Here are the top 5 news updates of May 21, 2021:
A sessions court in Goa today acquitted journalist Tarun Tejpal of sexually assaulting a former female colleague. Tejpal, former Tehelka editor-in-chief, was accused of sexually assaulting the colleague inside the elevator of a luxury hotel in Goa in 2013. Additional sessions judge Kshama Joshi acquitted Tejpal, who was present in the court along with his family members when the judgment was pronounced at around 10.45 am. After the verdict, a statement issued by Tejpal was read out to media persons by his daughter Tara outside the court building in Mapusa town near Panaji, in which he thanked the court for its "rigorous, impartial and fair trial".
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram, is likely to contest from Bhabanipur. Bhabanipur sitting TMC MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay has submitted his resignation to the Speaker today. However, Chattopadhyay is likely to continue as a cabinet minister and contest from some other seat. Sources in the party said that the party has decided Banerjee will contest from her traditional winning seat -- Bhabanipur in South Kolkata. Banerjee had in the last two assembly elections contested and won from the Bhabanipur seat but this time she had decided to contest from Nandigram in East Midnapore against turncoat Suvendu Adhikari.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today became emotional while paying condolences to those who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PM, while interacting with doctors, paramedical staff and other frontline health workers of his parliamentary constituency Varanasi said, "COVID-19 has snatched many of our loved ones from us. I pay my respect to the people who died of COVID-19 and express my condolences to their beavered families." Interacting with the frontline workers, he had to take multiple pauses and was seemingly emotional, trying hard to fight back tears.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today hinted at extending the ongoing lockdown beyond June 1. Thackeray said the same amid galloping cases of mucormycosis, shortage of vaccine doses and ongoing preparations to face COVID-19 third wave. Although COVID-19 cases are falling, the present variant is more lethal and its spread is fast, Thackeray said. He added, "Last time we had controlled virus infection but after curbs were relaxed cases rose sharply. Thus, now the priority is safety and security of citizens," he added. He also urged people not to be complacent.
Equity benchmark Sensex skyrocketed 976 points today, led by gains in index heavyweights HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and SBI as steady earnings reported by key financial stocks lifted investor sentiment. The 30-share BSE index ended 975.62 points or 1.97 per cent higher at 50,540.48, and the broader NSE Nifty soared 269.25 points or 1.81 per cent to 15,175.30. HDFC Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying over 4 per cent, followed by SBI which zoomed after the lender posted robust quarterly earnings.
