May 28th 2024.
The news of an EVM being broken by a sitting MLA who is also a candidate for the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls has caused quite a stir in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The Chief Electoral Officer, Nikunja Bihari Dhal, has taken notice of the incident and has ordered an investigation into the matter. The MLA in question, Prasanta Jagadev, was arrested by the police on May 26 for allegedly vandalizing the EVM at a booth in the Begunia assembly segment. This incident occurred during the third phase of voting in the state.
Upon receiving a video related to the incident, the CEO has asked the Khurda District Election Officer to conduct an inquiry. The video footage has been viewed by control rooms of the CEO, DEOs, and Returning Officers, and it has also been confirmed that the DEO is the custodian of the web casting records. The press release issued by the CEO's office has stated that an immediate inquiry must be conducted by the DEO, Khurda, in order to clarify the matter.
Jagadev was arrested based on an FIR lodged by the presiding officer of the booth. However, the MLA, who had recently defected from the BJD to join the BJP, has denied any involvement in the incident. In fact, Bhubaneswar MP and BJP Lok Sabha candidate Aparajita Sarangi has also shared CCTV footage from the polling station, which does not show Jagadev breaking the EVM. Sarangi has also claimed that the police are pressuring her driver, Banamali, to name Jagadev as the culprit.
According to Sarangi, Jagadev was returning from the booth in her car, driven by Banamali, when he was picked up by the police. She has also accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of conspiring against Jagadev and putting him behind bars. Sarangi has raised concerns about the violation of natural justice, as an MP's vehicle was stopped and the sitting MLA was arrested without proper evidence. Jagadev has been in jail for the last three days, and Sarangi has questioned who is responsible for this.
Meanwhile, the police have stated that Jagadev was seen manhandling a woman polling staff and the presiding officer in the webcasting system at the polling booth. This caused a disruption in the polling process for some time. The Khurda district SP, Avinash Kumar, has also confirmed that the police arrested Jagadev based on the FIR filed by the presiding officer. The police have also requested verification of the CCTV footage from the booth.
In response, the ruling BJD has accused the opposition BJP of trying to protect Jagadev, who has been arrested for breaking an EVM. The situation remains tense as the investigation continues, and both parties have their own versions of the incident. The truth behind the EVM-breaking incident and the arrest of the sitting MLA is yet to be revealed.
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