CHENNAI: Two persons carrying EVMs and a VVPAT machine on a two-wheeler after the polling ended on Tuesday created a flutter in Velachery. The duo was caught by motorists and passersby over suspicions of EVM theft and handed over to police.
However, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo assuaged fears and clarified that they were unpolled EVMs kept in the reserve.
He referred to the District Election Officer's (DEO) verbal report and said that the duo was corporation staff deputed on election duty.
Sahoo said strict action would be taken for any violations of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Corroborating the CEOs version, a senior police officer said that the machines were kept in the reserve and meant to be used only if any of the machines used for elections developed a technical snag.
The officer however said the reasons for using a two-wheeler to transport the machines would be known only after an investigation.
According to police sources, the duo were produced before the Returning Officer for verification.
Police personnel were deployed in large numbers on Velachery-Taramani High Road to avoid untoward incidents. Video clips of the duo being grilled by the public went viral on social media platforms.