Veeramani POCSO Case: Aides Seek Bail Citing Lack of Victims; SIT Probing Allegations

The Supreme Court has agreed to grant an early hearing next week to a public interest litigation questioning whether decisions within the Election Commission were unanimous. Mentioned before a bench led by the Chief Justice of India, the petition challenges alleged unilateral decision-making by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Senior Advocate Vikas Singh argued that statutory principles require decisions of the multi-member commission to be collective, citing concerns over access to systems, software changes, and the Special Intensive Revision process. While the Election Commission maintains all its decisions were unanimous, the plea seeks full records of discussions among the three commissioners.

Neeru Dhanda has secured a historic gold medal for India in the women's individual trap shooting event at the 2026 Asian Games, marking the nation's first individual gold medal at the tournament. In her debut Asian Games, Dhanda set an Asian Games record score by missing only two shots out of thirty to finish with twenty-eight hits. Her victory delivered India's fifth gold medal of the games and made her the first Indian woman to win an individual medal in trap shooting at the Asian Games, joining Randhir Singh as only the second Indian trap shooter to achieve individual gold.

The India bloc has scheduled a major opposition meeting to discuss a unified stance regarding the Chief Election Commissioner. Shiv Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray is set to participate virtually alongside party colleagues due to scheduled engagements in Mumbai, including an upcoming campaign against the Election Commission. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party and Biju Janata Dal have chosen not to attend the meeting. Participation from the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference remains uncertain, while Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is yet to take a final call on attending the deliberations.

A Congress Working Committee meeting was convened in Delhi to deliberate on strategy regarding the Chief Election Commissioner and allegations surrounding the Election Commission of India. Top party leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and DK Shivakumar gathered to discuss accusations of voter list tampering and deleted names, following Rahul Gandhi's visit to Bela estate. The discussions focus on questions over poll panel autonomy, reported internal dissent within the Election Commission over decisions and data sharing, and upcoming assembly elections. While the Election Commission maintained that its decisions were unanimous, noted that hearings are held online without requiring personal appearances before Electoral Registration Officers, and extended claim deadlines in Maharashtra and Delhi, the opposition plans to address the issue further through an INDIA bloc meeting and potential protests. The Bharatiya Janata Party countered the claims, characterising the allegations as selective outrage following electoral losses.