Kannur District Collector Arun K. Vijayan, also the District Election Officer, took action following a complaint of voter impersonation at booth number 70 of the Kannur constituency in Kerala on April 20. The polling officer and the booth level officer (BLO) involved have been suspended pending investigation.
The complaint was formally lodged by the Assembly segment’s assistant returning officer at the local police station.
Left Democratic Front (LDF) Kannur district convener N. Chandran lodged a complaint alleging that the BLO misled election officials to the wrong residence for voting. Instead of directing them to the house of 86-year-old K. Kamalakshi at Keezhathali, the BLO led them to the residence of V. Kamalakshi at Thazhae Chovva where the vote was registered.
The LDF further accused a Congress sympathiser and anganwadi teacher of involvement in the impersonation, with the complaint specifically naming BLO K. Geeta.
A team comprising Assistant Collector Anoop Garg, district law officer A. Raj, and assistant returning officer and Deputy Collector (RR) R. Sreelatha has been tasked with conducting an investigation into the matter. The Collector has set a deadline of 24 hours for the report to be submitted.
Further, the Collector has sought guidance from the Central Election Commission regarding the validity of the vote in question and any subsequent actions to be taken.
The suspended officers face potential charges under Sections 134 of the Representation of the People Act 1951 and 171 F of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
On April 19, the Collector suspended four polling officials and the police had registered case against them and two others for their alleged failure to stop interference in the voting process at the residence of a 92-year-old woman at Kalliassery in the Kasargod parliamentary constituency.
In Kozhikode
Four polling officers were suspended on Saturday in connection with the casting of a home vote by the wrong voter at Peruvayal in Kozhikode on Friday.
District Collector and District Election Officer Snehil Kumar Singh ordered the suspension of the special polling officer, polling officer, micro observer, and booth-level officer on home voting duty based on Section 134 of the RP Act and directed the District Police Chief (Kozhikode City) to book a case against them.
In the incident, the vote of Janakiyamma Payumpurath (91), a voter of booth number 84 in Peruvayal, was cast by Janakiyamma Kodassery (80). The District Election Officer took the case on file on a complaint filed by the booth-level committee of the Left Democratic Front and a report was submitted by the Assistant Returning Officer based on media reports.
