Sunday, 19 April 2026
Sunday, 19 April 2026
Bengal BJP candidate assigned election duty
A BJP candidate in Bengal's Falakata seems to have achieved a rare political multitask, being both in the election race and on the election duty roster at the same time.
Deepak Barman, outgoing BJP MLA from Falakata in Alipurduar and headmaster at Deogaon High School, was declared a candidate on March 16.
Around the same time, the Election Commission also apparently decided he was best suited to supervise polling, as a presiding officer.
So, in theory, he was preparing to contest an election while also being trained to conduct it.
Predictably, things got awkward when he was called for polling officer training on April 4 and later issued a show cause notice for not attending.
Because nothing says smooth election planning like asking a candidate to attend training for officials running against him.
Explaining the situation, Barman said, “The Election Commission has given me duty because I am a teacher. I have informed them about that matter. That matter has not been resolved yet. I hope they will resolve it soon.”
Despite being a declared candidate, his name continued appearing in the presiding officer list. So he was, at different points, both participant and supposed referee in the same electoral process.
On the notice, he said, “It is normal to be given a show cause notice if you do not go on duty for the first time. I have given it to the BDO. The BDO has also processed them. This time it may be a little late or not doing it or something will happen. I do not think there is any problem.”
The Election Commission has called it a procedural error.
Alipurduar District Election Officer Mayuri Basu said, “We are trying not to include those who are affiliated with any political party. That is system generated. We do not check by name. We will exclude that.”
In short, the system briefly assigned a candidate to run the election he is contesting in, then called it a technical glitch.
UP: Thief got his neck stuck in a clinic’s metal rolling shutter
A Ghaziabad thief turned out to be less of the smooth criminal he thought he was, when a failed break-in attempt led to his neck getting stuck between the wall and the shutter of the clinic he tried to rob.
For six hours, he dangled, not inside, nor outside, but somewhere suspended between ambition and regret.
Police soon arrived at the crime scene, but rather than a high-speed chase for a most wanted burglar, local cops formed a kind of rescue operation, each taking turns trying to wiggle him out.
Inside the clinic, a poster promised “24/7 Emergency Care,” which, in fairness, had not specified for whom.
The six hours of pushing, tugging and wiggling were not in vain, but eventually a stronger reinforcement of bolt cutters had to be used when the fire department was called to the site.
With the combined effort of a ladder, bolt cutters, several police officers, a fire rescue team, and encouraging words, the thief was able to slide out of the tricky spot.
After the rescue mission succeeded, each police officer started taking turns to click a picture with Ghaziabad’s most wanted failed thief turned unintentional acrobat.
Photos shared by the police personnel show the officers standing around with beaming smiles, while the wannabe thief laid back in his chair, weary and august, like a war hero returning to his home town.
Man vs mosquito
In a no nonsensical 'jugaad' that no one saw coming but everyone respected on social media, a video dated April 15, 2026 has gone viral.
A security guard with his uniform on but with a defence system veiling that, because it's not just him on night shift but the mosquitoes too. His unconventional anti- mosquito defence system, a mosquito net, has been hailed by many as a 'Ninja Net'.
The guard stationed outside a residential building in Hyderabad reached his breaking point after relentless mosquito attacks and several mosquito repellant failures.
This now viral clip highlights both humour and genuine concern. While some viewers jokingly called him 'Pookie security guard', others pointed out the seriousness of mosquito infestation in Hyderabad and the lack of effective protection.
While the guard's identity remains unknown, his jugaad has earned him a place in the hall of fame for everyday problem solvers.
Cat romance leads to custody battle, police refuse to pick a side
In Bengaluru’s Seshadripuram, a neighbourhood disagreement escalated over a familiar issue, responsibility. This time, for four kittens.
The trouble began after a resident’s male pet cat allegedly impregnated a neighbour’s female cat. When the kittens were born, the debate shifted from biology to liability.
According to NDTV, the owner of the female cat brought the newborns to the neighbour’s house and demanded they take over, arguing that since they owned the ‘father’, the responsibility was theirs.
The neighbour declined the offer.
What followed was a heated argument, complete with accusations, raised voices and at one point, a kitten being thrown near the neighbour’s house, possibly as supporting evidence.
Police were called in to handle what had by then turned into a custody dispute.
Their solution avoided the central question entirely.
Neither family would keep the kittens.
Instead, a neutral third party was found to take them in, ending the matter without deciding who, if anyone, was responsible.
