KOCHI: The Crime Branch, probing the alleged fraud into the postal ballots, suspects that the components of postal ballots might have been moved in bulk from the returning officers to a particular address and this, they believe, might have been to commit electoral fraud.
A letter sent by IG Sreejith to the state police chief, on May 27, states that though the inquiry reveals enough to suspect the postal votes cast by police personnel, there will be hurdles in continuing the probe as it would be construed as an interference in the electoral process.
The investigation report said that there was a likelihood of the police personnel engaged in duty elsewhere, entrusting their postal ballots to some other officers or outsiders, in violation of the norms prescribed, on coercion either by some organised groups or individuals.
The declaration for postal votes by the elector might have been attested en masse, or individually by gazetted officers in the absence of the electors at the time of attestation.
“If the same has been done en masse, by some interested groups or individuals, the right of franchise also might have been exercised by the same groups or individuals, without the actual voter. This poses a formidable challenge to the democratic process,” IG Sreejith, stated in the report.
The report further pointed out that some attestations might have also been done in the absence of the voter, with the gazetted officer actually knowing the elector and his place of duty.
According to the IG, it would be improper to arrive at a conclusion regarding the inquiry without the returning officers also cooperating with the inquiry.
IG stated that verification of data obtained by examining various police personnel across the state has to be checked by the actual data entered in 13 A (Declaration by Elector) and 13 C (Cover) submitted to the returning officers.