Mainpuri by-elections: EC Questions UP Officials Over Not Following the Order on Police Deployment

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Akhilesh Tripathi

LUCKNOW—Election Commission has sought explanations from SSPs of Mainpuri and Etawah for violation of ECI instructions on the transfer and posting of police officers with regard to by-elections for the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat.

The action has been taken on a complaint by Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav.

ECI also directed SSP Mainpuri to relieve six police officers and ensure the randomization of the local police force under the supervision of election observers. The police officers to be relieved immediately are sub-inspectors Suresh Chand, Kadir Shah, Sudhir Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Satya Bhan and Raj Kumar Goswami, from the police stations located in the assembly segments where they are currently posted. These assembly segments form part of the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat.

Mainpuri SSP was asked to submit an explanation as to why disciplinary proceedings should not be initiated against him for non-compliance with the Commission’s extant instructions and relevant provisions of the Model Code of Conduct while carrying out the transfer and posting of police personnel.

The Commission also asked the Etawah SSP to give his explanation why should he not face disciplinary action for granting long leave to the SHOs (Station House Officers) of Vaidpura, Bharthana, Jaswantnagar and Chaubiya police stations, without prior permission of the Commission after the Model Code of Conduct came into force.

The panel also directed the state’s Chief Election Officer to ensure that force deployment relating to by-elections for the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency is done strictly under the supervision of the concerned general police observer. “Randomization of the local police force is a cornerstone of extant instruction of the Commission to ensure fairness,” said a statement issued by ECI.

The by-poll in Mainpuri has been necessitated following the death of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav who represented this seat in the Lok Sabha.

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