Crime
Tamil Nadu: 2 die after consuming aftershave lotion with soda as substitute for alcohol in lockdown
Tamil Nadu: Due the unavailability of alcohol in COVID-19 lockdown, two fishermen from Tamil Nadu died after consuming aftershave lotion mixed with soda on Friday night in Pudukkottai district.
The two men Arun Kantian (29) and Hasan Mydeen (35) ? were consuming the drinks with their friend Anwar Raja (33) in their locality. The three were good friends and used to consume alcohol quite often. As the liquor shops in the states were shut due to lockdown, the three men somehow came to know that aftershave lotions could be used as substitute for alcohol. Hence, in order to experiment, they mixed some soda with afershave lotion and consumed it.
After having his drink, Anwar Raja went back to his home while Kantian and Mydeen remained with each other. Soon, Kantian and Mydeen started puking and crying out loudly. Local residents, after hearing their cry, immediately rushed them to a government hospital in Manamelkudi in an ambulance. However, Kantian and Mydeen succumbed to death while undergoing their treatment.
Meanwhile, Rajas family members too shifted him to Aranthangi Hospital for treatment wherein he is battling for life. Kottaipattinam Police has registered a case under section 174 of the CRPC (Criminal Procedure Code) and is investigating the matter further.
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COVID-19
Thane Municipal Corporation adds 25 beds as COVID cases rise
Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) added 25 additional beds in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital Kalwa apart from arranging a special ward dedicated to COVID-19 patients. The total number of active patients in the city stood at 252 while five succumbed to the virus. Meanwhile, TMC Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said a ‘death audit’ of patients who died of COVID would be conducted. The TMC has ensured it has additional stock of oxygen concentrators, testing kits, medicines, to name a few. Bangar told HT, “Due to the increasing number of Covid patients, it is necessary for everyone to be alert.”
He added, The number of Covid tests should be increased to stay one step ahead of the disease. As a result, the number of patients is likely to increase due to increased testing. However, as per the ‘test, isolate, treat’ protocol for Covid, it becomes necessary to isolate and treat more and more patients. The testing centres will not remain closed even for a single day. At the same time, more arrangements for testing will be made immediately in public places, markets, railway stations, malls.”
India recorded 3,095 new COVID cases and five deaths in last 24 hours.
Also read: Nagpur records 22 COVID cases in 24 hours
Politics
After Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, his namesake who contested from Wayanad disqualified

Rahul Gandhi
An independent candidate for Lok Sabha elections named Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from contesting polls for failing to lodge account of election expenses. Gandhi, who’s name figures as ‘Rahul Gandhi K E S/o Valsamma’ in an Election Commission list of persons, had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent and had received 2196 votes from the Wayanad seat in Kerala – a constituency from where ex-Congress MP Rahul Rajiv Gandhi had won with over seven lakh votes.
However, since it is mandatory for all contestants to submit their account of election expenses among other mandatory requirements under EC rules and the Representation of the People Act.
Rahul Gandhi K E S/o Valsamma stood disqualified to contest polls from September 13, 2021 till September 13, 2024. According to Section 10A, the Election Commission can disqualify a contestant for a period of three years from the date of the order if he/she has failed to lodge an account of election expenses within the time and in the manner required by law and has no good reason or justification for the failure.
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Nagpur News
Nagpur records 22 COVID cases in 24 hours
A total of 22 patients tested positive for COVID-19 in Nagpur in past 24 hours on Thursday. Almost 242 people were tested in the city, out of which 15 belonged to urban area while and 6 were from the rural areas, and one from outside Nagpur district.
At present, there are 72 active patients in the city. Three new cases of the new XBB.1.16 variant of COVID-19 were detected that took the total tally to five in the district.
India recorded 3,095 new COVID cases and five deaths in last 24 hours.
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