The Election Commission suspended an official in Sambalpur after he had ordered the checking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter on Tuesday.
The suspension came after the poll body sent a one-man enquiry team to Odisha to investigate the matter. According to the ECI order, the official, Mohammed Mohsin, a Karnataka Cadre officer of the Indian Administrative Services deputed as a special observer, had “not acted in conformity with the ECI’s instructions” that have made an exception for SPG protectees like the Prime Minister.
Mr. Modi’s helicopter was checked after he arrived at Sambalpur on Tuesday to address an election meeting seeking votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party nominees contesting the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the State, according to police sources.
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“The Election Commission has considered the material available before it and prima facie finds it as dereliction of duty,” the EC’s order of April 16 read.
Election Commission officials have been conducting surprise checks on vehicles of prominent leaders for the past few days in different cities, with “flying squads” investigating whether anything cash or other suspicious material is being carried.
According to the sources, officials in Odisha had earlier this week also checked helicopters used by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Sundergarh and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Sambalpur.
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(With inputs from Devesh K. Pandey)