Sunday, 05 July 2026
Sunday, 05 July 2026
Tanker in Pune waters plants while rain pours
A viral video from near Pune’s Puad Road metro station has triggered a storm of criticism after the video showed a man from the Pune Municipal Corporation watering plants from a tanker while it was raining heavily.
Naturally, social media critics did not let this pass by, with viewers actually questioning whether it was a prank or not.
Among the critics was NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, who took aim at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the contractors involved, asking what’s the use of such watering exercises when the weather conditions were enough to provide an ample amount of water to the plants?
However, officials had an answer- they insisted that the plants seen in the video are located beneath the metro viaduct, where the overhead structure makes it impossible for water to penetrate.
This explanation has, however, done very little to curb public anger at the sheer wastage of water when the Pune residents are grappling with alternate-day water supply schedules.
Citizens argued that the episode reflects poor planning, questionable expenditure, and a lack of sensitivity during a period of water scarcity.
Thief in Modi mask steals smartphones
A man wearing a mask resembling Prime Minister Narendra Modi was caught on CCTV allegedly attempting to break into a mobile phone shop in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district.
According to police, the man was seen trying to break the shop's lock with an iron rod while wearing a mask commonly sold during election campaigns and political rallies. The break-in attempt was recorded in full by the shop's CCTV cameras.
Police are examining the footage and attempting to identify the suspect behind the mask. Investigators confirmed they are looking for the person wearing it, not the person it resembles.
The mask appears to have concealed the suspect's identity, although it may also have guaranteed that the footage would be shared far more widely than the stolen phone's warranty card.
After the CCTV footage went viral, social media users believed the choice of mask represented the burglar’s criticism of the ruling party, some surmised that he thought he could pull off an impersonation that could get the PM into trouble with local law enforcement.
Police are yet to identify the suspect. PM Narendra Modi has been ruled out from the investigation.
If petrol can be E20, why can't milk be M20?
Move over E20 because Rajasthan’s dairy farmers have now introduced a ‘M20’. There are several variants present too: M50 and M100.
No, these aren’t premium dairy brands. They’re part of a protest that has left social media both amused and impressed.
In Jaipur, dairy farmers protested against the Centre’s ethanol-blending policy by creating milk concoctions that contain the same percentage of water.
If petrol can be sold with 20 per cent, 50 per cent or even 100 per cent ethanol content and be labelled as E20, E50 and E100, the farmers argued, why not do the same with milk?
Enters the market: M20, M50, and M100 milk with increasing proportions of water mixed in.
The demonstration was less about selling watered-down milk and more about highlighting what the farmers see as a contradiction. If blending is acceptable for one product that common people require in their everyday life, it should be acceptable for other products as well, right?
The protest caught attention online, with many describing it as a masterclass in political satire.
Viewers praised the farmers for opting for wit over a conventional protest.
'Nimbooda Nimbooda'
A Class 5 English textbook has reportedly printed the lyrics of the Bollywood song Nimbooda Nimbooda from the 1999 Bollywood film “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” in place of an English lesson.
A video of students reciting the popular song sparked outrage after becoming viral online. Parents and educational authorities questioned how the text survived editing, proofreading and printing.
Teachers spent the first few minutes of class explaining that the page was not part of the syllabus. Students simply assumed it was.
Education officials have sought reports on how the mix-up occurred. The textbook is now under scrutiny. So is the process that approved it.
The song picturised on Aishwarya Rai dancing and singing about her love for limes (nimbooda), had little to do with any rendition of English literary expression. Yet it somehow completed the journey from Bollywood soundtrack to classroom textbook.
The incident has also given fresh meaning to the phrase, "When life gives you lemons;" In this case, the education system apparently printed them.
Authorities are expected to identify where the mistake occurred and whether corrected copies will be issued.
Raid goes up in smoke
In what may qualify as the most unexpected twist of the week, police in Chhattisgarh's Ambikapur set out to bust a ganja operation but ended up filing a theft case of their own.
Late on Tuesday, a police team reached a house in Sattipara under Kotwali police station limits to search for a suspected drug peddler. However, Mukesh Namdev, a relative of the main suspect, allegedly escaped by climbing down from the house and spotted a police Bolero parked outside.
With the keys still inside and no one watching it, he allegedly drove away in the vehicle before officers realised that they had become the victims of their own surprise.
The chase, however, didn't last long. The DSP's mobile phone had been left inside the SUV, giving investigators an unexpected tracking device. Using the phone's live location, the cyber cell traced the Bolero within the city, leading police to Namdev. Both the vehicle and the phone were recovered.
The ganja raid may have gone according to plan. It was the getaway vehicle that nobody expected to be police-issued.
WWE comes to Mussoorie
A holiday in the hills took an unexpected detour into what looked less like sightseeing and more like an unsanctioned wrestling event after a tourist from Haryana allegedly attacked a local couple with a plastic crate in Mussoorie.
The incident unfolded on Monday night on the town's busy Mall Road after an argument reportedly escalated. Instead of walking away, the visitor allegedly grabbed a heavy plastic crate—typically used for carrying milk packets or soft drinks—and struck the local man on the head.
When the man's wife intervened, she too was allegedly hit from behind with the crate, collapsing onto the road. She was taken to a hospital in Mussoorie for treatment after suffering a head injury.
The chaos didn't stop there. Residents and shopkeepers who stepped in to break up the assault reportedly found themselves dodging swings from the same crate, turning the roadside into an unlikely ringside.
Police soon reached the spot and arrested the accused.
Investigators suspect he was under the influence of alcohol at the time, though the probe is still underway.
Tourists usually return from Mussoorie with photographs and souvenirs. This one is likely leaving with criminal charges instead.
