AT LEAST five police personnel were suspended and many others removed from poll duty in UttarPradesh onWednesday for flouting Election Commission guidelines andstopping electors from casting votes in the ongoing Assembly by-polls, officials said. The action by the poll authoritycame amidcomplaints by Opposition parties, mainly Samajwadi Party that people from a particular community werebeing prevented from casting vote. SP President Akhilesh Yadav urged the EC to suspend all police officerswho are checking voter cards and Aadhaar IDs on basis of video evidence. Acting on the Commission’s directions, District Election Officers and Superintendents of Police, after verifying the complaints, have suspended the police personnel for their conduct.

 

EC officials said in Muzaffarnagar, two sub-inspectors have been suspended for “non-compliance” of EC guidelines for voter checking. Inviewofcomplaints received regarding checking of identity cards of voters by police personnel in Moradabad, a thorough investigation was conducted, the officials said. Inthis regard one sub-inspector, two head constables, and two women constables have beenremoved frompolldutyand sent to the police lines. MAINPURI (UP), Nov 20 (PTI) A 23-YEAR-OLD Dalit woman was found dead here with her family on Wednesday alleging that shewas killed as shere fused to vote in favourof the Samajwadi Party in theKarhal Assemblybypoll. Police in Mainpuri district onWednesday arrested two persons accused of abducting and killing the woman.

 

The woman’s father lodged a complaint at Karhal police stationlevelling allegations against PrashantYadav,aresidentofTapa ki Nagaria, of abducting his daughter. He alleged that his daughter was abducted around 12 pm onTuesday and later poisoned to deathbyYadav the help of another person named Dr. Mohan Katheria, according to the FIR. The body of the woman was foundina field near Kanjara village on Wednesday morning, according to police. “Both the accused Dr Mohan Katheria and Prashant Yadav named in FIR have been arrested and further investigation is in progress,” Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar told PTI. Raising concern over the incident, the BJP accused the SP of “creating an atmosphere of terror” in its bastion. “In Karhal, Samajwadi Party leader Prashant Yadav and his associates murdered a Dait girl just because she had refused to vote for the ‘cycle’ (SP’s election symbol).