Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 949 fresh coronavirus cases, while six more patients succumbed to the infection in the state, the health department said. With these additions, the state's overall Covid-19 tally rose to 8,157,293, while the death toll increased to 148,485, the department said in a bulletin. The state had recorded 505 cases and zero fatalities on Monday. The bulletin said at present the XBB.1.16 variant of Omicron is the dominant strain in the state. The number of patients detected with this variant stood at 681, while four deaths linked to the strain have been reported in the state. The health bulletin said since January 1 this year, the state has recorded 68 Covid-19 deaths and 73.53 per cent of these fatalities have occurred in patients above 60 years of age. It said 57 of the deceased had comorbidities, while 9 per cent did not have any additional illness.
The Centre and the Gujarat government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that they may file a plea seeking a review of its March 27 order asking them to be ready with original files on the grant of remission to the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. A bench of Justices K M Joseph and B V Nagarathna questioned the paroles granted to 11 convicts during their incarceration period and said the gravity of the offence could have been considered by the state.It said, "A pregnant woman was gang-raped and several people were killed. You cannot compare victim's case with standard section 302 (murder) cases. Like you cannot compare apples with oranges, similarly massacre cannot be compared with single murder. Crimes are generally committed against society and the community. Unequals cannot be treated equally." "The question is whether government applied its mind and what material formed the basis of its decision to grant remission," the bench said, adding, Today it is Bilkis but tomorrow it can be anyone. It may be you or me. If you do not show your reasons for grant of remission, then we will draw our own conclusions." The bench posted the batch of pleas challenging the remission to the convicts in Bilkis Bano case for final disposal on May 2 and asked all the convicts who have not been served notices to file their replies. It asked the Centre and the state to make its stand clear about filing of a review plea.
The meteorological department has issued an 'orange' alert with a warning of severe heatwave conditions for two days from Tuesday in Patna, Banka, Jamui, Nawada, Aurangabad, Supaul and several other districts of Bihar. Besides, a yellow' warning has also been sounded in Begusarai, Nalanda, Gaya, Arwal, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Buxar, Khagaria and Munger.
About 200 Apple fans hoping to be among the lucky few to enter the tech giant's first retail store in India gathered from early on Tuesday outside the shop in the commercial capital of Mumbai. People came from different parts of India to catch a glimpse of Chief Executive Tim Cook, who is set to inaugurate the 28,000-sq-foot (2,600-sq-m) store later in the day, and open it to the public
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on Tuesday the Union government's application questioning jurisdiction and competence of the constitutional court to adjudicate on legalisation of same-sex marriage, which the Centre termed as a very sensitive socio-legal issue that fell under Parliament's exclusive law-making powers.
 "LIVE: Maha logs 949 fresh Covid cases, 6 deaths; 6,118 active cases")
