An unruly scene was witnessed near Khelgaon area at Hotwar in Ranchi on late Thurday evening after some Electronic Voting Machines were found inside a Circle Officer’s (CO)
vehicles. local residents alongwith political leaders including Ranchi MlA CP Singh, JVM candidate from Ranchi Amitabh Chaoudhary and others rushed to the spot after information spread and they started demanding a probe as to why the EVMs were there in the polling officer’s vehicles when they should have been deposited to the strong room at Pandra after polling ended.
While locals and political leaders alleged that the administration was involved in some dubious activities to help the ruling parties in the state, Ranchi DC cum District Election Officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey clarified that the allegations of irregularities in conducting the polls were totally baseless as the EVMs were spare ones that are
given to magistrates on polling duty and those were not polled EVMs.
“We had got information that some EVMs were being exchanged near Khelgaon in some buses so we sent the Angara CO there to inquire the matter. When she reached there the information was found to be incorrect. Suddenly locals and some unidentified people noticed the spare EVMs in the CO’s vehicles and started
creating ruckus there,” said Chaubey. “The EVMs in the vehicle are spare ones and they are not polled. They are there on the authority of the District Election Officer so one should not make it an issue. Some people have manhandled our lady officer and we will register case against them,” the DC said.
Meanwhile, political leaders and workers were camping on the spot demanding high-level probe in the matter till the time of filing of this report. Sources said that the errant mob also attacked the scribes present there.