CHENNAI: A woman tahsildar who had allegedly breached security at a counting centre in the Madurai Parliamentary Constituency and accessed poll documents, kept in the storage room, has been suspended.
Denying that the official had breached multi-layered security and entered the strong room where the EVMs and VVPATs are kept after the polling on April 18, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo said he has sought a detailed report from the district election officer who is the collector.
“On Saturday evening, a poll official working under Assistant Returning Officer went to the storage room and checked the poll records of the Madurai Parliamentary constituency. She has been placed under suspension this morning,” the CEO told reporters here on Sunday.
A detailed enquiry into who accompanied her and with whose permission she had entered, was underway, he added. “But, no one had entered the strong room where VVPATs are kept, for sure. The storage room adjoining to it, which she visited, contains paper, seal and poll material used by presiding officer and other polling officials, he said.
On political party leaders expressing concern over manipulating the votes, as the counting is nearly a month away, the CEO replied that representatives from the CPI (M), VCK and DMK had called on him and petitioned him on this. These have been forwarded to the district collector to reply “point by point” and thereafter next course of action will be decided.
On the political parties seeking transfer of the Madurai collector, Mr. Sahoo shot back “Let’s first receive a detailed report (on the entry of poll official and others into the storage room).”
“There’s no scope for anyone to breach the strong room because it is manned by CRPF and police, besides it is under the direct surveillance of officials and political party ‘agents’ and covered by CCTV cameras connected to DEO office,” he said and allayed the apprehensions and said the postal ballots are kept in strong room and not in the storage room.
Also, the EC has sought a special report from the Kanyakumari district collector on the en masse deletion of names from rolls.
Late on Saturday night, a protest broke out outside the Madurai Medical College following the alleged security breach at a counting centre in Madurai. CPI (M) Lok Sabha candidate Su. Venkatesan came to know that officials had entered a room without security clearance to access poll-related documents.
The Tahsildar, along with three male officers had reportedly spent about three hours inside the room from 3.15 pm onwards. The incident was verified by CCTV footage from the building, following which the woman Tahsildar was suspended. The Madurai district Election Officer and Madurai Collector, S. Natarajan has ordered an enquiry into the incident.
