Kannur: The Pariyaram police has charged cases against three CPM members for alleged bogus voting at booth number 19 at Pilathara UP school in the Kasargod Lok Sabha constituency.
They are Saleena, CPM ward member of Cherut-hazham grama panchayat, Sumayya, a former member there, and Padmini Dhermal, party activist.
Sumayya was the substitute booth agent for Rajesh Marangadan, booth agent for LDF candidate K.P Satheesh Chandran. A probe will be initiated against him for facilitating bogus voting, according to chief electoral officer Teeka Ram Meena.
The sections charged against the three are that of impersonation (IPC 171 d) and undue influence at an election (IPC 171 c).
The CEO has confirmed bogus voting at the booth as per the report submitted by the Kannur district collector.
The CEO also said that he would urge the election commission to cancel the grama panchayat membership of Saleena. If punished, the accused may be sentenced to a year of imprisonment and slapped with a fine.
Legal experts have pointed out that the EC cannot cancel a person’s membership of Local Self-Government institution.
