Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala police chief Loknath Behera has sought more time to investigate the allegations of Kerala Police Association leaders threatening cops and collecting their postal ballots.
The DGP has filed an interim report seeking more time to probe the issue to Kerala Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Teeka Ram Meena. The Crime Branch is continuing probe in the issue.
Some complained to the Crime Branch that though they had applied, they did not get the postal ballots. However, none complained about being threatened by association leaders over postal ballots, senior officers said.
Postal ballots can be received till 8 am on May 23, the day of counting, and any irregularity can be detected only after that, the probe officials claimed.
Not even one-third of 39,000 police personnel who applied for postal votes were given the ballots.
UDF files 42 complaints of bogus voting
Kannur: The opposition UDF has complained that the ruling LDF was involved in 42 more instances of bogus voting during the recently held Lok Sabha polls in Kannur constituency.
There were 31 instances of impersonation and 10 double-voting, according to the complaint filed by UDF main electoral agent K Surendran to additional district magistrate. There was also one instance of a person violating the age limit and casting vote in Taliparamba. So far, the UDF has filed complaints on 242 bogus votes.
Twenty people, including a former CPM woman panchayat member, cast bogus votes by impersonation in Dharmadam. While 6 people cast bogus votes in this manner in Taliparamba, 5 in Mattanoor, as per the complaint.
There were six instances of women casting votes at two different places using two identity cards. These women also gave false affidavits as ID proof for voting a second time, the complaint alleged, seeking action.
Three people allegedly cast votes in two assembly constituencies. N Prakashan voted in Azhikode and in Kannur constituencies, while Narayanan voted in Mattanoor and Azhikode. A woman voter Nimisha voted in Mattanoor and Peravur, the complaint listed. It was suspected that wedding or change of houses led to the double-voting.
The UDF alleged that these amounted to misappropriation of voters' list and one of the votes was fraudulent.
The same address of Voter Rama was present on the voters’ list for the booth numbers 56 and 57 of Peravur constituency. The complaint said that Rama voted at both the booths.
Krishnapriya, of booth number 47 of Taliparamba constituency, was not of 18 years of age when her name was added to the voters' list, the UDF complained. The names of new voters born before January 1, 2001, were being added to the list. However, Krishnapriya was born on January 24, 2001, as per her school records, the complaint pointed out. They also sought action against the booth-level officer concerned.
The latest UDF complaint is about the 42 bogus votes at 31 booths. Earlier, the opposition front had complained about 200 votes in 55 booths.
More postal ballot complaints
Pathanamthitta: Joseph M Puthussery has filed a complaint to the CEO that postal ballots were submitted in the names of district health officers without their knowledge. He sought a probe into the alleged incident.
