New Delhi (PTI): The estimated voter turnout at 3 pm in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday was around 49.78 per cent, the Election Commission said.

A spokesperson of the poll panel said the figures were only approximate.

In a statement earlier in the day, the poll watchdog had described the voter turnout till 1 pm as "substantial". Polling was progressing "smoothly and peacefully" across 21 states and union territories, it had said.

Visuals of voters standing in long queues waiting for their chance to vote were seen across polling stations as voting began at 7 am, the poll panel said.

People were undeterred by rains in certain parts such as Jammu and Kashmir's Uddhampur and waited in queues for their turn to vote.

Polling for assembly elections is also being held simultaneously in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. 

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Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.

According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.

Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.

Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.

The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.