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Trouble mounts for AAP, days after CM Kejriwal’s arrest, ED summons another top minister Kailash Gehlot in Liquor Policy scam

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Trouble mounts for AAP, days after CM Kejriwal’s arrest, ED summons another top minister Kailash Gehlot in Liquor Policy scam

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) another top minister Kailash Gehlot to appear before it in connection to the money laundering case related to the Liquor Policy scam. Gehlot has been asked to appear before the ED today (Saturday, March 30) at 11 am.

Kailash Gehlot is the AAP MLA from Delhi’s Najafgarh and is currently the minister for home, transport, and law in the Delhi government.

Kailash Gahlot has reportedly been asked to appear for questioning in the matter and to have his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to ED sources.

The summons comes just days after Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in the case.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate for alleged money laundering in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam also called the Liquor Policy scam case.

The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Thursday extended the custodial remand of the Delhi Chief Minister by four more days till April 1.

IT Department seizes jewellery worth over Rs. 2 crores and Rs. 37 lakh in cash from AAP Minister Kailash Gehlot

Interestingly, this is not the first time that the AAP minister Kailash Gehlot has come under the scanner of law agencies. Earlier too, the I-T department seized unaccounted jewellery worth Rs. 28 lakhs from a locker in the name of Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot and his wife. The total seizure amounts to Rs. 2 crore of jewellery and cash of Rs. 37 lakhs. The raid was conducted on 25 October 2018.

Earlier that month, the Income Tax Department on Wednesday had conducted raids on multiple premises associated with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot in connection with an alleged tax evasion case. The IT officials had conducted searches in at least 16 locations in Delhi and Gurgaon. Reportedly, the places linked to the AAP leader were raided by a team of 30 Income tax officials. I-T officials had earlier claimed that they found documents showing the Delhi Cabinet Minister evaded Rs 120 crore in taxes.

The documents recovered from the minister’s premises showed office boys, peons and other employees were extended loans and held equity worth Rs. 70 crore in several “shell” companies.

Gujarat: Bharuch Court denies bail to Adil who posed as Arya Patel to lure a Hindu girl; Sessions Court calls the case an eye opener for young generation

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Gujarat: Bharuch Court denies bail to Adil who posed as Arya Patel to lure a Hindu girl; Sessions Court calls the case an eye opener for young generation

On Tuesday (26th March), the Sessions Court in Bharuch City of Gujarat rejected the bail plea of Adil Abdul Patel in Bharuch’s Love Jihad case. Adil Abdul Patel was arrested about three months ago. In this case, the court has rejected the bail application and called it an ‘eye opener for today’s young generation’. The court has held that Adil Abdul Patel deliberately created a fake ID and trapped the Hindu girl. He did this for about four years. The court has also held that if Adil is released on bail, it will send a wrong message to society.

The case came to light in January this year. A Hindu girl from Bharuch had accused a person named Adil, a resident of Chavaj village, of trapping her on Instagram by befriending her using a Hindu name. Adil was arrested after an FIR was registered at Bharuch Rural police station in this regard. Since then, the case has been going on and the police have already submitted the charge sheet.

After the chargesheet was filed, Adil applied for bail in March 2024, which was heard by the Sessions Court. On 26th March, the court dismissed the petition. In his plea, Adil had claimed that a false complaint had been filed to frame him in this case and said that now that the charge sheet was filed, he should be released on bail.

The public prosecutor opposed the bail application. Giving details of the case, he said that the accused befriended the girl by creating a false ID on Instagram and presented himself as ‘Arya Patel’, a Hindu youth despite him being a Muslim. Not only that, he also lied that his parents died in an accident years ago despite him living with his parents.

The prosecution stressed the necessity of considering the modus operandi of the accused. It was argued that if granted bail, there is a possibility of the accused repeating the offence, endangering other innocent girls. Moreover, as both the accused and the victim hail from the same village, releasing the accused could lead to potential tampering with evidence.

The government lawyer contended that due to the gravity of the offence committed by the accused, it is imperative to send a strong message to society to prevent any recurrence of such acts. Therefore, the bail application should be denied.

After hearing the arguments of both the parties, the court said that it would not be going into the merits of the case at present and there was no need to discuss the evidence as it would be discussed during the trial. But based on the material available on record, it is so clear that the accused had created a false ID and contacted the victim, the court added. The court made it clear that even after meeting the girl in person, the accused identified himself as ‘Arya Patel’ instead of disclosing his real name.

The court mentioned, “Already the accused was misleading the victim and proposed to her despite being married and living with his wife. The two were not familiar with each other earlier, and the accused assumed the fake name to contact the victim and to some extent succeeded. Such an act should be condemned.”

The court further said, “Given the modus operandi of the accused, if the application is allowed, it will encourage such elements to exploit the girls by trapping them with false promises. If the accused is released, the elements looking for opportunities to exploit innocent girls will get licences.”

The court also said, “In this case, the accused has not only played with the sentiments of the victim of another religion but has also done injustice to his wife.” The court observed, “The present case may be considered as an eye opener for today’s young generation who blindly, without any hesitation accept friend requests on social media without ascertaining the reality of the sender.”

After hearing the arguments of both sides, the court rejected the bail application considering the evidence, modus operandi and facts of the accused. Adil will remain in jail. The order was issued on 26th March. A copy of the court order is available with OpIndia.

‘Only knows how to cook in the kitchen’: Karnataka Congress MLA goes on a misogynist tirade against female BJP candidate

OpIndia Staff
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‘Only knows how to cook in the kitchen’: Karnataka Congress MLA goes on a misogynist tirade against female BJP candidate

On Friday (29th March), veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa courted controversy after he made misogynist remarks against BJP candidate Gayathri Siddeshwara.

While speaking at a party meeting, Shamanur Shivashankarappa claimed “It’s one thing to know how to talk, but they know only to cook in the kitchen, the opposition party doesn’t have the strength to talk in front of the public.

He made the contentious remarks about Gayathri Siddeshwara, a BJP candidate from the Davangere parliamentary constituency. Gayathri is also the wife of ex-Union Minister GM Siddeshwara.

“As you all know she wanted to give lotus flower to Modi by winning the elections. First, let them understand the problems of Davangere. We (Congress) have done developmental work in the region,” Shamanur Shivashankarappa further said.

It must be mentioned that the Congress leader has been a 5-time MLA from Davangere South. Given that Shamanur is now 92, the grand-old party has fielded his daughter-in-law Prabha Mallikarjun as its candidate from the Davangere South seat.

While slamming the veteran Congress leader, Gayathri Siddeshwara stated, “He said it in a way that we should only cook and remain in the kitchen. What profession are women not in today? We are even flying in the sky.”

“The old man doesn’t know how much women have progressed, he doesn’t know the love with which all women cook at home for men, children and elders,” she emphasised.

Meanwhile, the BJP has complained to Shamanur Shivashankarappa with the Election Commission of India (ECI). This is not the first time that a Congress leader was found making misogynist comments. Recently, Supriya Shrinate stirred the hornet’s nest by suggesting that actress Kangana Ranaut was a ‘prostitute.’

Police deployed outside graveyard in Ghazipur ahead of last rites of gangster Mukhtar Ansari

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Police deployed outside graveyard in Ghazipur ahead of last rites of gangster Mukhtar Ansari

District Magistrate Gazipur Aryaka Akhoury said on Saturday that police have been deployed along the route leading from his home to the graveyard as the last rites of the gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari would be held today.

Mukhtar Ansari will be laid to rest in Mohammadabad, in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Police have been deployed outside the burial ground to maintain law and order as people have gathered to pay their respects to the gangster turned politician.

District Magistrate Gazipur Aryaka Akhoury said, “The preparations are complete. Police have been deployed on a 600-metre route leading from his home to the graveyard. The movement of the people is being watched. The late rites would be concluded peacefully.
The late rites would be held at 10 am today, DM Akhoury said.

Replying to a query, she said, “The family, close relatives, and people who are on the list will participate in the last rites. People who will throw the soil at the funeral will also come.” (People participate in this ritual to pay respect and bid a final goodbye to their loved one.).

Following the postmortem, the body of the gangster was brought to his Ghazipur residence on Friday night amid heavy police deployment

Mukhtar Ansari died in a hospital at Banda, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday. His family, however, claimed that he was “given poison in the food.”

According to the official release from the hospital, Ansari was brought to the hospital around 8:25 pm on Thursday. A team of nine doctors attended to him before he died, the release added.

Sibgatullah Ansari, Mukhtar Ansari’s elder brother, claimed on Friday that the administration did not inform him and that he learned about his brother’s death through the media.

Meanwhile, a three-member team will conduct a magisterial investigation into the death of Ansari.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate Banda issued orders concerning the judicial probe. Officials said a panel of two doctors will do the post-mortem, which will be videographed.

In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP-MLA court. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13, 2024, in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

“India does not need lessons from any country on rule of law”: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar

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“India does not need lessons from any country on rule of law”: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday asserted that India is a democratic nation with a robust judicial system that can not be compromised by any individual or any group.

Describing Indian democracy as unique, the VP stated that India does not need lessons from anyone on the rule of law.

Addressing the 70th Founders’ Day celebrations of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in New Delhi, Dhankhar said, “Equality before law is a ‘new norm’ in India today and the law is holding those accountable who thought themselves as beyond law.”

“But what do we see? The moment law takes its course, they take to the streets, high decibel debates, camouflaging the culpability of the worst nature by human rights. This is happening under our nose,” he added.

Describing the Indian judicial system as robust, pro-people and independent, he questioned “What is justification for a person or an institution or an organisation to take to streets when law is set in motion?”

Calling for deeper deliberations on this issue, Dhankhar asked, “Can people orchestrate in complaining mode, a pernicious tendency to get away from rule of law? How can one engaging in transgression of law play the victim card?”

Suggesting that corruption is no longer rewarding, VP Dhankhar said, “Corruption is not a passage to opportunity, employment or a contract anymore. It is a passage to jail. The system is securing it.” He also questioned the reasoning that the corrupt must not be dealt with because it’s a festive season or it’s a farming season and asked “How can there be any season to save those who are culpable? Take the route to the rule of law, that is the only way!”

Praising the pro-people stand of the Indian judiciary, Dhankhar said “it is that institution of the judiciary that has met at midnight, met on a holiday, imparted relief.”

Questioning the tendency to target our institutions, the Vice President asked, “If a group of people without being registered or recognised party act as a political party, what do we do? They are not accountable, they get traction. We must rise above it.”

Noting that India’s rise is not digestible in some quarters, VP asserted that “by its civilisation, economy, size of population, democratic working India has to be in the global room where decisions are taken.”

Further advocating India’s case for the United Nations Security Council seat, he said that the institution the of the United Nations cannot be as protective and effective unless you have representation of a country like India that has the unique position of being the only country in the world to have constitutionally structured democracy at all levels.

On this occasion, the Vice President also inaugurated the renovated premises of Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) and released several publications of IIPA. Surendra Nath Tripathi, DG, IIPA, Amitabh Ranjan, Registrar, IIPA and other dignitaries were present. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Indian Navy rescues over 23 Pakistanis from Somali pirates

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Indian Navy rescues over 23 Pakistanis from Somali pirates

At least 23 Pakistani nationals were rescued from the clutches of Somali pirates during a daring 12-hour-long operation in the Arabian Sea, said the Indian Navy.

The dramatic rescue unfolded in the early hours of March 29, 2024, when the Indian Navy warship INS Sumedha intercepted the hijacked vessel, FV Al-Kambar, as it was being held captive by pirates. Acting swiftly, INS Sumedha was soon joined by the guided missile frigate INS Trishul to bolster the operation.

Utilising their tactical expertise and strategic coordination, Indian naval forces initiated negotiations with the pirates, compelling them to surrender without bloodshed. The surrender marked a decisive victory for the Indian Navy in combating piracy and ensuring the safety of maritime activities in the region.

Following the successful apprehension of the pirates, Indian Naval specialist teams embarked on the FV Al-Kambar to undertake thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness checks. These meticulous examinations aim to ensure the vessel’s safety before escorting it to a secure area, enabling the resumption of normal fishing activities for its crew.

On Friday evening, the Indian Navy responded to a potential piracy attack on an Iranian fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea, and diverted two naval ships to intercept the hijacked vessel.

The Indian Navy received input regarding a potential piracy incident onboard the Iranian fishing vessel ‘Al Kambar’.

Following this, two Indian Naval ships deployed in Arabian Sea for maritime security operations were diverted to intercept the hijacked fishing vessel.

At the time of the incident, the Iranian vessel was approximately 90 Nm south-west of Socotra and was reported to have been boarded by nine armed pirates.

The hijacked fishing vessel was intercepted on March 29.

“Indian Navy remains committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and safety of seafarers, irrespective of nationalities,” the statement added.

Notably, the Indian Navy has carried out several high-octane operations against piracy attacks lately. Earlier this month, the Indian Navy in a daring operation, intercepted the under-attack pirate ship Ruen, sailing almost 2600 km from the shores of the Indian Coast, and forced the pirate ship to stop through calibrated actions.

The Indian Navy reiterated its unwavering commitment to maintaining maritime security and ensuring the safety of seafarers navigating through these perilous waters. This action by the Indian Navy serves as a testament to India’s resolve to combat piracy and uphold international maritime laws, the Indian Navy said in a statement.

This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Election Commission allows reporters on duty to cover elections on poll day to vote using postal ballots

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Election Commission allows reporters on duty to cover elections on poll day to vote using postal ballots

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has allowed media personnel on duty related to poll day coverage to vote through postal ballot in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Giving further information, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C said, “According to the notification issued by the ECI, media personnel authorized by ECI for poll day coverage and other state government department officials can vote via postal ballot under Section 60 (c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.”

The CEO said that as per the notification, the ECI has notified journalists holding authorization letters issued by the ECI who are engaged in polling day coverage as essential service personnel, along with staff from 6 government departments.

He said that these departments include Department of Local Government (Fire Services), Department of Transport (Drivers, conductors, Work shop staff, Operations staff and Officers posted at Headquarters and Depots at District level), Department of Jails (Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and Guarding staff posted in Jails), Department of Home Affairs and Justice (Police officers, Police personnel, Civil Defense, and Home guards), Department of Power (Staff of State power corporation and state transmission corporation deputed at Generations units), Thermal plants, Hydel units (within or outside state), Staff on deputation to BBMB and field Staff posted in Grid substation, Department of Health and Family Welfare (a) Drug Control Officers working under the Commissionerate of Food and Drugs administration (b) Medical and Para-medical Staff working/on duty on the day of poll.

He said that the aim of this is to ensure that no one is deprived of voting due to their service commitments.

This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Jaipur: Asgar, Sharif, and Qayyum arrested for defrauding foreign tourists, would disguise as policemen to extort money

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Jaipur: Asgar, Sharif, and Qayyum arrested for defrauding foreign tourists, would disguise as policemen to extort money

The Tourism Police Station in Jaipur has uncovered a gang engaged in defrauding foreign tourists. The authorities have successfully apprehended three suspects, including the ringleader, in connection with fraudulent activities. The individuals involved in the fraud case, Asgar, Sharif Baik, and Qayyum, have been taken into custody. They had coerced foreign tourists into giving them large sums of money by threatening them with imprisonment and instilling fear of legal repercussions.

Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph stated that a complaint was lodged via email by a foreign tourist from Japan, leading to the registration of a case and subsequent arrest of the three suspects. Efforts are ongoing to locate other fugitive suspects. Additionally, on March 28th, a concerned foreign tourist named Sasoon Takeshi filed a complaint via email at the Tourism Police Station. Takeshi recounted arriving in Jaipur for sightseeing on December 2, 2022, and staying at a hotel. On December 3, 2022, he encountered an auto driver named Sharif outside the hotel, who was conversing in Japanese.

A Japanese tourist was defrauded of Rs 30 lakhs

He had a conversation with the tourist about visiting Jaipur. The auto driver mentioned taking him to Jaipur for 600 rupees. As they spent the day sightseeing, they became good friends with the auto driver. In the evening, the auto driver Sharif said he would take them to his friend’s house for a party. Encouraged by the Japanese-speaking auto driver, the foreign tourist went along with him. Sharif, the auto driver, also brought his friend Qayyum along and took them to Asgar’s house in Jhotwara. There, they found a person named Mubarik already present. Everyone had food and enjoyed the party. Sharif and others praised Asgar as a very influential person, boasting about his involvement in significant social activities.

Asgar said, “I can make you a hefty profit through business deals.” They returned to the hotel at night. The next day, the tourist was supposed to visit the Ganges River. However, the auto driver Sharif and his friend Qayyum suggested that there was a big party in Asgar’s village, where they could enjoy themselves. The accused took the foreign tourist towards Ramgarh Sethan village in Sikar. There, he was kept for 2 days and presented with various temptations.

On the night of December 6, 2022, two fake policemen entered the house and started talking about dealing with cannabis. They began falsely accusing the foreign tourists and threatening to send them to jail. Asgar negotiated with the fake policemen to take the money and let them go. The accused took the cash that the tourist had and was still not satisfied. Asgar then demanded to take gold through a credit card, saying they would release the tourist if they complied. The next day, everyone took the tourist to Jaipur.

In Jaipur, they purchased approximately 26.50 lakh rupees worth of gold from two major showrooms using a credit card. After obtaining the gold, they dropped the tourist at the airport. The tourists went back to Japan. Upon reaching Japan, the accused Asgar transferred 2.87 lakh rupees into Mubarik’s account. In this way, the victim was cheated out of nearly 30 lakhs. Investigations are ongoing with the accused. More such cases may be uncovered during the investigation.

The modus operandi of the accused: Using fake police to threaten victims, blackmail them into paying money

The accused formed a group to deceive foreign tourists. One person in the group was an auto driver who knew foreign languages. He spoke Japanese and would make friends with Japanese tourists coming to Jaipur for sightseeing. The foreign tourists were impressed by his language skills. Afterwards, they would introduce the tourist to their friend. They would invite the tourist to their house for a meal.

The accused would take the tourist along with them and party. The leader tempted them with the promise of making big profits. Later, they would take the tourist to their village in Sikar. They would inquire about the amount of money the tourist had in their bank. If the tourist had a substantial amount, they would invite two accomplices to their house disguised as fake policemen and accuse the tourist of selling drugs. They would threaten to send the foreign tourist to jail.

Negotiations would be held with the fake policemen to take money from the foreign tourists and let them go. Whatever cash the foreign tourist had would be taken, and they would demand more money. If the tourist mentioned not having additional funds, the leader would tell the tourist that they had a credit card and should use it to buy gold. The tourist, fearful, would follow their instructions and go to a showroom. Whatever amount was available on the tourist’s credit card, they would buy 24-carat gold. They would then act as if they were giving the gold to the fake policeman waiting outside and assure the tourists that the police would not arrest them. Finally, they would drop the tourist at the airport.

South Korea launches new high-speed train linking Seol with surrounding areas, govt hopes it will help in increasing birthrate

OpIndia Staff
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South Korea launches new high-speed train linking Seol with surrounding areas, govt hopes it will help in increasing birthrate

South Korea is launching a new high-speed train service linking Seol with its outskirts, substantially reducing travel time. Apart from the obvious benefits of a high-speed train link, authorities in South Korea are hopeful that this will help in solving a particular problem, the problem of dwindling birth rate in the country. It is expected that the train service will give the young population more time to spend with their families or start families, which will increase the birth rate.

South Korea has the world’s lowest fertility rate, and the youths in the country often cite the long hours needed to commute to and from Seol, and the cramped & expensive housing in the city, as the reasons for not starting a family by getting married. Almost half of the population of South Korea lives in greater Seol, and the city’s birth rate is even lower than the national average.

As per United Nations Population Fund statistics, the birth rate of South Korea was 0.9 births per woman in 2023, only ahead of 0.8 for Hong Kong. According to preliminary data from Statistics Korea, a government-affiliated body, the average number of children a South Korean woman has during her lifetime fell to 0.72 in 2013, from 0.78 in 2022 – a decline of nearly 8%. 

The current birth rate of South Korea is well below the average of 2.1 children the country needs to maintain its current population of 51 million.

Youths who live in small houses in the city are unable to start a family. Those who live in the outskirts and travel to the city daily for work don’t have the time to spend with family, and therefore, they are not getting married. Unlike in Western countries, getting married is seen as a prerequisite for having babies, and the number of marriages is falling due to skyrocketing house prices.

Government efforts to increase the birth rate by giving subsidies have not worked. Since 2006, the government has invested more than 360tn WON ($270 billion) in programmes to encourage couples to have more children, including cash subsidies, babysitting services and support for infertility treatment.

Now, the Great Train eXpress (GTX), the first line of which is set to go into service on Saturday, is expected to solve this problem. This train service will greatly cut the time needed to travel between the city and its surrounding areas, providing enough times to the population to spend with family and give birth to babies.

President Yoon Suk Yeol inaugurated a section of the first line on Friday, which will cut the commute time from Suseo in the capital to the satellite city of Dongtan to 19 minutes from 80 minutes now on a bus. The shorter commute “will enable people to spend more time with their family in the mornings and evenings,” the president said. Notably, the Yoon Suk Yeol has made reversing the falling birthrate a national priority.

The 134 trillion won ($99.5 billion) underground high-speed train project includes six lines linking Seoul to several outlying areas. The entire project in several phases is expected to be completed by 2035. Once fully operational, the GTX will be one of the fastest underground systems in the world, with trains travelling at speeds of up to 180 km per hour (112 mph), officials said.

Prices of houses in Seol are very costly, forcing many people working in the city to live on the outskirts and commute daily, spending long hours in buses. Land Minister Park Sang-woo told Reuters the GTX would allow young people to consider homes far away from the capital without having to spend hours commuting. They can use the saved time to spend with their families, he added.

“With two-hour commute on the way home, for example, how can anyone make time for babies? The idea is to give people more leisure time after work,” Minister Park Sang-woo said.

Election Commission’s cVIGIL app big hit with citizens, over 79,000 election code violations reported by users so far, 99% of cases disposed

OpIndia Staff
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Election Commission’s cVIGIL app big hit with citizens, over 79,000 election code violations reported by users so far, 99% of cases disposed

The cVIGIL app of the Election Commission of India, a mobile app that allows citizens to report violations of Model Code of Conduct and Expenditure limits has become a hit with the users. As a result, the app has become an effective tool in the hands of people to flag election code violations. Since the announcement of General Elections 2024, over 79,000 complaints have been received as of today, 29th March, as per a press release by the Election Commission.

The ECI added that over 99% of complaints have been resolved and close to 89% of these complaints have been resolved within 100 minutes. Speed and transparency are the cornerstones of cVIGIL app, the poll body said. ‘cVIGIL’ stands for Vigilant Citizen and emphasizes the proactive and responsible role citizens can play in the conduct of free and fair elections.

More than 58,500 complaints (73% of the total) received are against illegal hoardings and banners. More than 1400 complaints received pertain to money, gifts and liquor distribution. Close to 3% of the complaints totalling 2454 pertain to the defacement of property. Out of the 535 complaints received for display of firearms and intimidation, 529 have already been resolved. 1000 complaints were reported for campaigning beyond the prohibited period, including against the use of speakers beyond the permitted time.

cVIGIL app marks a significant leap forward in electoral oversight and reducing campaign clutter, by allowing citizens to register complaints about violations. It is notable that in the press conference for the announcement of the General Elections 2024, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had urged citizens to be vigilant and use the app to report model code of conduct violations and distribution of any kind of inducements to voters.

cVigil is a user-friendly and easy-to-operate application, that connects vigilant citizens with the District Control Room, Returning Officer and Field Unit (Flying Squads) or Static Surveillance Teams. By using this app, the citizens can immediately report incidents of political misconduct within minutes and without having to rush to the office of the returning officer. As soon as the complaint is sent on the cVigil app, the complainant receives a unique ID, through which the person will be able to track the complaint on their mobile. This creates a rapid and accurate reporting, action and monitoring system.

A trinity of factors working simultaneously makes cVIGIL a success. To report violence, users capture audio, photo or video in real time through the app. After that, a “100-minute” countdown is started to ensure a time-bound response to the complaint. The app automatically enables a geo-tagging feature as soon as the user switches on their camera in the cVIGIL to report a violation. This means that flying squads get the precise location of a reported violation, and the image captured by citizens could be used as evidence in a court of law. Citizens can also report complaints anonymously.

Notably, the app only allows Live Photo / Video with auto location capture from within the app to ensure digital evidence. cVIGIL app can be installed on Android or iOS smartphones, and it requires a phone with camera, good internet access and GPS access.

Here is how the cVIGIL app can be used:

To record an active violation of model code of conduct or other such violence, the user needs to take a photo or a 2-minute video using the app. The Photo / Video is uploaded on the app, along with an automated location mapping by the Geographic Information System. After its successful submission, the citizen gets a Unique ID to track and receive follow-up updates about the complaint on his mobile. A citizen can report many incidents in this manner, and an ID is received for each complaint filed.

Complaints can be filed anonymously also, and the mobile number and other profile details are not sent to the system in such cases. However, in anonymous complaints, the user will not be able to get updates about the complaint, as the system does not store the number to send the update messages. The citizen can still get updates for anonymous complaints from the returning officer.

After a complaint is filed in the app, the District Control Room gets an alert and it is immediately assigned to the concerned field unit. A field unit consists of Flying Squads, Static Surveillance Teams, Reserve teams etc. Each Field Unit has a GIS-based mobile application called ‘cVIGIL Investigator’, which allows the field unit to directly reach the location by following the GIS information sent with the complaint wit the help of navigation technology. The Unit accordingly takes necessary action after reaching the site.

After an appropriate action is taken, the field unit sends a field report online though the cVIGIL Investigator app to the concerned returning officer for decision and disposal. If the incident is found correct, the information is sent to the National Grievance Portal of the Election Commission of India for further action and the vigilant citizen is informed about the status within 100 minutes.

The app is one amongst the armoury of Apps built by the Commission to leverage technology and facilitate voters and political parties. It has several features to prevent its misuse. The app is usable only within geographical boundary of States where elections are being held. Only photos or videos captured in real time through the app can be uploaded, and the cVIGIL app does not allow uploading of the pre-recorded images or videos from the device. Similarly, the app does not allow saving images and videos captured through it into the device storage, they are directly uploaded.

The cVIGIL user gets only 5 minutes to report an incidence after having clicked a picture or a video using the app. To prevent misuse of the system and to avoid repetitive complaints from the same spot, the system forces time delay of 5 minutes between successive complaints by the same person.

District Controller has the option of dropping duplicate, frivolous and unrelated cases even before the cases are assigned to the field unit. The app can be used only to register complaints related to model code of conduct violations. If complaints related to personal grievances are lodged, those are dropped by the District Controller.

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