EC admonishes Satkhira SP, 5 OCs

The Election Commission yesterday admonished superintendent of police in Satkhira and officers-in-charge of five police stations in the district for negligence in discharging duties of cops who were deployed in Union Parishad election areas.

The EC also asked the police officers to immediately arrest the offenders involved in electoral irregularities, EC sources said.

The ballot boxes were stuffed in 14 polling stations in Satkhira at night, few hours prior to voting, which started on March 22 in the first phase of UP polls. Police in some UPs remained silent during the incidents.

Finding the allegations true, the EC suspended voting to the polling stations and asked police to sue the candidates whose supporters stuffed the boxes.

Later, the EC in a letter on Monday asked the SP and five OCs to appear before the commission and explain how ballot boxes were stuffed in the presence of law enforcers. Following the directives, the six police officers came to the EC yesterday.

"We have brought their (cops) faults to their notice and they have realised it. They promised to arrest the criminals immediately," Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz told reporters after the hearing.

The EC directed the police officers to submit charge sheets in this regard within 15 days, EC sources told The Daily Star.

While briefing reporters at his office at the EC secretariat yesterday, Shah Nawaz warned of taking action against law enforcers and polling officials, if their negligence is found during the next phases of UP polls. Elections to 646 UPs will be held tomorrow in the second phase.

Elections to 712 UPs were held on March 22. Around 621 UPs will go to polls on April 23 in third phase and 743 UPs on May 7 in the fourth phase and around 1,400 more UPs in two other phases till June.