Overview

• Sanjay Kumar of Lokniti-CSDS faces police cases in Nagpur and Nashik after posts wrongly claimed steep voter swings in Ramtek and Devlali between the 2024 Lok Sabha and state polls.
• Both FIRs cite multiple Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions, including Sections 175, 353(1)(b), 212 and 340, following complaints from local tehsildars overseeing election work.
• Kumar deleted the post on August 19 and said his team misread constituency rows, noting that official figures show modest increases rather than the large decreases he reported.
• The Indian Council of Social Science Research issued a show-cause notice to CSDS, demanding funding disclosures and explanations for alleged data manipulation and past administrative and financial lapses within seven days.
• District election offices publicly urged citizens to verify electoral information only on the Election Commission of India’s website, as political leaders traded accusations over the broader ‘vote chori’ narrative.