PATNA: A zonal magistrate deputed on poll duty at booth number 339 in Lakhisarai in Bihar has been dismissed for failing to prevent polling malpractices on April 29 in the Munger Lok Sabha constituency.
Following the recommendation of the state election commission, the state government on Thursday dismissed Pratap Kumar, the on duty-zonal magistrate in Lakhisarai.
Kumar was posted as an engineer in the Planning and Development department of the state government on a contract.
He was on duty at a middle school in Lakhisarai where an incident of poll rigging had occurred in favour of the candidate of a particular party.
Prior to the dismissal of Kumar, 20 other polling personnel including a micro observer had already been suspended with immediate effect.
Officials said the DM of Lakhisarai had reported against Kumar's negligence and failure to take effective steps against the rigging.
In another incident involving the recovery of an EVM from a private hotel in Muzaffarpur on May 6, six poll personnel including five cops and the sector magistrate have already been suspended with immediate effect.