This Week in Explainers: Smriti Singh, the widow of Capt Anshuman Singh, and the two controversies

It’s been yet another week of controversies in India.

A hit-and-run case in Mumbai involving a Shiv Sena leader’s son continues to unravel. Another shocker came from neighbouring Pune, where a trainee IAS officer Pooja Khedkhar is under the scanner for misuse of power.

In a big verdict, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of divorced Muslim women. The top court also granted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal interim bail in the excise policy case but he continues to be in jail.

In a heartbreaking story, the widow of a martyred soldier was a target of lewd comments. After the heroics of Captain Anshuman Singh and his love story with Smriti Singh grabbed headlines, now there also appears to be a family row brewing.

All this and more in our weekly roundup of explainers.

1. In what gave Muslim women a reason to celebrate, the Supreme Court pronounced a verdict in their favour. It ruled that all married and divorced women, including those who are illegally divorced by the pronouncement of “triple talaq”, are entitled to claim maintenance from their husbands under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, “irrespective of her personal law”.

A look at the SC order , what it means for Muslim women and what the earlier laws say.

2. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the state excise policy case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate. The top court also referred an important question of law regarding the AAP leader’s arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, to a larger bench. What does this mean for the ED? Will it affect the body’s ability to make future arrests? We explain .

3. Yet another high-profile hit-and-run case is in the spotlight. In an incident, which in many ways is similar to the Pune Porsche mishap , the son of a Shiv Sena leader from Mumbai was driving a BMW in an inebriated state when he knocked down a woman, killing her.

Mihir Shah, 24, was on the run soon after the accident. His father did everything he could to cover up the case. The accused tried to evade arrest. But after 72 hours the cops nabbed him. Here’s how .

4. The other big controversy comes from Maharashtra’s Pune. Trainee IAS office Pooja Khedkar is under the scanner. The 32-year-old grabbed headlines after her alleged demands for a separate office and official car and the unauthorised use of a beacon on her private car, an Audi. But that’s now all. She also faked her disability and her declaration of OBC non-creamy layer in the UPSC candidature is also being questioned. This story tells you all about Khedkar and her many controversies .

5. Last week, the tale of Captain Anshuman Singh won many a heart. The soldier, who died in a fire incident in Siachen in July last year, was recently awarded the Kriti Chakra, India’s second-highest gallantry award. Singh’s wife Smriti and mother received the award from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and the image went viral.

But Smriti found herself at the received end of lewd comments. We explain the controversy .

6. Another row has erupted involving Smriti Singh. The soldier’s parents are now demanding that the “next of kin” rules of the Armed Forces be revised. According to them, Smriti does not live with them and she gets a majority of the entitlement reserved for an army person’s closest relatives if something happens to them in service. What are these rules and what is the row ?

7. With monsoon come viral infections. In a recent post, actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu advocated an alternate method for treating infections: nebulising a blend of hydrogen peroxide and distilled water instead of traditional medications. However, she received flak from it from a medical expert. Here’s why .

That’s our reading list for the weekend. And if you want to know more about the big stories from the week, you can find them here .