Scroll’s occasional diarist chronicles some of the events in the second half of May.
May 15
“Adani settles SEC case, criminal charges set to be dropped — a 17-month legal battle winds down” – The Economic Times
Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar agreed to pay a total of $18 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission allegations they made false and misleading representations about Adani Green Energy Ltd.
Gautam Adani would pay $6 million and Sagar would pay $12 million to end the SEC’s November 2024 lawsuit, under the proposed agreement filed in federal court Thursday, which still needs a judge’s approval.
If finalized, the deal could be a significant boon to the Adani Group, the multinational conglomerate whose interests range from renewable energy to airports. The Justice Department is also moving to drop fraud charges against Gautum Adani in a parallel criminal case, Bloomberg News reported earlier.
May 14
“US Set to Drop Charges Against Indian Billionaire Accused of Fraud” – The New York Times
The reversal came after the Indian billionaire, Gautam Adani, hired a new legal team led by Robert J. Giuffra Jr., one of President Trump’s personal lawyers and the co-chairman of the prominent firm Sullivan & Cromwell.
Mr. Giuffra’s efforts on Mr. Adani’s behalf culminated in a previously unreported meeting last month at the Justice Department’s headquarters in Washington, according to people familiar with the meeting. Mr. Giuffra ticked through about 100 slides outlining why prosecutors lacked basic evidence, as well as the jurisdiction even to bring the case, one of the people said.
Another slide also made an unusual offer: If prosecutors dropped the charges, Mr. Adani would be willing to invest $10 billion in the American economy and create 15,000 jobs, echoing a pledge he had made in the wake of Mr. Trump’s election.
May 16
“Bhoishala-Kamal Maula complex declared as temple by Madhya Pradesh High Court” – The Hindu
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday (May 15, 2026) declared that the long-disputed site of Bhojshala complex and Kamal Maula Mosque in Dhar is a temple of goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), therefore allowing the Hindu community to worship at the site, while dismissing the Muslim community’s claim.
In a 242-page order, a Division Bench of Justices Vinay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi in Indore dismissed the petitions of the Muslim and Jain communities, filed recently, while saying that the Muslim representatives can seek an alternate piece of land in Dhar district from the Madhya Pradesh Government.
The court quashed a 2003 order of the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) that allowed the Muslim community to offer Friday prayers at the site, while restricting the right of Hindus to worship within the Bhojshala complex on Tuesday and Basant Panchami. The court took inspiration from the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri mosque verdict from the Ayodhya dispute in 10 principles.
May 16
“Chief Justice’s ‘Youngsters Like Cockroaches’ Remark On ‘Fake Degree’ Lawyers” – NDTV
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Friday made sharp remarks against lawyers and activists allegedly targeting the judiciary, saying there are “parasites” attacking the system and warning against attempts to misuse the legal profession.
The remarks came during a hearing related to senior advocate designations in the Delhi High Court. "There are already parasites of society who attack the system, and you want to join hands with them?" the CJI observed.
Referring to certain individuals active on social media, Justice Kant said, “There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don't get any employment and don't have any place in the profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, some of them become RTI activists, some of them become other activists, and they start attacking everyone.”
The CJI also said the court was closely monitoring social media activity targeting the judiciary.
Later
“CJI Surya Kant says media misquoted ‘cockroaches’ remark; criticism was against fake degree holders, not unemployed youth” – Bar and Bench
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Saturday issued a clarification regarding his controversial “cockroach” remark, stating that the media misquoted his oral observations which were made during the hearing of a frivolous case.
In the clarification, he said that his criticism was directed at persons entering the legal profession using fake and bogus degrees, not at unemployed youth.
May 18
“RSS leader Hosabale’s Pakistan remarks spark row” – The Indian Express
Recent remarks by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale that India should not shut the doors on dialogue with Pakistan have attracted considerable attention, given the BJP’s foregrounding, in recent years, of the position that “terror and talks cannot go together”.
Asked how Pakistan should be dealt with, Hosabale, in a recent interview to PTI, pointed to the efforts made by PMs Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi to normalise the ties.
“If the Pakistanis (are) trying to give pinpricks like in Pulwama etc., we have to answer wholesomely according to the situation because the security and self-respect of the nation has to be protected, and the government of the day should take note of it and take care of it. But, at the same time, we need not close the doors. We should always be ready to engage them in a dialogue. That’s why diplomatic relations are maintained, trade and commerce go on, (and) visas are being given. That we should not stop … there should always be a window for dialogue.”
“This (dialogue) can happen (if) more and more Pakistan citizens understand and non-government actors in Pakistan raise these things … like academicians, sportsmen, scientists, community leaders … The political leadership and the military leadership have developed some aversion to Indian politics. This (civil society) is one hope,” Hosabale further said.
May 19
“Bail is the rule is not an empty slogan, even in UAPA and ‘terror’ cases: Supreme Court” – The Hindu
The Supreme Court on Monday (May 18, 2026) voiced “serious reservations” about “various aspects” of its January 2026 judgment refusing bail to former JNU student leader Umar Khalid and co-accused Sharjeel Imam in the Delhi riots ‘larger conspiracy’ case, including the foreclosing of their right to seek bail for a year.
The rare act of self-reproach came over a year after the apex court condemned Mr. Khalid and Mr. Imam as the “alleged masterminds” who hatched the conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots.
Justice Bhuyan, who authored the judgment, said the catchphrase ‘bail is the rule and jail is the exception’ was not just an empty slogan, but a constitutional principle flowing from the fundamental rights to life, speedy trial and freedom from arbitrary arrests and detentions. The court’s observations on Monday (May 18, 2026) came in a judgment allowing bail to a Jammu and Kashmir man accused in a narco-terrorism case in which he had been incarcerated as an undertrial under the UAPA for five years.
Justice Bhuyan said the right to personal liberty and speedy trial cannot become “subordinate” to the draconian bail provision, Section 43-D(5), of the UAPA.
The apex court expressed deep concern about certain of its verdicts “hollowing out” larger Bench verdicts like in the K.A. Najeeb case, which championed personal liberty against state abuse.
May 21
“Cockroach Janta Party’s X Handle Withheld in India” – Vibes of India
Barely days after emerging as India’s most viral political satire movement, the X account of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been withheld in India following what the platform described as a “legal demand.” The move comes as the internet-born collective — created after remarks by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant comparing sections of unemployed youth to “cockroaches” — rapidly transforms from meme culture into a full-fledged Gen Z political phenomenon.
Even as its X account disappeared for Indian users, the movement’s Instagram presence continued to surge. The Cockroach Janta Party crossed nearly 12.6 million followers on Instagram at the time of reporting, overtaking Bharatiya Janata Party, which has roughly 8.7 million followers despite being considered the world’s largest political party by physical membership. The movement also claims more than six lakh registrations within days of launch.
What began as satire now appears to be evolving into something far larger — and far more politically sensitive.
May 22
“Are cartoons in NCERT textbooks proper? Supreme Court asks retired judge panel to review” – The Hindu
The Supreme Court on Friday (May 22, 2026) asked a former apex court judge-led committee to review cartoons published in National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta pointed out that “textbook is not a space where you use cartoons”.
Mr. Mehta’s objection raised the point whether children should be exposed to satire or lampoon through their study books.
May 23
“Now, Cockroach Janta Party website taken down; founder slams ‘dictatorial behaviour” – Hindustan Times
The official website of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been taken down in the recent crackdown against the youth and Gen Z-led online movement after the party’s official X handle was withheld, and its backup Instagram account was taken down, its founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Saturday.
The founder said 10 lakh cockroaches had registered as members through the website, while 6 lakh cockroaches had signed a petition seeking the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged failures in the education system, particularly due to the NEET-UG 2026 ‘paper leak’ controversy.
“Why is the government so scared of cockroaches? But this dictatorial behaviour is opening the eyes of India's youth. Our only crime is we were demanding a better future for ourselves. But you can't get rid of us that easily. We’re working on a new home right now. Cockroaches never die,” he wrote in a post on X.
May 24
“Cockroach Janta Party: BJP sees bid to ‘destabilise’; voices within, allies, call for listening to young” – The Indian Express
The ruling BJP has moved swiftly to criticise the viral Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) handle with senior leaders alleging foreign backing behind the social media phenomenon in a bid to “destabilise” India. But even as the party’s official line holds firm, a section of voices within and among the party’s allies are also urging the need to tread carefully acknowledging that youth discontent – over economic distress and the NEET leak, for example – can’t be banned into silence.
Senior BJP MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Nishikant Dubey alleged that the movement could be a threat to national security and former Union Minister and BJP Kerala chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar saw it as a “coordinated influence operation.”
“This has many of the hallmarks of something that is coordinated and planned rather than something like spontaneous anger against the Chief Justice of India’s statement.
May 24
“Bengal govt orders ‘holding centres’ for illegal ‘foreigners’ ahead of deportation drive” – The Telegraph
The Bengal government has ordered all district administrations to set up ‘holding centres’ for apprehended foreigners and foreign prisoners awaiting deportation or repatriation, according to news agencies.
In a letter issued on Saturday, by the home and hill affairs department to district magistrates, officials were asked to initiate the process in line with Union home ministry guidelines concerning the deportation of “Bangladeshi/Rohingyas apprehended for staying illegally in this country”.
May 25
“India can count on me 100%… anything India wants, they get: Donald Trump” – The Indian Express
Joining an event hosted by the US Embassy here to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s Independence Day, US President Donald Trump, in a live phone call on Sunday, assured his “100 per cent” support to India.
“I love India… I love the Prime Minister. (Narendra) Modi is great. He’s my friend, and I just want to say a very, very good evening to everybody this morning here, and this evening there. And I just want to say, you’re great. We’ve never been closer to India, and India can count on me 100 per cent and our country,” Trump said.
“We have a record economy, a record stock market. And anything India wants, they get. And I’m a big, big fan of Prime Minister Modi,” he said.
May 27
“Centre constitutes committee to study demographic changes, recommend population stabilisation measures” – The Hindu
In a post on X, Mr. Shah said, “Illegal infiltration and other reasons leading to unnatural demographic change are a very big challenge for the present and future of any nation. To deal with this challenge, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had announced the ‘High-Level Committee on Demographic Change’ on 15 August 2025. I am delighted to inform that the government has constituted this Committee.”
He stated that demographic change is a serious problem linked not only to sovereignty but also to national security, law and order, major changes in social structure, and the protection of tribal societies. “This committee will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the demographic changes occurring across India due to illegal immigration and other abnormal reasons. It will analyse patterns of abnormal population changes at the level of religious and social communities and will present a well-planned and time-bound solution to address the issue,” the Minister said.
May 28
“Varanasi’s decades-old goat market sealed before Bakrid” – The Indian Express
Right before Bakrid, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation has shut down the decades-old Benia Bagh goat market, citing complaints of overcrowding and poor sanitation. The move sparked protests by traders, who accused officials of acting without prior notice during the peak festive trading season.
Popularly known as ‘Bakra Market’, it is one of eastern Uttar Pradesh’s largest and best-known seasonal livestock bazaars that has been functioning for nearly four decades. Situated about a kilometre from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, it usually operates for nearly a week ahead of the festival, drawing traders from districts, including Gorakhpur, Ghazipur, Mau, and Jaunpur.
According to civic authorities, permission was initially granted for the market to operate, but was later revoked. “The Municipal Corporation revoked permission for the Benia Bagh market after receiving complaints related to sanitation and hygiene,” said Varanasi Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal.
May 29
“NEET Re-Exam Papers May Be Kept Under Defence Custody To Prevent Leaks” – TimesNowNews
The Ministry of Education is reportedly considering handing over NEET UG re-exam papers to defence services for secure custody as the NTA adopts a ‘zero-trust, always inspect’ policy ahead of the June 21 re-test.
May 30
“Fair electoral rolls lead to fair polls: CEC” – The Hindu
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday (May 30, 2026) said that fair electoral rolls lead to fair elections and India was “in that moment” at present.
May 31
“It was never a fair fight, but I am proud of myself: Vinesh after Asian Games selection trials defeat” – The Hindu
Vinesh fell short but the drama began much before her semifinal bout late in the evening. She was first handed a copy of the WFI circular that permitted her entry in the 50kg in the early hours of Saturday (May 30, 2026), followed by more than an hour of waiting and protests before finally being allowed to weigh in.
“It was never a fair fight. I had to wait for more than an hour for weigh-in and was allowed only after our lawyers spoke of going to the court again. They put all the strong competitors in my half of the draw. But one loss doesn’t define anyone’s future. I am back after giving birth 10 months ago. I still have the courage and strength and I will work hard and return to the mat,” Vinesh said after her loss to Meenakshi in the semifinals.
