Hey,
In today’s edition, we begin with a story from Varanasi — not one that made headlines, but one that lingers in silence.
A girl, a moment, and a decision that says more about the world we live in than we care to admit. It’s not fiction.
Following that, we bring you a breakdown of today’s stock market — key movements, sector-wise performance, and what the numbers are hinting at for the days ahead.
So, let’s start…
📌 Quick Updates
RBI cuts interest rates to 6% after Trump’s tariffs
Fake doctor gets nabbed in Madhya Pradesh after 7 patient deaths
Russia invites PM Modi for Victory Day Parade on May 9
India's forex reserves rise to $676.3 billion
📌 Deep Dive
The Varanasi rape case and how it happened
A class 12 student was allegedly kidnapped and then subjected to repeated gang rape by a shocking 23 men over a full week, between March 29th and April 4th, as confirmed by the UP Police.
What makes this even more chilling is that this wasn't a case of random attackers. Several of the accused were actually known to the young woman – they were former classmates and individuals she had connected with on Instagram.
It just adds another layer of betrayal and violation to this already terrible crime.
The police have taken swift action, registering an FIR against all 23 accused. So far, they've managed to apprehend six of them.
However, a significant number, 11 in total, are still unidentified, which is deeply concerning. Law enforcement is currently engaged in a full-scale search to locate and bring all the remaining suspects into custody.
The details emerging about how this unfolded are just devastating.
According to the police report, the nightmare began on March 29th when a friend took the Class 12 student to a hookah bar in the Pishachmochan area of Varanasi.
Tragically, she didn't return home that day. It wasn't until April 4th that she finally made it back and bravely confided in her family about the horrific ordeal she had endured. Her family immediately approached the police to file a complaint.
Her mother recounted that her daughter had initially told them she was going to a friend's house, but then she simply vanished. A senior police officer shared that, based on the girl's statement, at the hookah bar, other men joined them.
She alleged that she was given a cold drink laced with drugs, rendering her incapacitated. Following this, she was allegedly taken to multiple hotels in the Sigra area of the city, where the repeated gang rapes occurred.
The horror didn't end there.
On March 30th, while she was walking along the road, she encountered one of the accused and his friend.
They forcibly took her onto a motorcycle and transported her towards the highway, where she was raped again before being abandoned in the Nadesar area.
The following day, March 31st, her nightmare continued when she encountered five more men. They took her to a restaurant in the Maldahiya area, where, according to reports, she was once again drugged and subjected to gang rape.
On April 1st, another accused individual, accompanied by a friend, took her to a hotel where three other men were waiting. In this horrifying situation, she was allegedly forced to massage a client, during which an unknown man sexually assaulted her.
Even after leaving this hotel, she was picked up by yet another man who took her to a different hotel and raped her before leaving her outside.
The brutality persisted.
Later, one of the initial accused, accompanied by two others, took her to a warehouse in the Aurangabad area, where she was raped again. She was then moved to another room within the warehouse where two more men assaulted her.
At one point, she bravely managed to escape and was seen sitting outside a mall in the Sigra area. But even in this vulnerable state, her ordeal wasn't over.
On April 2nd, two men approached her at the mall, offered her noodles that were laced with drugs, and one of them proceeded to rape her before abandoning her at the Assi Ghat.
On April 3rd, she finally managed to reach a friend's house, but she was still suffering from the effects of the intoxicants and fell asleep. Later that evening, she came into contact with yet another man and his friend.
They took her to a hotel, where three more men were present. This group allegedly drugged and raped her before leaving her at Chowkaghat.
Finally, on April 4th, she managed to reach another friend's house nearby, and from there, she was eventually taken back home to her family.
Police have mentioned that the young woman was actively preparing for admission into a sports program and frequently visited a college for running practice.
Following the complaint filed by the survivor's family at the Lalpur Police Station, a case was immediately registered, and the police began the crucial process of questioning the individuals who had been identified.
They have also started questioning the staff at the hookah bar where this horrific chain of events reportedly began. CCTV footage from the location is being carefully examined as a key part of the ongoing investigation.
According to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for the Cantt area, Vidush Saxena, six of the accused were apprehended swiftly after the initial investigation.
Some of those taken into custody are residents of the Hukulganj and Lallapura areas, and they were detained on the same night the complaint was filed.
However, the police have been cautious about releasing further identifying details, as there is a possibility that some of the suspects involved may be minors.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for the Varuna Zone, Chandrakant Mina, stated that the FIR includes serious charges under
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),
Section 70(1) which pertains to gang rape
Section 74, which deals with outraging modesty
Section 123 concerning the administering of poison or harmful substances
Section 126(2) addresses obstructing movement,
Section 127(2) is related to wrongful confinement, and
Section 351(2) covers criminal intimidation.
ACP Saxena also emphasized that further legal procedures are currently underway, and multiple police teams have been deployed with the urgent task of tracking down and arresting all the remaining accused individuals involved in this deeply disturbing case.
📌 Market Updates
How is the stock market doing today?
Indian stock markets traded in the red on Wednesday following the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) decision to cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6%.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) also shifted its stance from neutral to accommodative, signaling a move to boost demand and investment amid easing inflation pressures.
At 2 PM, the BSE Sensex had dropped 381.71 points (0.51%) to 73,845.37, while the Nifty50 declined by 136.50 points (0.61%) to 22,399.35.
Despite the broader market weakness, some individual stocks saw gains:
Zee Media rose 5.1% after the board approved raising funds via 5% FCCBs worth $46.59 million
Transformers & Rectifiers hit a 5% upper circuit post its Q4FY25 results, trading at ₹518.3/share
FMCG stocks like GCPL and HUL gained up to 2% after the RBI lowered FY26 inflation forecast to 4.0%
So, that’s it for today. If you enjoyed this edition, subscribe to hear from us every day!
See ya 👋
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