Patna, Nov 11: Amid brisk voting for the second and final phase of Assembly elections in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday lodged an FIR against certain individuals over “circulation and distribution” of voter slips inside a polling booth in Motihari district.

Two people have been arrested for violating the model code of conduct, the poll panel said.

The matter came to light after the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) flagged “flagrant violation” of electoral guidelines, allegedly by the polling agent of the BJP candidate in booth numbers 229 and 230 of Motihari Assembly.

Accusing the BJP candidate of a forced election campaign on the day of voting, the RJD, on its X handle, shared pictures and videos of voter slips being displayed in the open, with alleged intent to sway voters.

“In booth numbers 229, 230 of Motihari Assembly, voters are being deliberately shown photos and slips with election symbols inside the booth and distributed by the BJP polling agent! Similar complaints are being received from all booths in Motihari,” the party said in the post.

It also slammed the Election Commission for failing to act against violations of the model code of conduct, adding that the distribution of such voter slips with photos of candidates was not immoral but also grossly illegal.

The voter slips, allegedly distributed by the BJP polling agents to electors, reportedly carried pictures of the NDA candidate along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and also an appeal to elect the Nitish-led government again.

The ECI was quick to take cognisance of the incident and informed that a case was lodged against the violators, leading to the arrest of two individuals.

Meanwhile, the second phase of polling started on a brisk note this morning as people, including women, gathered in large numbers to cast their vote in multiple constituencies.

Good voter turnout was recorded in the morning, with more than 14 per cent of voters casting their ballot till 9 a.m.

The constituencies, which saw the highest voter turnout, included Araria (15.34 per cent), Arwal (14.95 per cent), Aurangabad (15.43 per cent), Banka (15.14 per cent), while others like Kaimur, Katihar and Nawada recorded over 13 per cent polling till 9 a.m.

Mumbai: A fresh tussle has erupted between the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Central Railway (CR) over a technical report that formed the basis of an FIR filed against two CR engineers in connection with the June 9 Mumbra train accident, which killed five passengers and injured nine others.

According to sources, Railway officials claim they had sought access to the report, but the GRP allegedly refused to share it. The GRP, however, has refuted these allegations, asserting that no formal request for the document was ever received from the railway authorities. According to GRP officials, the investigation into the Mumbra tragedy is still in progress.

A senior GRP source said: “The investigation is underway. Once the chargesheet is submitted in court, the entire report and related documents will be accessible to everyone,” the source said.

The controversy centres around a detailed technical assessment conducted by the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), Matunga, which was commissioned by the GRP to ascertain the cause of the accident. The VJTI report, submitted on October 14, reportedly highlighted lapses in track maintenance and inspection practices. According to the FIR, the GRP had written to VJTI on July 15, seeking a comprehensive technical analysis after initially urging the institute on July 7 to coordinate with the concerned government departments.

Based on the report’s findings, the GRP alleged that Assistant Divisional Engineer Vishal Dolas and Senior Section Engineer Samar Yadav failed to conduct necessary maintenance work on the affected track section. The FIR was registered on November 1, holding the two Central Railway officials responsible for negligence leading to the accident.

New Delhi, Nov 11: The initial investigation into the car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station has hinted that this could be a suicide attack to cause maximum damage, said sources on Tuesday.

The blast occurred on Monday evening when a Haryana-registered car, a Hyundai i20, parked near Gate No.1 of the Red Fort Metro Station exploded, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens. High alerts have been issued in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Mumbai, with security around crowded public places and religious sites enhanced.

Initial investigations suggest the suspect’s motive was to carry out the blast. As soon as he learned that the Faridabad module had been busted, he planned a suicide attack to cause maximum damage and avoid being caught by the police, sources said.

Currently, the agencies are working on every theory and trying to determine the motive behind the blast.

This incident came just hours after police busted a terror module linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind terror outfits in Faridabad and seized 2,900 kg of explosives and a huge cache of arms and ammunition.

Police also announced that over the past few days, they have arrested two Jammu and Kashmir doctors, Adil Ahmad Rather and Muzammil, who were linked to these terror outfits, which, according to the sources, panicked the module and led to the blast.

Officials said that nothing is being ruled out at the moment, while adding that all angles point towards an act of terror. Sources said that the car in question was purchased by one Tariq, a resident of Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. His links to the Faridabad module are under investigation, the police added.

The police said that the car blew up at around 6.52 p.m. This triggered a fire that engulfed the vehicles that were nearby. Officials said that investigations point towards the involvement of the Faridabad module.

This module is suspected to have played a major role in supplying the explosives and also planning the attack. The police also suspect that one Dr Umar Mohammad, who was part of the Faridabad module, was present in the car at the time of the explosion.

A DNA test would help the investigators ascertain who was present in the car at the time of the blast. The agencies have been on the trail of Mohammad for several days now. He had been on the run, and the police say that he was clearly linked to the Faridabad module. Mohammad was an active member of the module and was involved in terror funding and the smuggling of arms and ammunition.

The trail of ownership is also crucial to the probe. Investigations have found that the car was first registered in the name of Mohammad Salman. He then sold it one Nadeem, who then handed over the vehicle to a car dealer in Faridabad. The car was then sold to Tariq before it finally landed up in the hands of Dr Umar Mohammad. Tariq is currently being questioned by the police.

It is, however, unclear if the car was meant to explode when it was parked or if the attackers drove it out in panic after the Faridabad module was busted.

However, an official part of the probe agency said that all angles currently suggest that it was a Fidayeen (suicide) attack. The sources added that the attack was carried out in haste and may not have gone as per the intended plan.