Karnataka poll date leak: EC sets up panel to probe
New Delhi: The Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat on Tuesday caught by surprise when he learnt during a news conference that a BJP leader had already made public the election dates in Karnataka, even before he could do it.
The CEC was yet to read out the poll schedule when reporters drew his attention to the tweet by the BJP IT cell chief, Amit Malviya, who had already posted that Karnataka would go to polls on May 12.
The EC later constituted a committee of senior officers of the commission to investigate the matter and submit its report within seven days.
"Certain things may have leaked for which Election Commission will take appropriate action," he told reporters.
"It will be investigated. Be assured, legally and administratively befitting action would be taken," added Rawat, as several mediapersons repeatedly asked him for the commission's reaction to the unprecedented leak of the election dates.
"Karnataka will vote on 12 May 2018, counting on 18 May 2018," Malviya posted on Twitter at 11.08 am - almost 15 minutes before the CEC officially announced the schedule. He got the date of polling correct, but the date of counting wrong. The CEC said that the votes would be counted on May 15.
The BJP IT cell chief, however, deleted the tweet after it triggered a controversy.
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Minor girl kidnapped and raped; main accused and two cafe owners held
Latur (PTI): A minor girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by an 18-year-old man in Latur, leading to the arrest of the main accused and owners of two cafes where the crime occurred on December 4, police said on Saturday.
Police traced the girl within hours of registering the complaint. The accused, identified as Rihan Gulab Shaikh, was arrested based on the girl's complaint. Two others are owners of two cafes where the crime occurred, police said.
Police registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), POCSO Act, and the Prevention of Atrocities Act, an official said.
