LIVE! MP murder: Dhaka police team to visit Kolkata

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Sat, 25 May 2024

MP murder: Dhaka police team to visit Kolkata

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22:56 Tourists drive into stream in Kerala while using Google maps

A group of tourists from Hyderabad drove into a stream swollen with water near Kuruppanthara in this south Kerala district, apparently after using Google maps, police claimed on Saturday.

The incident occurred late Friday night when the four-member group, including a woman, was going towards Alappuzha.

The road they were travelling on was covered by water overflowing from the stream due to the heavy rains and since the tourists were unfamiliar with the area, they drove right into the water body while navigating using Google maps, they claimed.

All four managed to escape unharmed due to the efforts of a nearby police patrolling unit and local residents, but their vehicle was completely submerged under the water.

"Efforts are on to pull it out," an officer of Kaduthuruthy police station said.

This is not the first such incident reported in Kerala.

In October last year, two young doctors died in a car accident which occurred after they allegedly followed directions on Google Maps and fell into a river.

Following the incident, the Kerala police had issued cautionary guidelines for using the technology during the monsoon season. -- PTI

22:08 MP murder: Dhaka police team to visit Kolkata

A team of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police will visit India to investigate the brutal killing of Bangladeshi lawmaker Anwarul Azim Anar, who was found murdered in Kolkata earlier this week.

Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid, chief of the Detective Branch, told a press conference in Dhaka on Saturday that he along with several officers of the DB will leave Dhaka for India tonight or tomorrow dawn to investigate the murder incident.

A four-member team of Indian police is currently investigating the murder incident, he added.

Anar, a three-time parliamentarian from the Jhenaidah-4 segment in Bangladesh and also the president of Awami League's Kaliganj sub-district unit left Dhaka on May 12 to undergo medical treatment at Kolkata, from where he went missing the very next day.

Search for him began after Gopal Biswas, a resident of Baranagar in north Kolkata and an acquaintance of the Bangladeshi politician, filed a complaint with the local police on May 18.

According to the Kolkata police, circumstantial evidence indicated that the MP was first strangled and killed after which his body was chopped into pieces and dumped in different areas. Traces of his body or body parts are yet to be found.

A Bangladesh court on Friday sent three suspects to an eight-day police remand for their alleged involvement in Anar's brutal murder while in India, the West Bengal police claimed to have arrested a Bangladeshi, working as a butcher in Mumbai, from North 24 Parganas district for his alleged involvement in the grisly murder.

Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan named a businessman as the key suspect in Anar's murder and added that his ministry was working with India and the US to get and put him on trial for the alleged crime. -- PTI

Police have booked a priest of a temple for allegedly putting up a camera over a roofless women's bathroom in Ghaziabad, police said on Saturday.

According to police, the said temple is located adjacent to the Muradnagar Ganga canal. People usually offer prayers after taking a dip in the canal.

The matter came to light when a woman who went to the temple with her daughter on May 21 noticed a CCTV camera pointed at the roofless bathroom, police said.

"The woman noticed that the CCTV camera installed on the top was focused on the room where women change their clothes," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Vivek Chandra Yadav.

The display of the CCTV was linked with the mobile phone of the Mahant on which he would watch the ladies, DCP said.

The woman immediately contacted Mahant Goswami and asked about the CCTV camera on which he got angry and hurled abuses. He threatened her to face the dire consequences if she told anyone about the camera, the DCP said.

"After getting a complaint, the Muradnagar police lodged an FIR on Friday. When the police team reached the temple to arrest him, he was not there," said the DCP.

Police have registered a case against the Mahant under sections 354 (criminal assault on woman), 354 C (watching or capturing image of women engaged in a private act), 504(intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Further investigation is underway. -- PTI

At least 16 persons, including children, were killed and three others injured in a massive fire that broke out in a crowded game zone in Gujarat's Rajkot city on Saturday evening, police said.

Rescue operations are underway at the affected TRP game zone and officials feared the count of casualties may go up as several children were present at the spot due to the ongoing summer vacation and weekend.

The blaze erupted at around 5 pm at a fibre dome for gaming activities and several persons including children were playing games when the blaze erupted, officials said.

"A rescue operation is underway. The number of casualties is likely to rise," said Rajkot taluka police inspector Dhaval Haripara.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel tweeted that the city administration has been instructed to carry out immediate rescue and relief operations in the fire incident.

'Instructions have been given to the Municipal Corporation and the administration for immediate rescue and relief operations in the fire incident in the game zone in Rajkot. It has been instructed to prioritise arrangements for immediate treatment of the injured,' Patel tweeted. -- PTI

Six persons including four women suffered minor injuries in a clash between supporters of two candidates outside a polling station in Mendhar sub-division in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday, officials said.

However, the voting at the polling station in the Shahpur sector continued without any disruption as police intervened and separated the clashing groups, they said.

A first information report (FIR) was registered by police and further investigation is on, the officials said.

Poonch is part of the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency where polling is underway in the sixth phase on Saturday.

'It is hereby clarified that a minor scuffle took place outside the polling station causing very minor injuries to a few persons.

'The altercation was stopped in time and an FIR has been lodged in the matter. Polling did not get interrupted at any time and went on smoothly,' the office of deputy commissioner, Poonch, said on X. -- PTI

IMAGE: A female voter shows their inked finger after casting her vote for the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, in Poonch on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Election Commission on Saturday came out with Lok Sabha constituency-wise data on the number of votes cast in the first five phases of the elections and asserted that there is a pattern in creating false narratives and mischievous design to vitiate the electoral process.

It said that any alteration in the number of votes polled is not possible.

The poll panel came out with the absolute number of voters on its own a day after the Supreme Court refused to issue directions to it on an NGO's plea for uploading polling booth-wise voter turnout data on its website.

The EC said it has decided to further expand the format of turnout data to include the absolute number of voters in every parliamentary constituency.

The absolute numbers are discernable parliamentary constituency-wise by all citizens by applying the turnout percentage to total electors, both already made available in the public domain, the poll panel said.

Electors are those who are part of the electoral roll and eligible to voters.

Voters are those who actually cast their vote in an election. While EC had been issuing turnout percentage, there had been demands to make the actual number of voters in every phase public. -- PTI

A court in Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday remanded in police custody till May 29 the owner of the chemical factory in Dombivli where an explosion killed nine persons and injured more than 60.

The accused, Malay Mehta (38), owner of Amudan Chemicals, was produced before the magistrate court in Kalyan, a spokesperson of the Thane city police said.

The police sought Mehta's custody for 14 days and informed the court that they had to visit the factory site and find out if more persons were involved in the crime, he said.

The extent of damage because of the explosion was enormous, and the police wanted to examine the role of many in the incident, the official said.

Mehta's lawyer argued that the company had all the requisite permissions and followed all regulations. There was also an intervener in the matter who supported the police plea for custody and interrogations. After hearing all the counsels, the magistrate remanded the accused in police custody till May 29, the official said.

The crime branch's Ulhasnagar unit has taken over the investigation. The police have registered an FIR against the company owners, directors, management staff and officials supervising the factory.

The accused have been booked for culpable homicide (section 304), voluntarily causing hurt and negligent conduct with respect to combustible matter and explosive substances under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Besides the IPC, the police have also invoked charges under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Explosive Substances Act.

According to the FIR, the company had not taken precautions over mixing chemicals, final products, and their storage, knowing well that any lapses might lead to an explosion, which could affect and damage the company and structures around it.

These lapses led to the explosion on Thursday, resulting in deaths on the premises and companies around the factory, the FIR said.

The impact of the blast was so severe that it shattered window panes of houses and damaged cars, roads and electric poles in the vicinity, it said. -- PTI

Welcoming the Supreme Court's decision to not pass any direction on a plea seeking the uploading of Form 17C data, the Election Commission of India on Saturday said that nobody can change data of votes polled, shared on poll day with polling agents of all candidates through Form 17C.

The poll body said that it has taken note of a pattern that is going on in 'creating false narratives and mischievous design to vitiate electoral process'.

The Election Commission stated that there has been no delay in the release of voter turnout data.

"Parliamentary constituency-wise voter turnout data was always available with candidates and also 24x7 on Voter Turnout APP for citizens at large," the poll body said.

Commission on its own released Parliamentary Constituency-wise absolute number of voters for all completed phases, which otherwise was discernable by all stakeholders themselves by applying the turnout percentage to total electors, both already made available in the public domain, the poll body said.

EC reiterated that nobody can change the data of votes polled, shared on poll day with polling agents of all candidates through Form 17C.

Authorised agents of all candidates will have form 17C across 543 PCs, distinctively for each of approximately 10.5 lakh polling stations.

The poll body said that it feels duly strengthened by the Supreme Court's observations and verdict on the process of release of turnout data by the Election Commission of India.

"This brings upon the Commission, a higher responsibility to serve the cause of electoral democracy with undeterred resolution," the ECI said.

It said that the issue of press notes is just another facilitative while full data is always available 24x7 on the voters' turnout app.

The commission has issued 13 press notes on voter turnout for 5 phases.

Any alleged delay in the issue of press notes of the first phase does not mean that data was not available in the public domain all the time through the voter turnout app. -- ANI

Image only for representation

16:32 INDIA bloc alleges UP candidate put under house arrest

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party Saturday alleged that SP's Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha constituency candidate Lalji Verma has been put under house arrest at the behest of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Polling is underway in Ambedkar Nagar in the sixth phase of elections.

The district administration could not be reached for a comment on the allegations of the two parties.

SP leader Arvind Kumar Singh wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer alleging the Ambedkar Nagar administration is influencing the elections by keeping the SP candidate under house arrest.

The EC should take cognisance so that fair voting is ensured, he said.

In a post on X, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the police raided Verma's house.

'But the police neither wanted to find anything nor found anything. This is an evil act to tarnish the honest image of Lalji Verma. Extremely condemnable! This is the frustration of the losing BJP,' he said.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP government are 'so frightened by the fear of defeat that they have openly resorted to dictatorship'.

'Information is being received that INDIA alliance candidate from Ambedkar Nagar Lalji Verma has been placed under house arrest,' the party said on X.

'By misusing the government machinery, the candidates of the INDIA alliance are not being allowed to come out of the house and the voters are being threatened. Sir, if you have woken up, please take action,' the party said, drawing the attention of the Election Commission of India.

In a separate post, the Samajwadi Party also appealed to the Election Commission to take cognisance of the matter.

A tribal woman from Tripura's Dhalai district, grappling with dire poverty following her husband's death five months ago, sold her newborn for Rs 5,000, an official said on Saturday.

The four-day-old girl was fortunately rescued from a couple in Hezamara, West Tripura district, and reunited with her mother, following opposition leader Jitendra Choudhury's intervention, sources said.

Mormati Tripura (39) of Taraban Colony in Gandacherra subdivision, gave birth to a daughter at home on Wednesday. The next day she sold the child to a couple in Hezamara for Rs 5,000, citing extreme poverty after her husband's demise five months ago, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Arindam Das said.

"Already burdened with two sons and a daughter, she couldn't afford another child in the face of severe financial strain. This desperation likely led to the decision to sell the child. Upon receiving the alert, we swiftly retrieved the infant and reunited her with her mother the following day," Das added.

Assuring ongoing support to the family, Das said necessary aid had been extended to the mother and child at their residence.

In response to the distressing revelation, opposition leader Jitendra Choudhury had shared a video where the woman confessed to selling her newborn due to extreme poverty, prompting chief secretary J K Singh to take immediate action on Friday.

Choudhury alleged that Mormati's husband Purnajoy, who sustained the family by selling firewood, passed away due to lack of proper medical care amidst dire financial circumstances. Additionally, the family lacked a Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration card, he added.

Choudhury criticised both the BJP government and the Tipra Motha-led Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) for failing to provide assistance to distressed people.

"Without government intervention, more such tragedies are inevitable in tribal areas," he warned. -- PTI

A senior citizen died on the spot after she was allegedly knocked down by a speeding car inside a civic hospital in central Mumbai, a police official said on Saturday.

The accident occurred on the premises of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, also known as Sion hospital, on Friday night, he said.

According to the official from Sion police station, the identity of the victim, a woman, is yet to be established.

"Primary information suggests the woman was hit by a car but we are waiting for the hospital's version before registering a case," he said.

The official said police have collected details which establish that the woman died due to a car accident on the hospital premises.

"Further investigations are underway," he added. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday vowed to thwart alleged attempts to rob Dalits and backward classes of reservations by the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) which he accused of 'enslavement' and performing 'mujra' for Muslim vote bank.

The PM launched the blistering attack at a rally in Bikram in the Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency, about 40 km from Patna, where he also blamed parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress for SCs, STs and OBCs 'being deprived of quotas' in minority institutions.

"Bihar is the land which has given a new direction to the fight for social justice. I wish to declare on its soil that I will foil the plans of INDIA bloc to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their rights and divert these to Muslims. They may remain enslaved and perform 'mujra' to please their vote bank," said the PM.

He also alleged that the opposition alliance was banking on the support of those who were indulging in 'vote jihad' and referred to the Calcutta high court order, striking down the West Bengal government's decision to include a number of Muslim groups in the list of OBCs.

Modi was canvassing for two-term Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ram Kripal Yadav and remarked sarcastically 'many people have such a quarrel with Lord Ram that they may frown upon even the name of Ram Kripal'.

Referring to 'Maner Ka laddoo', a renowned sweetmeat named after a nearby locality, Modi said at the rally, "Have these ready for June 04... Your vote is too significant. It is not just to elect your MP but to choose your PM."

Modi also mocked RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, without mentioning him by name, saying 'in the age of LED bulbs they are moving around with a lantern that lit up only their house while keeping the entire Bihar in the dark'.

Notably, Lalu's eldest daughter Misa Bharti is trying her luck from Patliputra for the third time in a row.

He added, "India needs a PM who can do justice to India's might on the world stage. But INDIA bloc seems intent on playing musical chairs with the top post." -- PTI

14:25 President Murmu casts vote at all-women booth

President Droupadi Murmu cast her vote at an all-women polling booth in New Delhi constituency in New Delhi on Saturday in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, officials said.

Murmu reached the booth, which was decorated in pink and white colours, inside the President's Estate, around 9 am, they said.

Later, Murmu held up her inked finger as she posed for photos for media persons against a backdrop that read "I'm a proud voter".

'President Droupadi Murmu joined the queue and cast her vote at the polling station in Dr Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex. It is a pink booth managed by women staff,' the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a post on X.

Voting for seven Lok Sabha constituencies of Delhi -- Chandni Chowk, North East Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, North West Delhi, West Delhi and South Delhi -- began at 7 am.

Murmu, who hails from Odisha, was sworn in as the 15th President of India on July 25, 2022.

She received her new voter identification card with the updated address on November 28 last year. Her old voter ID carried her Odisha address. -- PTI

13:20 Mehbooba protests alleging polling agents held

People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday staged a protest outside a police station in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, where polling is underway in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections, against alleged detention of her party workers and polling agents.

She also claimed that outgoing calls on her mobile number have been suspended.

Police, however, said those detained are overground workers (OGWs) and the action was taken to ensure smooth conduct of elections.

Mehbooba, who is among 20 candidates in the fray from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, staged a sit-in outside Bijbehara police station on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

The protesters raised slogans against the Jammu and Kashmir administration and demanded that those detained be immediately released.

"Our PDP polling agents are being targeted and arrested. We are asking the reason but they are not saying anything. If they are so afraid of me going to the Parliament, then the lieutenant governor should tell me not to fight elections," Mehbooba told reporters.

She said this kind of 'rigging' was witnessed in 1987 which many believe led to the eruption of militancy in Kashmir.

Police said only a few people with a 'tainted' past record and who can pose a threat to law and order on polling day have been detained.

"Those who have been detained are overground workers and have been taken into preventive custody to ensure peaceful polling," a police official said.

A protester, Yasmeen, said her husband is among those detained.

"I am very worried since last night. My husband does not engage in any illegal activity and yet he has been detained.

"We are not even being allowed to meet him. Today is the voting day and everyone has the right to vote. Why have they been detained and prevented from voting? The law should be the same for everyone," she said.

Police and civil officers rushed to the scene and unsuccessfully tried to persuade the PDP chief for over an hour to lift the blockade, officials said.

Police personnel resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse the swelling crowds of onlookers, they said.

Media persons covering the protest claimed that some of them were injured after being hit by lathis.

Mehbooba left the protest site briefly to cast her vote.

Media persons were not allowed inside the polling booth and were stopped by security personnel 100 metres from the booth.

Mehbooba is still at the protest site, the officials said.

Additional forces have been called to keep the situation under control, the officials said.

On Friday, Mehbooba had written to the Election Commission claiming that PDP workers and polling agents were detained by police.

'Many of our PDP polling agents & workers are being detained just before voting. When the families went to the police stations they are being told that it's being done at the behest of SSP Anantnag & DIG South Kashmir. We've written to @ECISVEEP hoping for their timely intervention,' the PDP chief had said in a post on X.

Earlier on Saturday, Mehbooba told PTI that outgoing calls on her mobile number have been suspended without any explanation.

"I am not able to make any calls since morning. There is no explanation for this sudden suspension of services on the day of polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency," she said.

The PDP also flagged the issue in a post on X.

'Just ahead of the polls, Ms. Mehbooba Mufti's @MehboobaMufti cellular phone service has been abruptly snapped. Yesterday evening and in the early hours today, scores of PDP workers and polling agents were detained across polling belt,' the party said. -- PTI

IMAGE: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti protests outside a police station in Anantnag. Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com

The ongoing spell of heavy rains in Kerala has affected normal life, with scores of houses suffering damage, roads being submerged, trees uprooted, flood water entering houses and trains running late as a result of the steady downpour that continued to lash the state on Saturday.

Flood water entered houses, schools and shops located in low-lying areas of Kuttanad in coastal Alapuzha district. Potholes appeared on roads, posing a threat to vehicle users in many places there.

Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department today forecast heavy rainfall at one or two places in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, and Kottayam districts.

At Kaikulangara in Kollam district, a family of four had a narrow escape as the tiled roof of their house collapsed due to heavy showers.

Residents of the house escaped with minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital, police said. Another house in Kannettumukku here was completely damaged following downpour in the small hours today, they said.

However, the elderly woman living in it said she had a miraculous escape as she ran out to the courtyard hearing a sound in the night. Many roads were battered and houses damaged in the coastal village of Pozhiyur, which witnessed intense sea incursion on Friday evening.

Relief camps were set up in the area and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea due to the continuing inclement weather. Intense water-logging and uprooting of trees disrupted normal life in towns and villages alike in several parts of the southern state.

Several trains, heading to the state capital were reportedly running late due to bad weather. -- PTI

A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to concentrate into a cyclonic storm by Saturday evening and make landfall on May 26 night along the adjoining coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh, the Met office said.

The cyclone is likely to make landfall with a wind speed of 110-120 km per hour, gusting to 135 kmph, it said. The Met office has warned of extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and north Odisha on May 26-27.

Extremely heavy precipitation may hit parts of northeast India on May 27-28. Storm surge of up to 1.5 metre is expected to inundate low-lying areas of coastal West Bengal and Bangladesh at the time of landfall.

The weather office warned fishermen not to venture into the sea in north Bay of Bengal till May 27 morning.

The Meteorological Department issued a red alert for West Bengal's coastal districts of South and North 24 Parganas on May 26 and 27, where extremely heavy rain is likely in some places.

The weather system -- a deep depression situated over the east-central Bay of Bengal, about 380 kms south of Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district is likely to concentrate into a cyclonic storm by Saturday evening and move northwards, the Met said in a bulletin.

It is likely to concentrate further into a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday morning and cross West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara with a wind speed of 110 to 120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph at around midnight of Sunday, the bulletin said.

This is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this pre-monsoon season and will be named Remal, given by Oman, according to a system of naming cyclones in the north Indian Ocean region.

An orange alert was issued for Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia and Purba Medinipur districts by the Met, warning of 80 to 90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph wind speed, and heavy to very heavy rain at one or two places on May 26-27.

Wind speed will reach 60 to 70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph over Hooghly, Purba Bardhaman and Paschim Medinipur districts, accompanied by heavy rain. Other districts in south Bengal will experience a wind speed of 40 to 50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, it said.

In north Odisha, the coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara will receive heavy rain on May 26-27, while heavy precipitation is likely in Mayurbhanj on May 27.

The India Meteorological Department warned of localised flooding and major damage to vulnerable structures, power and communication lines, kutcha roads, crops and orchards in South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal.

People in the affected areas have been asked to remain indoors and vacate vulnerable structures. -- PTI

Police and local people throng outside the factory after blast/ANI on X

11:30 Six injured in blast at explosives factory in Chhattisgarh's Bemetara

Six persons were injured in a blast at an explosives manufacturing factory in Chhattisgarh's Bemetara district on Saturday, officials said.

The explosion occurred in the unit located near Pirda village in Berla development block, a district administration official said.

Soon after being alerted, police and rescue teams were rushed to the site, he said.

"So far, six people have been reported to be injured in the explosion,' he said, adding that the injured are being shifted to the hospital.

The incident comes days after a blast in a chemical factory in Maharashtra's Thane district killed nine persons and injured over 60. -- PTI

11:12 Vice-President Dhankhar, wife cast vote

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh cast their votes in the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday. Dhankhar reached the polling station at the CPWD service centre in Delhi's North Avenue to exercise his franchise.

He and his wife stood in queue and awaited their turn before casting their votes.

"Proud to cast my vote for Lok Sabha 2024 elections. Urge everyone to exercise their right to vote and fulfil their constitutional duty," he said in a post on X after casting his vote. -- PTI

Voters line up to cast their votes outside a polling station in Sonipat, Haryana, May 25, 2024. Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

11:02 Lok Sabha polls: Haryana records 8.31% turnout in first two hours

Haryana recorded a voter turnout of 8.31 percent in the first two hours of polling for its 10 Lok Sabha constituencies.

Polling is also underway for the bypoll to the Karnal assembly seat where Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is in the fray.

The bypoll was necessitated by his predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar's resignation.

There are 2,00,76,768 (two crore) registered voters, including 94,23,956 (94 lakh) women and 467 people from the transgender community, Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal earlier said.

According to Election Commission data, the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency recorded the highest turnout during the first two hours after polling began at 7 am at 10.26 percent while Faridabad registered the lowest at 5.46 percent.

Ambala recorded a turnout of 6.92 percent, Gurugram 6.20 percent, Hisar 7.44 percent, Karnal 9.29 percent, Kurukshetra 9.92 percent, Rohtak 10.22 percent, Sirsa 9.81 percent and Sonipat 9.33 percent. -- PTI

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10:59 Over 16% votes polled in 8 LS seats of West Bengal till 9 am

West Bengal registered a voter turnout of 16.54 percent till 9 am in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies that went to polls in the sixth phase on Saturday, an official said.

Polling began at 7 am in Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura and Bishnupur constituencies.

It would continue till 6 pm. Tamluk recorded the highest polling at 19.07 percent, followed by Bishnupur (18.56 percent), Ghatal (18.27 percent), Bankura (17.69 percent), Jhargram (16.22 percent), Kanthi (15.45 percent), Medinipur (14.58 percent) and Purulia (12.68 percent), he said.

Voting has been peaceful so far.

There are no reports of any untoward incident from anywhere, the poll official said.

Till 8.55 am, the election office in West Bengal received 364 complaints, he added.

Altogether 1,45,34,228 voters 73,63,273 men, 71,70,822 women and 133 belonging to the third-gender are eligible to exercise their franchise in 15,600 polling stations.

Of the 79 candidates in the fray, Bankura and Jhargram have the highest number of 13 contestants each, followed by Purulia (12) and nine each in Medinipur and Tamluk. -- PTI

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wait outside a polling booth in New Delhi/ANI on X

10:55 Lok Sabha polls: Sonia, Rahul cast vote in New Delhi constituency

Senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi cast their votes in New Delhi constituency in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday.

They reached the polling station set up at Nirman Bhawan around 9.30 am.

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, constituents of the INDIA bloc, are contesting the Lok Sabha polls together in Delhi.

While the AAP is contesting four seats, the Congress has fielded candidates on the remaining three seats.

AAP's Somnath Bharti is the INDIA bloc candidate from New Delhi seat. He is up against BJP's Bansuri Swaraj. -- PTI

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10:44 K'taka police station vandalised over custodial death

A police station was vandalised in Channagiri town in the district and several vehicles were set on fire by a violent mob over an alleged custodial death, during the small hours of Saturday.

Adil (30) was detained on May 24 for his alleged involvement in gambling activities in the district, the police said adding his health condition deteriorated and he died last night.

As the news of the man's death spread, his relatives along with a large group of people went on a rampage, damaging police vehicles and hurling stones at the police station, alleging that they died in custody.

Davangere superintendent of police Uma Prashanth said the body has been shifted to the government hospital and it will be handed over to the family members after postmortem.

According to the SP, the police are patrolling the area and additional forces have been deployed in Channagiri. -- PTI

President Droupadi Murmu cast her vote in the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday, officials said. Murmu reached the polling booth at Dr Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya, inside the President's Estate, around 9 am, they said.

After voting, Murmu held up her inked finger as she posed for photos for media persons outside the polling booth, which was decorated in pink and white colours.

Voting for seven constituencies of Delhi -- Chandni Chowk, North East Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, North West Delhi, West Delhi and South Delhi -- began at 7 am. Murmu, who hails from Odisha, was sworn in as the 15th President of India on July 25, 2022.

She received her new voter identification card with the updated address on November 28 last year.

Her old voter ID carried her Odisha address. -- PTI

The grandfather of the 17-year-old minor who allegedly fatally knocked down two persons with his Porsche in Pune city has been arrested for "wrongful confinement' of their family driver, an official said on Saturday.

The teenager's father Vishal Agarwal has also been named in this case, he said.

A day earlier, Pune police chief Amitesh Kumar had said that an attempt was made to establish that the high-end car was not driven by the minor.

On a complaint by the family driver of the juvenile, the Yerawada police have registered a separate offence against the teen's grandfather and father under IPC sections 365 (kidnapping with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person) and 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement), he said.

"Post the accident, the teen's grandfather and father allegedly took the driver's phone, put him in confinement in his house on the premises of their bungalow from May 19 to May 20. The driver was freed by his wife," said the official from the crime branch. -- PTI

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik's sculpture with 500-kg mangoes on voting awareness/Courtesy X

10:02 Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik creates sculpture with 500-kg mangoes on voting awareness

Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a sculpture using 500 kg of mangoes at Puri beach, with an appeal to voters to exercise their franchise in the ongoing elections.

Pattnaik created the sculpture on a 2,000 sq ft area with texts on sand that reads Chunav ka Parv Desh ka Garv' and Your Vote Your Voice'.

Polling for six parliamentary constituencies and 42 assembly segments in Odisha are underway in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections.

Pattnaik said the sand art took around five hours to complete with help from students of his institute.

This is summer time and mangoes are the favourite of all, so to appeal to electors to vote tomorrow, we used mangoes in our sculpture, he said on Friday. -- PTI

Four students, including two women, of a medical college in Ahmedabad have been suspended for allegedly ragging juniors, an official has said.

The college, located in the Maninagar area of the city, is run by AMC Medical Education Trust, an entity of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

Following an inquiry, the college administration suspended four students pursuing Master of Surgery said dean Dr Dipti Shah on Friday.

While two students were suspended for two years and one year, respectively, the other two were suspended for 25 days, she said.

"Four first-year students and their parents had approached us with a complaint against these four seniors on May 21. We called a meeting of the college council and heard all of them. After a detailed inquiry, the council unanimously took a decision to suspend the four as we believe in zero tolerance for ragging," said Dr Shah.

The seniors would ask junior students to carry out tasks like writing a prescription several times and also verbally abuse them, the dean said. -- PTI

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti/Umar Ganie for Rediff.com

09:17 My mobile number's outgoing calls suspended: Mufti

People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday claimed that outgoing calls on her mobile number have been suspended without any explanation.

"I am not able to make any calls since morning. There is no explanation for this sudden suspension of services on the day of polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency," Mehbooba said.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, where voting is currently underway. The PDP also flagged the issue in a post on X.

"Just ahead of the polls, Ms. Mehbooba Mufti's @MehboobaMufti cellular phone service has been abruptly snapped. Yesterday evening and in the early hours today, scores of PDP workers and polling agents were detained across polling belt," it said.

On Friday, Mehbooba wrote to the Election Commission claiming that PDP workers and polling agents were detained by the police. -- PTI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge

09:07 Vote against politics of hatred: Kharge to people

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged people to cast their ballot in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday and vote against the politics of hatred, rhetoric and distraction.

Kharge said that in the last five phases, the "dictatorial forces" were "deeply shaken".

Voting is underway for 58 constituencies in six states and two Union territories, including all the seven seats in Delhi and the Jangal Mahal region in Bengal, in the sixth phase.

In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said this struggle to secure democracy and the Constitution has reached the last two phases.

"Today is the sixth phase of voting and you have to vote. Vote for unity, justice and important everyday issues. Vote against the politics of hatred, rhetoric and distraction," the Congress chief said.

He urged the people to think before pressing the button on EVMs if they want justice-based politics and economic and social security which has 'Yuva Nyay, Kisan Nyay, Nari Nyay, Shramik Nyay and Hissedaari Nyay' or not.

"As part of this, we should build a progressive and inclusive India," he said. -- PTI

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08:43 Tension in Nagpur's Katol after arrest of PWP leader

Tension gripped Katol town in Maharashtra's Nagpur district, around 40 km from Nagpur, following the arrest of a leader of Peasants and Workers Party on Friday after he allegedly called for social boycott of a particular community after the death of a woman, the police said.

The PWP leader, Rahul Deshmukh (50), was arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and The Maharashtra Protection of People from Social Boycott Act, they said.

He is accused of inciting people for the social boycott of a particular community, an official of Nagpur rural police said.

On May 4, a 24-year-old woman from Katol ended her life on railway tracks.

Although it was initially considered to be a case of accidental death, investigation later revealed that the woman was in a relationship with one Irfan Ali (25), although her family members were against it, he said.

The parents of the woman suspected foul play and alleged that four members of the man's family had murdered her.

They met Deshmukh, who promised to help them, he said.

Accordingly, he distributed pamphlets calling for social boycott of the particular community, he added.

His arrest led to tense situation in Katol, according to police.

Former state home minister Anil Deshmukh opposed Rahul Deshmukh's arrest. -- PTI

People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Friday that the polling agents and workers of her party are being asked to report to police stations ahead of the voting for the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday.

Mufti is contesting the election from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, which is scheduled to go to polls on Saturday.

"PDP polling agents and workers both are being asked to report to local police stations. Why are the people of South Kashmir being punished for showing their faith in democracy? @ECISVEEP @manojsinha_ @JmuKmrPolice" the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, the PDP has appealed to the Election Commission for an urgent intervention to ensure free and fair elections.

In a letter to the chief election commissioner, the party said it seeks the commission's immediate attention towards "a grave matter that threatens the integrity" of the polls.

"It has come to our notice that the police in Anantnag, Shopian, and Kulgam have initiated a campaign of terror against our polling agents from the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party. From this evening, numerous polling agents have been either forcibly taken from their residences or summoned to police stations, where they are being held in illegal confinement," the party letter said. -- PTI

08:21 Every vote counts, make yours count too: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked people on Saturday to vote in large numbers in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election, saying every vote counts.

Democracy thrives when people are engaged and active in the electoral process, he said in a post on 'X'.

"I urge all those who are voting in the 6th phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to vote in large numbers. Every vote counts, make yours count too! Democracy thrives when its people are engaged and active in the electoral process. I specially urge women voters and youth voters to vote in large numbers," the prime minister added.

Voting for the sixth and penultimate phase of the general election began Saturday morning in 58 constituencies in six states and two Union territories, including all the seven seats in Delhi and the Jangal Mahal region in Bengal. -- PTI

BJP East Delhi MP and ex-cricketer Gautam Gambhir after casting his vote at a booth in New Delhi/ANI on X

08:17 Voting begins for 58 seats in 6th phase of LS polls

Voting for the sixth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections began on Saturday morning across 58 parliamentary constituencies spread over six states and two Union Territories amid tight security and arrangements.

The voting started at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with those in line by the closing time still allowed to vote.

Before the start of voting, mock polls were conducted across different states for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Odisha today.

The sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls includes eight seats in Bihar, all 10 seats in Haryana, one seat in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Jharkhand, all seven seats in Delhi, six in Odisha, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, and eight in West Bengal.

A total of 889 candidates are in the fray.

Forty-two assembly constituencies in Odisha are also going for polls in the sixth phase.

Assembly elections are being held in the state simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

All parliamentary seats in Delhi and Haryana will go to the polls in this phase.

The prominent candidates in the fray include two former chief ministers --Manohar Lal Khattar and Mehbooba Mufti.

Khattar is contesting as the BJP candidate from Karnal and Mehbooba Mufti as the PDP nominee from Anantnag-Rajouri.

Some of the prominent candidates in the fray include Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi. Bansuri Swaraj, Somnath Bharti, Manoj Tiwari, Kanhaiya Kumar, Dinesh Lal Yadav alias 'Nirahua', Dharmendra Yadav, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, Agnimitra Paul, Naveen Jindal, Raj Babbar, Deepender Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja and Aparajita Sarangia. -- ANI

Passengers of a San Francisco-bound Air India flight from the city had a tough time on Friday as they had to wait inside the aircraft for more than five hours.

The flight was later rescheduled for Saturday.

An airline official said the Boeing 777 plane, which was scheduled to take off at 1600 hours, was first delayed due to a technical glitch, then some passengers deboarded and subsequently, another passenger fell ill.

After deboarding the passenger who started feeling unwell at around 1917 hours, it was noticed that by the time the flight AI 179 would have reached San Francisco, there would be night-landing restrictions and also, the crew would have crossed the flight-duty limitations.

The official said the flight has been rescheduled for Saturday and would take off at 1030 hours.

The number of passengers onboard the aircraft could not be immediately ascertained. -- PTI

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01:27 27 Vizag youths trafficked to Cambodia return home, say Andhra police

As many as 27 youngsters from Visakhapatnam and its vicinity who were trafficked to Cambodia reached here on Friday, said a top police official. Visakhapatnam joint commissioner of police Fakkeerappa Kaginelli said a batch of 10 returnees arrived at the port city's airport at 5.30 pm and another batch of 15 were set to reach here later in the day.

"Two more returnees made their own arrangements to come via Singapore," Kaginelli told PTI, adding that 27 out of 58 rescued persons belonged to the southern state.

According to the top police official, things started moving in a positive direction after the city police broke the news of human trafficking on May 18. -- PTI

The helicopter after hard-landing in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand/ANI Photo

00:32 Narrow escape for 6 Kedarnath pilgrims as their chopper makes hard-landing

Six Kedarnath pilgrims had a narrow escape Friday as their helicopter developed a technical snag that made it go into a tailspin before a hard-landing meters below the helipad in the mountainous region.

Online videos showed the helicopter with six pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and a pilot onboard swerving dangerously just above the helipad near the temple.

People at the helipad scrambled to safety as the chopper descended, nearly touching down on the helipad.

But it continued to swirl and finally made a rough landing below the helipad.

Citing preliminary reports, Rudraprayag district magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar said the chopper developed a technical snag in its rear rotor, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing.

The chopper had lifted off from Shersi and was about to land at the helipad near the Kedarnath temple when the incident happened around 7 am.

The pilot kept his cool and took a quick decision, averting a major mishap, Gaharwar said.

All the pilgrims and the pilot are safe and the devotees have returned after having a "darshan" at the temple, he added.

Further investigation is underway, Gaharwar said. -- PTI

The Andhra Pradesh police arrested four men on Friday for "filming" the alleged rape of a girl by a juvenile and circulating the video, the police said on Friday.

The incident allegedly took place on May 15 but came to light recently, leading to the arrest of Bale Balasubrahmanyam (22), Gantashala Chandrasekhar (28), Peddireddi Dharmateja (19) and Jayamangala Hari Krishna (20).

"The boy was sent to a juvenile home while the arrested men were remanded," a police official said.

According to police, the minor victim and the juvenile were acquainted and the former had gone to the government school in Chintapadu village in Eluru's district Mandavalli mandal to take books.

Seeing the Class-7 student alone, the boy, a Class-10 student, led her into the school and allegedly raped her, the police said, adding that the arrested men, who were known to the boy, captured the act on camera and shared the video clip with many people.

The girl's parents got a police case lodged, leading to the arrests of the four men under Indian Penal Code sections 376(3), 354C (voyeurism), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment). -- PTI

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