Patna (PTI): RJD leader and INDIA bloc chief ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav on Monday criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) for "not disclosing gender-wise data" of electors who cast their votes in the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls, even after four days of the voting.

An ECI official, however, said gender wise information is provided at the time of final turnout. The second and final phase of polling will be held on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference here, he claimed that the RJD-helmed opposition coalition will not allow "vote theft or dishonesty".

"The EC has not disclosed the gender-wise data of electors who cast their votes on November 6 even after four days have passed from the first phase of assembly polls. This is happening for the first time. Earlier, it was given immediately," he claimed.

Yadav also alleged that the poll panel has stopped functioning properly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He also warned "officials of dire consequences, if they try to create trouble in collusion with the EC or union Home Minister Amit Shah".

"We will not allow vote theft or dishonesty under any circumstances," the RJD leader said.

Yadav also claimed that altogether 208 companies of security personnel from BJP-ruled states have been deployed in Bihar on poll duties.

"Why have the security personnel been deployed from BJP-ruled states? We are keeping a close watch on them. Around 68 per cent of police observers are from BJP-ruled states. Why is it so?" he asked.

Outsiders, including Shah, want to control Bihar, and the people of Bihar will not allow it, the RJD leader said.

He also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his poll campaigns, did not talk about issues like unemployment and migration in Bihar and indulged in negative politics.

"I don't know what sort of web series the PM is watching these days," Yadav said.

The RJD leader also claimed that Modi did not say anything about the corruption charges against Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, Health Minister Mangal Pandey and state BJP president Dr Dilip Jaisawal.

He alleged that the PM shared the dais with people who are not honest.

Yadav, the chief ministerial face of the INDIA bloc, exuded confidence of winning the polls and said, "We will take oath on November 18."

The RJD leader also claimed that there would be no compromise with law and order, and "we will take action against criminals, communal forces and corruption if the INDIA bloc wins Bihar polls".

Responding to the charges, an ECI official said, "The overall gender ratio in voter turnout is generally given at the time of final turnout.

On deployment of security forces for the polls, the official said nearly 80 per cent of the personnel were taken from the Central Armed Police Force.

"Only about 20 per cent are deployed from the State Armed Police which are drawn proportionately from different states as per availability. The SAP has been taken from 24 states including Jharkhand, Telangana, Kerala, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka," he said.

The states he named are ruled by non-BJP parties.

"Observers have been deployed proportionately from all states irrespective of the ruling party in the respective state. The CCTVs have been functioning at all strong rooms. Wherever any malfunctioning comes to notice, it has been promptly rectified," the official said.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday. 

The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said. 

A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said. 

Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.

Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.

Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.

Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.

Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.

The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.

According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet. 

"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.