Voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections is taking place on 102 seats spread all over India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X and urged citizens to vote in record numbers. He said he particularly called upon the young and first time voters to vote in large numbers. He added that every vote counts and every voice matters.

Congress leader P Chidambaram and RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat cast their votes in Chennai and Nagpur, respectively. Chidambaram was confident that INDIA bloc will sweep all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also urged citizens to vote in large numbers and added that it is not only meant to determine the fate of a Lok Sabha or a candidate but also for shaping a bright future for the country.

He appealed to all the voters who are voting in this phase to vote in large numbers because every vote of theirs has the power to create a secure, developed, and self-reliant India. He appealed to the people to choose a strong and decisive leadership that has shown the determination to free the country from corruption, nepotism, and appeasement while fulfilling its promises.

In the first phase, elections are being held on all seats in Uttarakhand (5), Tamil Nadu (39), Meghalaya (2), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Mizoram (1), Puducherry (1), Nagaland (1), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1)   and Lakshadweep (1), Sikkim (1).  Besides, there is voting in 8 seats in Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, 6 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 12 seats in Rajasthan 4 in Bihar, , 2 in Manipur, 3 in West Bengal, and 1 seat each in Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura, and Chhattisgarh. Assembly elections are also taking place on 60 seats in Arunachal Pradesh and 32 seats in Sikkim.

The Enforcement Directorate told the court on Thursday that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, arrested in liquor policy case, is taking high sugar intake like mangoes and sweets every day deliberately in spite of suffering from type 2 diabetes so that he can create grounds for medical bail. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made the claim before special judge for ED and CBI cases, Kaveri Baweja, who gave directions to the Tihar jail authorities to file a report in the matter which should also include Kejriwal’s diet chart.

Kejriwal had moved court and also sought permission to consult his regular doctor via video conference because his sugar levels were fluctuating. The judge directed the authorities concerned to file the report by tomorrow, when the court will take up the matter again.

 Advocate Vivek Jain, counsel for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal responded to the ED’s argument and said this is an issue made by Enforcement Directorate so that home-cooked food should also be stopped. He said this would have a major impact on his health. Advocate Jain added that whatever Kejriwal is eating is as per his doctors prescribed dietary chart. He said the matter is sub judice and they do not have anything to say.

Advocate Vivek Jain objected to the Enforcement Directorate’s submission and said that the agency is making these allegations only for the media. He said that some toffee and other things are given to diabetic patients so that they can maintain their sugar levels. Jain added that Kejriwal is withdrawing his application and will file a better one later.

AAP minister Atishi Marlena said that Arvind Kejriwal had fallen ill and lost about 4.5 kg since his arrest on March 21. She addressed a press conference where the AAP leader said, Arvind Kejriwal is a severe diabetes patient but he never lets his health issue come as the way of his in the service to the nation.

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday seized businessman Raj Kundra’s properties worth Rs 97.79 crore. The siezed properties include a residential flat in Mumbai’s Juhu, which is named after his wife and Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty.  The Enforcement Directorate said the seized properties include another property which is a residential bungalow in Pune and Equity shares in the name of Raj Kundra.

The Enforcement Directorate said in a statement that the Mumbai zonal office of ED has provisionally attached immovable and movable properties of Kundra under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The Enforcement Directorate began the investigation on the basis of a number of FIRs which were registered by Delhi Police and Maharashtra Police. It is being said that Kundra collected large sums of money in the form of bitcoins which were worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017 from the public with the false promises of 10 % monthly return in the form of bitcoins.

The ED said that it was planned that the collected bitcoins will be used for bitcoin mining and investors will get to get a large return in Crypto assets. But the promoters cheated the investors as they concealed the ill-gotten bitcoins in obscure online wallets. The Enforcement Directorate revealed in its investigation that Raj Kundra received 285 bitcoins from the mastermind and promoter of Gain Bitcoin Ponzi Scam Amit Bhardwaj for setting up bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine.

The Enforcement Directorate in its statement said that the bitcoins were sourced out of proceeds of crime collected by Amit Bhardwaj from gullible investors. Since the deal did not go through, so Kundra is still in possession and enjoyment of 285 bitcoins which are valued at more than Rs 150 crore. Earlier a number of search operations were conducted in connection with this case, leading to the arrest of three people — Simpy Bhardwaj on December 17, 2023, Nitin Gaur on December 29, 2023, and Nikhil Mahajan on January 16, 2023.