Two candidates contesting from the Ulaibettu Gram Panchayat were arrested on Friday for allegedly running away with ballot papers and causing obstruction in conduct of elections.
The Mangaluru Rural Police said Abdul Razak (32) and another candidate Vittal Ameen (61) entered the polling booth in Permanki where around three persons were in the queue waiting to caste their vote. The two candidates asked polling officer Climent Pramila Salins to show them ballot papers around 11 a.m.
While seeing the ballot papers, the two candidates raised objection to impression on the front side of ballot paper of the seal on the rear side. After heated arguments with the officer, the two candidates moved out the polling booth with the ballot book. The officer raised an alarm that led the police stationed at the booth to chase down the duo who had started to move in a two-wheeler.
ADVERTISEMENT
The police said Abdul Razak was supported by the Social Democratic Party of India while Vittal Ameen had support of the Congress. Both candidates were arrested for offences under the Indian Penal Code and also under the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act. After being produced before the jurisdictional magistrate, Razak was remanded to judicial custody while Ameen was released on bail.
A 19-year-old B.E. student from Alvas Engineering College has been reported to be missing from his hostel since Wednesday morning.
The Moodbidri police said Gokul Shashidharan Nayar left the hostel for college on May 27 morning and did not return. There was no information about the boy with his family members in Kerala, the police said. — Staff Correspondent
ADVERTISEMENT