Sunday, 24 November 2024
Sunday, 24 November 2024
Pyre pressure: ‘Dead’ man comes alive in Rajasthan
Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district isn’t typically a hotspot for headlines. But over the last few days, the place has churned out a tale so unbelievable, even the most seasoned Bollywood scriptwriters might struggle to keep up. At the centre of this saga is a 25-year-old deaf-mute man who became the star of a life-and-death drama that had everyone — from doctors to crematorium staff — scrambling for explanations and excuses.
It all began on November 21 when the man, a resident of a local shelter home, fell unconscious and was rushed to a hospital in Jhunjhunu. By 2pm, doctors declared him dead. Paperwork was prepared, a panchnama was signed, and his 'remains' were promptly sent to the mortuary. The clock was ticking, and so was the man — though the doctors evidently failed to notice.
A couple of hours later, the man was taken to the crematorium. The pyre was set, the firewood arranged, and the sombre rituals began. Just as the matchstick was about to seal his fate, our man decided it wasn’t his time yet. He started breathing.
Chaos erupted. An ambulance was summoned, and the man who cheated death was loaded back into the van and rushed back to the hospital.
The district authorities swung into action and three doctors, including the hospital’s principal medical officer, were suspended.
“Alleged medical negligence,” they said. Alleged? The man was declared dead and nearly cremated; “alleged” feels generous, wouldn’t you say?
Jaipur cigarette fiasco: When smoking literally backfires
Smoking is injurious to health. Everyone knows that. But there are more ways smoking kills than everyone knows, it was evidenced yet again in a Rajasthan university last week.
What began as a cigarette break turned into a scene straight out of a horror film.
A 25-year-old accidentally ignited the petrol tank of his motorcycle while smoking, setting himself ablaze and leaving bystanders frozen in shock.
The young man, who was seated on his motorcycle, reportedly lit the cigarette when a spark came into contact with the bike’s petrol tank, triggering a massive blaze. Students inside the department were taking an internal exam when they heard his desperate screams.
“We rushed outside and saw him in flames, calling for help,” a teacher was quoted as saying.
Doctors at the hospital have indicated that the young man faces a tough battle for survival.
Moral of the story. Smoking is injurious to health. In more ways than may be evident. QED.
Kerala manners: Brawl breaks for ambulance, chaos resumes after intermission
In Kerala’s Calicut last week, amidst a WWE-worthy brawl between Congress and CPM-backed rebels, an ambulance’s siren cut through the chaos. And guess what? The punches, slaps, and screams paused — like a scene from a Malayalam soap where everyone freezes mid-drama.
The Congress, nursing a bruised ego after losing a 61-year stronghold, was in full brawl mode with their CPM-backed former comrades who had dared to win. Chairs flew, shirts were grabbed, egos clashed, and then came the ambulance.
In a jaw-dropping act of civility, both factions stepped aside, let the vehicle pass, and immediately returned to delivering blows. The video of the incident, obv, blew up on social media.
Smartphone-Alecs had a field day. “This is how 100% literacy looks like,” one X user quipped. Another praised the fleeting humanity: “Civic sense first, fight later!”
If only democracy everywhere could be this entertaining!
How far is too far? Man shoots reel in police jeep
The growing menace of ‘reels’ was caught on camera once again last week in Rajasthan’s Barmer, where a man tried to shoot his 15 seconds of internet fame in a police vehicle.
In the video, the uninvited guest is seen seated in the driver’s seat and comfortably getting out of the patrol car. The vehicle had apparently broken down, but how our wannabe influencer got access to it remains a mystery,
The sharp-eyed cops spotted the video, and three personnel – men who were in charge of the vehicle - found themselves sent to the police lines.
Zomato CEO’s ‘20 lakh’ gimmick
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal last week raised eyebrows with his post on X, scouting for applications to fill the position of “Chief of Staff”.
“There is no salary for this role for the first year,” he wrote. “You will have to, in fact, pay X20 lacs for this opportunity. 100% of this "fee" will be paid in the form of a donation directly to Feeding India (if you are offered the role, and you accept it). At our end, we want to demonstrate that we are not trying to save money here - we will contribute X50 lacs (equivalent to a Chief of Staff salary) to a charity of your choice.
The post added: “Second year onwards, we will start paying you the usual salary (definitely more than 50 lacs, but something we will only talk about at the start of Year 2).”
He provided sound reasoning as to why someone should pay to get the job: “Put differently, think of this as a fast track learning program, for you both personally and professionally - whether or not you succeed at this role. And we want learners for this role, not résumé builders.”
After two days of intense social media debate, Mr CEO put out another post, saying he had received over 18,000 applications.
“This wasn't just another hiring post. As some people pointed out, the "you have to pay us 20 lacs" was merely a filter, to find people who had the power to appreciate the opportunity of a fast track career, without getting bogged down by the constraints in front of them.”
We are still scratching our heads.
