A day after another video featuring a man trying to influence the voters was also traced to Asaoti village booth in Palwal, the Presiding Officer and the man in the video were booked under various sections of the IPC and The Representation of the People Act on Tuesday.
The second video wherein a man is seen standing near the cabin meant for voting and making gestures apparently to tell the voter as to whom to vote had gone viral on Twitter late on Monday night, following which Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa took cognisance of the matter and sent it to Haryana Chief Electoral Officer for investigation.
SDM findings
Earlier in the day, Haryana’s Joint CEO Inderjeet Singh told The Hindu that the matter was investigated into by Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Palwal, and the video was traced to the same booth in Palwal where a BJP agent was arrested and repolling ordered for May 19.
“During investigation, the SDM found that the video was shot inside Asaoti polling booth,” said Mr. Singh.
According to the report filed by the SDM, he stumbled upon a third video during investigation and the two videos were compared. The two videos bore resemblance to the first video of Asaoti. A man bearing resemblance to Asaoti Sarpanch Kanchhid Singh was seen stepping out from the booth in the two videos.
He was interrogated about the video in question and it was then established that the video was shot inside Asaoti village booth no. 88.
The man trying to influence the voters was identified as Vijay Rawat, a local villager.
Based on the report, the police registered a first information report under Sections 171C, 188 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 134 and 135 of The Representation of the People Act.
Station House Officer, Sadar Police Station, Kuldeep said the two would be arrested soon.
BJP polling agent
On Monday, BJP polling agent Giriraj from Asaoti village was arrested for allegedly trying to influence at least three women voters during the polling on May 12.
Meanwhile, Congress Palwal MLA Karan Dalal has written to the Election Commission accusing the then Faridabad Deputy Commissioner, Atul Kumar, of being hand-in-glove with the ruling dispensation and appointing the Assistant Professor working with a private university as the Presiding Officer of the Asaoti booth in violation of the RP Act.
Mr. Dalal, in his letter, has demanded for a probe as to how many Presiding Officers in Faridabad were appointed in violation of the law and withhold the result of the Faridabad parliamentary constituency pending inquiry.
