, this patience shows no signs of being recovered.
The saga began on September 23 last year when Rs 5 lakh vanished from the doctor’s rented flat while he was busy saving lives in the OT. The accused, according to the doctor, are “roaming freely,” presumably enjoying life while the case enjoys its long nap.
After months of unanswered calls, smiling assurances, and zero arrests, the surgeon declared “war” on Facebook, writing: “One theft after another is happening in Cooch Behar. Doctors too have been robbed. No stolen items have been recovered. No one has been arrested.”
He escalated matters further by announcing, “The police are always against doctors. So please do not come to my OPD or indoor department for treatment. I will not treat any police personnel at MJN Medical College.”
The doctor even questioned police priorities after seeing photos of a blood donation camp, asking: “Is this the police’s job?” — a philosophical question now echoing across the district.
Currently in Kolkata for his wife’s treatment, Chakraborty says police haven’t answered his calls for “three to four months,” adding that when they do meet him, officers smile and say, “We are working on it, we are looking into it.”
As the investigation continues, one thing is certain: in Cooch Behar, trust has gone missing — and unlike the Rs 5 lakh, no FIR seems to have been filed for that yet.