News Analysis India

Category: Nation

  • Cyclonic Storm Remal Approaches West Bengal, IMD Issues Heavy Rainfall Alert |

    New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall over West Bengal and Odisha as a depression which is moving towards which lies over the Bay of Bengal is likely to move northeastwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm Remal by the evening of May 25 and reach the West Bengal coasts as a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday evening.

    Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, the coastal districts of West Bengal and adjoining districts of North Odisha are likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall on May 26 and May 27.

    The IMD has issued a warning for rough sea conditions ad cyclonic storm Remal approaches the West Bengal coast. Weather is expected to worsen by the evening of May 24. The meteorological department advises fishermen to avoid venturing into the Bay of Bengal until the morning of May 27, 2024.

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

    “The system will concentrate into a depression over central Bay of Bengal by Friday morning. It will further intensify into a cyclonic storm on Saturday morning and reach Bangladesh and the adjoining West Bengal coast as a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday evening,” IMD scientist Monica Sharma told PTI.

    According to the IMD, the cyclone could reach a wind speed of 102 kilometres per hour on Sunday.

    The Met office has warned of very heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal, north Odisha, Mizoram, Tripura and south Manipur on May 26-27.

    Well-marked Low Pressure Area over westcentral & adjoining south Bay of Bengal moved northeastwards during past 12 hours and lay over the same area at 1730 IST of 23 May. Very likely to concentrate into a Depression over central parts of Bay of Bengal by morning of 24th May. pic.twitter.com/6xnz7g1F2U
    — India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 23, 2024

    Fisherfolk out at sea have been advised to return to the coast and not venture into the Bay of Bengal until May 27.

    Scientists say cyclonic storms are intensifying rapidly and retaining their potency for longer periods due to warmer sea surface temperatures, a result of oceans absorbing most of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions.

    The past 30 years have witnessed the highest sea surface temperatures since records began in 1880.

    According to senior IMD scientist DS Pai, warmer sea surface temperatures mean more moisture, which is favourable for the intensification of cyclones.

    Madhavan Rajeevan, former secretary of the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, said a sea surface temperature of 27 degrees Celsius and above is needed for a low-pressure system to intensify into a cyclone. The sea surface temperature in the Bay of Bengal is around 30 degrees Celsius at present.

    “The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are very warm at present, so a tropical cyclone can easily form,” Rajeevan said.

    But tropical cyclones are not only controlled by the ocean; the atmosphere also plays an important role, especially in terms of vertical wind shear — a change in wind speed and/or wind direction with altitude.

    “A cyclone will not intensify if the vertical wind shear is very large. It will weaken,” Rajeevan said.

    Models suggest the cyclone will not affect the monsoon progress, the senior meteorologist said.

    Pai, however, said it could affect the progress of the monsoon in some parts.

    He told PTI, “Initially, the system will help the monsoon progress over the Bay of Bengal. Thereafter, it will detach from the monsoon circulation and pull a lot of moisture, which could result in a slight delay in the monsoon progress in that area.”

  • IMD Issues Heatwave Alert For Northern India, Heavy Rainfall In Tamil Nadu, Kerala |

    New Delhi: The country’s northern region is reeling under severe heatwave conditions and no respite is expected anytime soon as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted the further extension of scorching weather conditions in the upcoming week.

    According to IMD’s weather bulletin, most parts of Rajasthan and several regions of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh and West Uttar Pradesh are likely to experience heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in the coming days.

    Heatwave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha from May 24 to May 27, stated IMD. Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are likely to experience heatwave conditions during the next two days.

    Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions very likely in many parts of West Rajasthan, few parts of Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, East Rajasthan and heatwave conditions very likely in few parts of Punjab, in isolated pockets of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, West Uttar Pradesh, pic.twitter.com/32HUWdJxY3
    — India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 23, 2024

    The IMD has also predicted hot and humid weather over Assam and Konkan and Goa during the next 2-3 days and warm night conditions over Rajasthan, PunjabHaryana-Chandigarh-Delhi and West Uttar Pradesh.

    Heavy Rainfall In Tamil Nadu, Kerala

    As Northern India embraces the hot weather conditions, heavy rainfall lashes southern India with Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu witnessing incessant downpur. According to IMD, heavy rainfall is very likely to hit Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on May 24 and Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Kerala on May 25, 2024.

    Kerala & Mahe is very likely to get isolated heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy falls(>204.5 mm)on 23rd May and heavy to very heavy rainfall (115.5-204.5 mm) on 24th May,2024.#redalert #rainfallalert #weatherupdate #rainnews@moesgoi @DDNewslive @ndmaindia @airnewsalerts pic.twitter.com/s8GOHt4MiG


    — India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 23, 2024

    The met department has also predicted isolated heavy rainfall over Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the next two days.

    IMD Predicts Heavy Rainfall In Arunachal, Meghalaya And Assam

    Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on May 26 and  27th with isolated very heavy rainfall on May 27, 2024.

  • Multiple Car Windows Smashed, Cash, Jewellery, Laptops Stolen In Busy Gurugram Locality; Victim Slams Police Inaction |

    A shocking theft incident has been reported in Haryana’s Gurugram, where belongings from several parked cars were stolen by smashing the windows. Purna Shukla, whose Honda city was parked opposite the Vatika Business park in Sector 49, alleged that when all her valuables, including a laptop, cash, and jewellery, were stolen. She said in her complaint that the theft occured between 7.45 pm and 8pm when she stepped down to collect a food parcel. “We left our car to pick up a parcel at the food corner, and within 15 minutes, our car window was broken, and all our valuable items, including cash, a bag,” Purna Shukla told Zee News English. She claimed that around 10 other cars were targeted and she lost cash between Rs 8000-10000, a laptop along with valuable jewellery. She alleged that some 5-6 complainants lost a combined amount of Rs 6-7 lakhs.

    Gurugram Police’s Lacklustre Approach

    The complainant told Zee News English that the police PCR arrived 30 minutes after her call and accused her of keeping valuable belongings on the back seat of her car. ‘Aren’t you aware that there are many thefts here? Why did you leave your belongings in the car?. “Of course, they will be stolen,” she quoted the cops as saying.

    She responded that “she hails from Mumbai where it is a common practise to keep belongings inside a car and that the city has CCTV cameras installed in every corner.”

    The Police PCR team then instructed the complainants to file a complaint with the Sector 50 police station. “They (cops) also said they can’t drop everything else to start looking for my bag because they had other things to do. “This was surprising and disheartening because I expected them to help and protect us,” she added, accusing the police of inaction.

    No CCTV Cameras In The Area: Police To Complainant

    Sharma claimed that when she asked the police to check the CCTV cameras in the area, they said, “There is a lack of cameras, which is why it is difficult to catch the perpetrators.” “We have other priorities during the elections than finding your stolen items,” she quoted the police as saying further.

    Purna Shukla took to social media to question the absence of CCTV cameras in Gurugram’s high-traffic areas. She questioned whether a lack of CCTV footage is a sufficient reason for the police to dismiss the investigation.

    I never expected this from the our Police. I urgently need help and have explained exactly what happened in the attached images. Please, I humbly request everyone to read this and take serious action as soon as possible pic.twitter.com/malVGeDXN8
    — Purna shukla (@PurnaShukla) May 23, 2024

    Belongings Stolen From 10 Other Cars: Victim

    Shukla said that a similar theft was reported in ten other cars parked at the incident site. “It’s troubling that such a serious crime occurred not only with our car, but with nearly ten other cars parked in the same lane. “Their windows were also broken, and their belongings were stolen,” she claimed.

    Victim Slams Gurugram Police’s Inaction

    Shukla described the Gurugram police’s approach as shocking, claiming they were met with a casual approach by the cops. “Gurgaon Police claimed that such thefts are common in that area and that these thieves are very powerful and cunning,” she stated. She called the police response ‘absurd’, claiming that it implied that “a gang of robbers could be more powerful than the police force” and that the cops were helpless against highly trained thieves.

    Earlier on Wednesday, unidentified suspects were arrested for allegedly stealing laptop computers, mobile phones, money, credit and debit cards, and other documents after breaking into two SUVs and a car parked at two different locations along Golf Course Road (GCR), a Hindustan Times report said.

    We tried contacting the investigating officer of the Gurugram police on a phone call but could not get a reply.

  • Pune Porsche Car Crash: Police Grills 3 Generations Of Agarwal Family Including Minor Acccused | Updates |

    Pune Porsche Accident: Pune Police on Thursday began questioning three generations of the city’s realtor family, the Agarwals, following the gruesome killing of two people on May 19 by a speeding Porsche, news agency IANS reported. They include Vishal S. Agarwal, his father Surendra Kumar Agarwal, and his minor son, who is accused of driving the Porsche at a dizzying speed of around 200 kmph while intoxicated, killing two Madhya Pradesh technicians just minutes later. Vishal S. Agarwal is being investigated for allegedly giving his minor son a Porsche with no registration and allowing the driver to let the underage boy drive it despite not having a driver’s licence. 

    During the grilling, he reportedly admitted that it was a ‘mistake’ to give the luxury car to his son on May 18 (Saturday) night, which resulted in the heinous tragedy on Sunday morning. Surendra Kumar Agarwal is under renewed scrutiny in a 15-year-old case of allegedly ordering a hit on Shiv Sena ex-corporator Ajay Bhosale over a business dispute in October 2009, and the matter is currently sub-judice, with the Crime Branch investigating alleged mafia ties with Rajendra Nikhalje, alias Chhota Rajan. Finally, the minor boy — labelled as the ‘Richie rich brat’, who grabbed national headlines—is being questioned by the concerned authorities at the Juvenile Correctional Home where he was shunted on May 22, after a massive public outcry and protests.

    According to the investigators, the boy spent at least Rs 48,000 on a party for about a dozen of his young friends at a restaurant and pub in Pune, where they were served a variety of imported hard liquors without being verified as to their age, and even kept the establishments open past the permitted hours. After the binge, the kids filed out, and the minor boy sped away in his Porsche, killing Ashwini Koshta and Aneesh Awadhiya, both 24, who were riding home on a motorbike after a reunion with friends that fateful morning. 

    Barely 15 hours later, the boy, ostensibly using his influential family connections, secured bail, was ‘punished’ by writing an essay on the Porsche tragedy, agreed to work for a fortnight with the Yerawada Traffic Police Department, and agreed to undergo medical counselling for alcohol de-addiction.

    As locals expressed outrage and the situation escalated politically, the Pune Police filed a review petition against the May 19 order, and on May 22, the Juvenile Justice Board cancelled his bail and sent him to the Juvenile Correctional Home for 14 days. Along with the Agarwals spanning three generations, three other accused in the same case were arrested on May 20: Cosie Restaurant owner Prahlad Bhutada, manager Sachin Katkar, and barman Sandeep Sangle. 

    They are currently in police custody until Friday (May 24) for allegedly serving alcohol illegally to a minor customer and his friends without verifying their identity or age. The State Excise Department raided and sealed the premises on 
     

  • You Will See Us Reach Back To Key Metrics: Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma |

    Addressing analysts on Wednesday, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder and CEO of One97 Communications, the parent entity that operates brand Paytm, said that he is confident that the organisation will reach back to key metrics, making a strong recovery.

    Sharma further added that the company has started to come back, with the focus now on ‘building large revenues and a profit-centric organisation in the long term”, post the regulators directive on its associate entity.

    “The last three months have been quite a roller coaster in the journey of Paytm. We learned a lot of lessons. We learned how to become better and resilient. We also resolved ourselves to be fully compliant according to the regulator’s expectation in letter and in spirit. I’m very happy to see that our results are indicating that,” he said.

    As a part of its FY24 financial reporting, the company said that it has already started to make a recovery across key metrics such as payment gross merchandise value (GMV) and additions on subscription merchants starting May. 

    “We now have started to come back to those dynamics of businesses and started to build a large revenue and profit centric company in the long term,” said Sharma, adding that ‘the worst is behind the company’.

    Paytm, earlier in the day announced its Q4 FY24 and FY24 results showing strong growth momentum across core payments and financial services distribution business with revenue from operations increasing 25% YoY to ₹9,978 Cr in FY24. However, in Q4FY24, the revenue declined marginally by 3% to ₹2,267 crore, impacted by temporary disruptions in business operations.

    Commenting on the same, Sharma said, “In this quarter we might have two months of impact on the business, still our annual performance is better than last year. We remain committed to grow sustainably, focus on profits and focus on the core of the business which is payments.”

    Moving ahead, the company’s focus is on governance for the next few quarters as it expects to onboard new independent board members in group entities as well as subsidiaries. In continuation to investing in sales teams and marketing, the company will also invest in customer acquisition, to drive market share. 

    In addition, insurance and wealth can become positive for the growth of the entity, Sharma said. 

  • Will Modi Return As Prime Minister For Third Time? US Political Scientist Makes Shocking Poll Prediction |

    The Lok Sabha elections are just two weeks away from culmination and the anticipations are already high with both the BJP and the Congress claiming to have gained majority in the first five phases. While the BJP claimed to have crossed 300 seats so far, the Congress claimed that the BJP may not win more than 150 seats and the INDIA bloc will form a government when the results are announced early next month. Amid these claims by both alliances, a US-based political research analyst has made a shocking claim about the Indian Parliamentary poll results, which will be out on June 4.

    Global political risk consultant Ian Bremmer claimed that the BJP may win 305 (+/-10) seats. Bremmer, founder of the Eurasia Group, told NDTV that his firm’s research shows that the BJP may win 295-315 seats. Talking about the general elections, Bremmer made a big remark saying that only the Indian parliamentary polls currently look consistent and stable given the global uncertainties including the US and the UK elections.

    The BJP led by Narendra Modi had won 282 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls while it increased its seat tally to 303 in the 2019 polls. Narendra Modi has set a target of 370 seats for the BJP and over 400 for the NDA bloc. On the other hand, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi predicted less than 200 seats for the NDA.

    The Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases and so far, 428 seats out of the 543 have gone to the polls. Voting for the 115 seats will be held in the next two phases while the counting of votes will be held on June 4. Besides the Parliamentary polls, assembly elections for two states – Odisha and Andhra Pradesh – were also held and their results will be announced along with the Lok Sabha polls.

  • Prajwal Revanna Case: ‘Centre Yet to Respond To Karnataka’s Request To Cancel Diplomatic Passport’, Says Home Minister |

    Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Wednesday that the Centre had not responded to a request to cancel Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna’s diplomatic passport based on an arrest warrant issued against the JD(S) leader accused of sexually abusing women. He also denied that the state government made mistakes in dealing with sexual abuse cases. He insisted that the Special Investigation Team was investigating the cases from every angle.

    On Saturday, a Special Court for Elected Representatives issued an arrest warrant for Prajwal in response to the SIT’s application. Speaking with PTI Videos, Parameshwara stated that after the court issued the warrant, the state government wrote to the Centre urging it to cancel Prajwal’s dilomatic passport.

    “Still nothing has come (from the Centre). The Centre also should help us, that’s what we are urging. There is no meaning in only criticising. The Centre should help us within the framework of the law,” Parameshwara told reporters here. “The Centre should have cancelled the diplomatic passport.”

    Parameshwara stated that the chief minister had written a letter to the prime minister about the matter, and that cancelling Prajwal’s passport after a warrant is issued against him is the Centre’s responsibility. The 33-year-old Prajwal, the grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, and the NDA’s candidate for Hassan Lok Sabha seat, is accused of sexually abusing women on multiple occasions.

    “Nothing has arrived (from the centre). The Centre should also assist us, as we have requested. There is no point in simply criticising. “The Centre should assist us within the confines of the law,” Parameshwara told reporters here. “The Centre should have cancelled the diplomatic passport.”

    Parameshwara stated that the chief minister had written a letter to the prime minister about the matter, and that the Centre is responsible for cancelling Prajwal’s passport if a warrant is issued against him.

    Prajwal, 33, the grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, and the NDA’s candidate for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat, has been accused of sexually abusing women on several occasions.

    “In my political career, whether as chief minister now or previously, I have never done the dirty work of phone tapping. “I have not done so far and will not do so in the future,” Siddaramaiah stated. “Kumaraswamy is making such false statements to divert public attention from the Prajwal Revanna case.”

    In a related development, the JD(S) complained to Karnataka DGP Alok Mohan on Wednesday about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi allegedly claiming that Prajwal “raped 400 women”. Former MLC and the party’s Bengaluru City president, H M Ramesh Gowda, urged the police in a complaint to file a criminal case against Gandhi under section 202 (Intentional omission to give information of an offence by a person legally bound to inform) of the Indian Penal Code for his alleged statement while addressing election rallies in Shivamogga and Raichur district headquarters on May 2.

    The JD(S) leader cited Gandhi’s alleged statement that “Prajwal Revanna has raped 400 women and made videos.” This is not a sex scandal; it is mass rape. And, in front of the people of Karnataka, the Prime Minister supported and sought votes for this mass rapist. He means that if you vote for this mass rapist, it would help him.” 

    The complainant claimed that Gandhi, as a public servant, is obligated to provide information about the offence in order to ensure justice for the alleged victims.The complainant claimed that Gandhi, as a public servant, is obligated to provide information about the offence in order to ensure justice for the alleged victims.

    In the meantime, Kumaraswamy issued another public appeal to his nephew Prajwal to return from abroad and face the investigation. The former Chief Minister also told the media that there are no differences between his party and its alliance partner, the BJP, regarding the allegations against Prajwal.”This case has nothing to do with the alliance,” Kumaraswamy stated in Mysuru.

    Prajwal’s father and Holenarasipura MLA H D Revanna, who is himself accused of molestation and kidnapping, told Hassan residents on Wednesday that they should not be afraid because he and his father H D Deve Gowda were there to “protect them” in the wake of recent developments in the district.

    MLA Revanna is currently on bail in two cases involving the abduction of a woman, her illegal detention, and sexual harassment. The woman who was kidnapped was seen in one of the leaked videos being tied and raped, allegedly by Revanna’s son Prajwal, according to the victim’s son in a police complaint.

    “There is no reason to be afraid. Only time will tell. Until then, we must remain calm. I am there. A Manju, Swaroop P, and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda are present…” Revanna spoke at a press conference in Hassan.

    The Holenarasipura MLA stated that his father, Deve Gowda, has protected the Hassan district for 60 years and will continue to do so now. “There is no reason to be afraid. We have the strength,” said the MLA who is accused in the alleged cases.
     

  • Pune Porsche Accident Latest News: Court Sends Minor’s Father To Police Custody Till May 24 |

    Pune Porsche Car Accident: After the Pune Police had summoned the minor accused in the Pune rash driving case, now the Local court has ordered minor accused’s father to be sent to police custody till 24th May. Some persons allegedly tried to throw ink at the police vehicle in which the father of a 17-year-old boy was being brought to a local court, an official said. 

    #WATCH | Pune car accident case | People throw ink at the police van in which the father of the minor accused was brought to court. pic.twitter.com/spGvwhCi1Y
    — ANI (@ANI) May 22, 2024

    The police have asked the juvenile to appear before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Wednesday. Earlier on Tuesday, the Pune Excise Department took decisive action by sealing the Cosie Bar and the Black Bar in Pune. These establishments allegedly served liquor to the minor before the accident, officials reported. The managers of the bars were also arrested by the Police.

    Another accused said to be the owner of one of the bars was also arrested. The local court has sent them to Police Custody till May 24. The father of the juvenile accused was detained on May 21.

     

  • Paytm’s Partnership With Other Banks De-Risks Its Business Model And Opens Long-Term Monetization Opportunities |

    One97 Communications Limited (OCL) the parent entity that owns brand Paytm, expects that transitioning its core payment business from Paytm Payments Bank Ltd to other banks will help it de-risk its business model and open up new opportunities for long term monetisation, its founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma said in the company’s shareholder letter on Wednesday. 

    Sharma’s comments come at a time when the company has become a Third-Party Application Provider (TPAP) with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) channel. It has partnered with – Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, State Bank of India (SBI), and Yes Bank and has started transitioning its UPI users to these banks.

    “I am happy to share that we have successfully transitioned our core payment business from PPBL to other partner banks. This move de-risks our business model and also opens up new opportunities for long-term monetization, given our platform’s strength around customer and merchant engagement,” Paytm Founder & CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma said in a letter to shareholders.

    The company has also commenced onboarding new merchants, but is still awaiting the approvals for onboarding new customers. The company is in discussions with NPCI for confirmation of signing up new UPI consumers for its TPAP App.

    The company has partnered with various banks for UPI customers and merchants, card acquiring and BIN sponsorship for card acceptance offering to merchants, nodal/escrow accounts for merchant fund settlement, FASTag distribution, and BBPS.

    In February, the company partnered with Axis Bank for the nodal account and escrow account to continue seamless merchant settlements.

    It resumed the merchant loan distribution towards the end-March post transition. Moving forward the company also said that it will focus on a distribution-only disbursement model, owing to a much bigger TAM (total addressable market), wider interest from large banks and non-banks, and easier tech integration and more regulatory clarity. The collections under this model will be managed directly by lending partners.

    The distribution only loans have continued to scale well and the company has added more lending partners during the quarter, including pilots with banks.

    The company’s operational revenue during the fiscal jumped 25% to ₹9,978 crore while its net loss narrowed to ₹1,423 crore, during the year.

    Driven by growth and an improved contribution margin, FY24 also saw the company report  earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) before employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) of ₹559 crore.

    Paytm has received Unified Payments Interface (UPI) incentives of ₹288 crore for FY24 (recorded in Q4 FY24), as compared to ₹182 crore in the previous fiscal.

    One97 Communications Ltd., saw a marginal 3% decline in operational revenue for the fourth quarter of FY24 at Rs 2,267 crore, despite disruptions in payment and lending business lines after Reserve Bank of India (RBI’s) took regulatory action against its associate entity Paytm Payments Bank Ltd.

    The company’s revenue from payment services grew by 26% on the year to ₹6,235 crore in FY24.  While, financial services and others revenue rose 30% YoY to ₹2,004 crore in FY24.

  • EC Orders Action Against Andhra MLA Caught Damaging EVM On Camera |

    CCTV footage of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party MLA damaging an electronic voting machine (EVM) in the Macherla assembly constituency has emerged, prompting the Election Commission to order the Andhra Pradesh police chief to take strict criminal action against the ruling YSRC MLA.  

    The video that surfaced pertains to the May 13 elections, during which seven EVMs were reportedly damaged in the Macherla constituency. Among them was the machine at booth number 202, where local MLA P Ramakrishna Reddy is accused of vandalising an EVM.  

    #BreakingNews : आंध्र प्रदेश में EVM तोड़ने पर चुनाव आयोग सख्त, विधायक के खिलाफ कार्रवाई का निर्देश#EVM #AndhraPradesh #Election2024 #Politics | @supreetanchor pic.twitter.com/bW8un7Y3L3


    — Zee News (@ZeeNews) May 22, 2024

    According to a report by PTI citing a statement from Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena’s office, “In Macherla Assembly Constituency, EVMs were damaged in seven polling stations, including the PS no (polling station number) 202 where this incident of damage of EVM by the sitting MLA P Ramakrishna Reddy was recorded in the web camera.” The comment came late on Tuesday.  

    The statement also mentioned that the name of the MLA (P Ramakrishna Reddy) has been included as an accused during the investigation.  

    To aid in the ongoing probe, Palnadu district’s election officials provided footage of the VVPAT vandalism incident. Taking a firm stance on the matter, the election commission instructed the CEO to notify DGP Harish Kumar Gupta to take strict criminal action against all individuals involved.  

    The southern state of Andhra Pradesh conducted the Lok Sabha elections and Assembly polls on the same day (May 13). Following which, several reports of violence have emerged from various locations in the state, including Palnadu, Tirupati, and Anantapur.