New Delhi: Reiterating its demand for new rules for counting of votes in constituencies where VVPAT slips do not tally with EVM figures, the CPI(M) on Monday said in such cases, all VVPAT slips should be counted.

Opposition parties have urged the Election Commission (EC) to frame new rules for counting of votes in constituencies where VVPAT slips do not tally with EVM figures after the Supreme Court rejected a review petition filed by 21 opposition parties for increasing VVPAT tallying with EVM figures to 50 per cent.

"On VVPATs & the EVM tally, the EC is yet to come out with a procedure in case there is a mismatch! Even if there is one mismatch in the VVPAT samples picked for counting and EVMs, to maintain integrity of the electoral process, all VVPATs in that assembly segment must be counted," Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a tweet.

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New Delhi (PTI): In 96.6 per cent of 44,126 cases of sexual abuse of minors, close acquaintances have emerged as the primary offenders, according to the latest data released by the NCRB.

In its report 'Crime in India 2024' released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 44,126 total cases have been registered under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act under Sections 4 and 6 which pertain to penetrative sexual assault on minors during the year across the country.

The figures present a grim picture as close acquaintances emerged as primary accused in 42,634 (around 96.6 per cent) of the 44,126 total cases falling in that category, according to the latest NCRB data.

The data shows that family members were involved in 3,658 cases, while family friends, neighbours, employers or other known persons were named in 16,668 cases.

The largest share came from friends, online friends or live-in partners acting on the pretext of marriage, with 22,308 cases.

Cases where the offender was unknown or not identified stood at mere 1,492, or 3.4 per cent of the total.

Among states, Tamil Nadu reported the highest number of POCSO cases at 5,320, followed by Maharashtra at 4,829 and Madhya Pradesh at 3,721. Uttar Pradesh was next with 3,671 cases.

In Union territories, Delhi accounted for the highest number of cases at 1,038, followed by Jammu and Kashmir at 228 and Puducherry at 82. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported 77 cases.

The data also shows that Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Tripura and several Union territories, including Chandigarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Ladakh and Puducherry, reported 100 per cent of cases involving known offenders.