482 special ballots missing, states probe report on Perinthalmanna lost-n-found scandal

Malappuram: As suspected, a box containing special ballots which was kept in a sub-treasury vault was taken hold of by vested interests in an apparent bid to get an unfair advantage in poll litigation pertaining to the 2021 legislative assembly election from the Perinthalmanna constituency.

The report by the Perinthalmanna Sub-Collector Sreedhanya Suresh states that 482 valid votes are missing from the ballot box which was traced to the office of the Cooperative Joint Registrar a few days ago. This office is 22 km away from the Perinthalmanna sub-treasury from where it had gone missing. The box was found to have been opened. Significantly, the 348 invalid votes, which are prime evidence in the petition in the High Court over the election result of the constituency, were also kept in the same box.

What the probe found

Ballots and the covers containing the related records were found dumped in the corner of the office of the Cooperative Joint Registrar where the box was found.

The covers were found in the corner of the office room at the end of an hours-long search. Valid, invalid, and rejected postal votes of table numbers 4, 5, and 6 of the counting centre were inside the box. The cover containing the votes from table No 5 has gone missing. The seal of other covers containing ballots has not been broken, the report further states.

The tabulation sheet containing the details of the votes on table No 5, and the signed papers certified by the micro-observer, counting staff, assistant returning officer in charge of the desk, and agents of the candidates stating that the votes have been counted were also found. The above tabulation was declared after the Perinthalmanna constituency returning officer and the observer approved it.

The report which has recommended a detailed inquiry into the incident has requested the High Court to issue the necessary orders in this regard.

The court will consider the case on January 30.

Result unlikely to be impacted

Najeeb Kanthapuram of the Muslim League won from the Perinthalmanna seat in the 2021 Assembly election with the State’s lowest victory margin of 38 votes. The second-placed Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate, K P Muhammed Musthafa, approached the High Court to challenge the result. In his petition, he prayed for counting the 348 special ballots which were declared invalid as they did not have the signature of the polling officer and the serial number.

Legal experts now say that though the missing of ballots involved in the High Court case is a serious incident, it may not affect the election result. The result was declared after counting the missing votes. However, what is concerning is that 348 invalid special votes which could be crucial in the case were also in the same box and that the box was found opened. The court may take serious note of these missing ballots.

Why special postal ballots

An arrangement had been made for COVID-19 patients and the elderly during the last assembly elections to cast their votes at home. The special postal votes are those ballots collected by polling officers by visiting the houses.

Disciplinary action so far

The Malappuram Collector VR Premkumar has already issued a show-cause notice to the Perinthalmanna treasury officer N Satish Kumar, senior accountant S Rajeev, senior inspector of the joint registrar office, C N Prathish, and S Prathib, who is at present joint registrar in Thiruvananthapuram, who were named in the report as officials responsible for the lapse.

N Satish Kumar and Rajeev were suspended by the Treasury Director. Satish Kumar is an office-bearer of the Gazetted Officers’ Association which is affiliated with the CPM.

How the sabotage came to light

The special postal ballots were kept in two iron boxes at the sub-treasury at Perinthalmanna town. The shocking discovery was made when the officers arrived to hold an inspection prior to the submission of the ballots in the High Court in the election petition over the result of the last Assembly poll in 2021.

A directive that the special ballots and records that are under dispute should be produced in the High Court before 5 pm on January 17 had been received earlier. Subsequently, an inspection of the Perinthalmanna sub-treasury’s locker was made at 7.15 am on Monday in the presence of the representatives of the political parties and one box was found missing. A search was immediately launched. During the search, another box containing the records of the Perinthalmanna block panchayat election was found.