Maharashtra Elections 2024: Law enforcement agencies seize goods worth Rs 52 crore in 24 hours

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Maharashtra's law enforcement agencies, where the model code of conduct is in full force ahead of the Maharashtra Elections 2024, have seized goods worth Rs 52 crore in 24 hours, officials said, PTI reported.

Since the announcement of the Maharashtra assembly elections on October 15, 19 law enforcement agencies have confiscated goods worth Rs 90.74 crore across the state, they said.

Poll officials released a statement on Thursday saying that the police, Income Tax, Revenue Intelligence, Narcotics Control Bureau, Customs and Excise departments were among the agencies that took action in the districts of Mumbai suburban, Nagpur and Ratnagiri, PTI cited.

Till now, 1,144 complaints of poll code violations have been reported through the cVIGIL app of the Election Commission, with 99 per cent of the complaints have been resolved, added the statement.

The EC has launched the cVIGIL mobile app in order to help citizens flag election code violations.

Poll authority asks for 1,752 'misleading' social media posts to be taken down

Last week, the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra sent notices to various social media platforms, asking them to take down a total of 1,752 posts containing fake news which meant to create confusion among voters, PTI reported.

Over 300 of these posts were deleted after being flagged by the poll body, according to an official release dated 18 October.

The notices were sent under section 79(3) (b) of the Information Technology Act, which empowers law enforcement agencies to order intermediaries to remove any content that can be used for unlawful activities, reported PTI.

Of the objectionable posts, 143 were found on Facebook, 280 on Instagram, 1,296 on X, 31 on YouTube, and two on other platforms.

Facebook has so far deleted 16 posts, while action was awaited on 127 more posts. Instagram has deleted 29, X has deleted 251 and YouTube has deleted five posts since the notices were sent, the release said.

It also informed that 420 complaints of violation of the election code of conduct were received on the c-VIGIL app of the Election Commission. Out of which, 414 complaints were disposed of, the statement said, adding that the highest number of disposals were in Thane district.

Since the code of conduct has been in force since last week, material costing Rs 10.64 crore was recovered in the form of cash, drugs, liquor and expensive freebies, the release said.

The Maharashtra elections are scheduled to be held on November 20, and the results are to be declared on November 23.

(With inputs from PTI)