Eight persons — five Jharkhand Armed Police personnel and three polling staff — were killed when a landmine was triggered under a mini-bus in Shikaripada, Dumka on Thursday evening. Dumka was one of four constituencies that went to the polls on Thursday on the last day of the three phase polling in Jharkhand.
Mohammad Naimuddin Ansari was among the four polling staff taken to the civil hospital in Dumka on Thursday night after he suffered injuries. ASI Heeralal Pal also suffered injuries.
“The polling party was on its way back from the polling station. We are unable to confirm more details at the moment,” said Jharkhand Director-General of Police Rajeev Kumar.
A senior police official said 14 to 15 personnel were in the mini-bus proceeding from Shikaripada village in a forested area to Shikaripada cluster to deposit Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at around 6 pm. “The staff took an alternative kaccha route and that is when the explosives were triggered. Ambulances and security personnel at the site have confirmed spotting six bodies but the number may go up,” he said.
In all 132 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from the State and another 80 CRPF companies from other States were deputed for elections in Jharkhand scheduled on April 10,17, 24.
Official killed in J&K
PTI reports from Srinagar
A report from Srinagar said a polling official was killed and five others, including three security personnel were injured when militants attacked a polling party in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Thursday, police said. Militants opened fire on a polling party when it was leaving the polling station at Nagbal.
