THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Teeka Ram Meena on Friday confirmed bogus voting by three more individuals in the Kasargod Lok Sabha constituency on April 23.
Mohammed Fayiz, Abdul Samad and Mohammed K N, who reportedly cast bogus votes, are Muslim League workers. The CEO has sought report from the Kasargod District Collector in this regard.
According to Meena, bogus voting was done at polling stations 69 and 70 of Madayi panchayat. He confirmed it after verifying the District Collector’s report which was sought earlier. The report said three persons had done bogus voting while a fourth person’s involvement was yet to be confirmed.
At a press conference here, Meena said he has instructed the Collector to take legal action against three persons based on Section 171C. He also asked him to act against the polling officers for dereliction of duty based on Section 134.
“The bogus voting was done at vulnerable booths. Despite live webcasting and micro-observers, bogus voting was done at polling stations 69 and 70 of Madayi panchayat. The identity of four persons has been verified and two of them were summoned to the Collector’s office as part of the inquiry. One person did not turn up as he had left for the Gulf. A fourth one’s involvement in the malpractice is yet to be confirmed,” said Meena.
1. Legal action
CEO said he has instructed the collector to take legal action against three persons based on Section 171C
2. Officers to be punished
The district collector has been asked to act against the polling officers for their dereliction of duty, based on Section 134
3. Agent to be pulled up
The UDF agent who was present in the booth at Madayi too will be penalised legally
4. Abdullah leaves
Ashiq Abdullah, one of the four persons whose identities were verified, could not be summoned to the collector office as he had left for the Gulf