Overview

• The EC published figures showing about 90,000 booth-level officers issued 7.89 crore SIR forms in Bihar and received 7.24 crore back, while citing a Supreme Court ban on machine-readable voter data to protect privacy.
• Gyanesh Kumar demanded that Rahul Gandhi file an affidavit or publicly apologize within seven days to substantiate his claims or face consequences under electoral law.
• Assam CID arrested a 26-year-old in Dewas accused of sexually exploiting and blackmailing a minor from Guwahati after meeting her online, with charges filed under POCSO and related sections.
• Kanpur police arrested suspects in a decades-old homicide that was reopened when a social-media user’s post highlighting the victim’s tattoo helped investigators confirm his identity.
• The IDF said it killed Hamas Rafah Brigade commander Nasser Musa in southern Gaza, and separate strikes on a school shelter killed at least 37 displaced civilians, according to media reports.
• The BJP-led NDA formally nominated Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan as its vice-presidential candidate ahead of the September 9 election, with nominations due by August 21.