Aurangabad, Mar 1: The presiding officer of a polling booth, has been arrested on charges of conspiring to assist two miscreants in booth capturing in the Chavani Mohalla area of Jyotividya Mandir polling booth on Saturday.The miscreants, accused of attempting to capture the booth, were caught red handed while putting the stamp on a particular party on the ballot paper.The commissioner of police Ulhas Joshi told reporters that the miscreants managed to escape when a mob attacked the police party, setting free the duo.
The presiding officer of the polling booth Balchandra Narayan Bhope, has been arrested on alleged charges of conspiring to help the two miscreants get a 50-bundle booklet.
Joshi said the police control room was tipped off that some people were going to indulge in activitites of booth capturing in the Vidyamandir booth. A police team including an inspector was rushed to the concerned booth.
The police inspector, who went to the booth, asked the presiding officer whether anyone was tryingto indulge in booth capturing or bogus voting. But the officer did not give any proper reply, Joshi said. The inspector left only to return and found two persons had surreptitiously entered the booth and were having a bundle of ballot paper on which they were putting the stamp. Before, they could put the ballot paper in the box they were apprehended, the commissioner said.
However, as they were being taken to the police station, a mob attacked the police party and helped the duo flee. The duo were identified as Mukesh Gangawal and Avinash Khandarkar.
The commissioner alleged the reluctance of presiding officer of the polling booth in filing police complaint against the booth capturing attempt indicated his connivance.
On asked whether the miscreants belonged to any party, the commissioner said `only further investigations will reveal who is actually behind it.'
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
