Seven arrested for holding some poll officials hostage during UP panchayat polls

BALLIA: Seven people were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly holding some poll officials hostage in Shivpur Naurang village here during the ongoing Uttar Pradesh panchayat polls, police said on Tuesday.

Police also registered a case against 15 unknown persons in this regard.

Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjay Yadav said that villagers protested against false voting, and also held some poll officials hostage during the third phase of the panchayat polls on Monday.

The poll officials were, however, released later when police reached the spot.

After the news of the arrests, BJP MLA from Bairia Surendra Singh reached Dokati police station.

According to eyewitnesses, Singh 'gheraoed' police officials in the police station.

The BJP MLA claimed that police made the arrests in a "wrong manner", and those arrested were protesting peacefully.

Singh denied that he along with his supporters had 'gheraoed' the police officials, and said he just spoke to them.

After this, the BJP MLA claimed that he also got some of the persons detained by the police released.

Meanwhile, circle officer Rajesh Tiwari said that no person was released under the pressure from the BJP MLA.

In another development, six persons were arrested for allegedly firing at policemen near a voting centre in Karan Chhapra village in the Dokati police station area on Monday, police said.