Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Apr 18: District Election Officer (DEO) Kishtwar Angrez Singh Rana today suspended a Presiding Officer Agha Zahid Rehman and a Physical Education Teacher (PET) Karnail Singh for not performing his election duty with due care and responsibility and violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
As per the DEO Kishtwar order, the photograph of ballot unit along with the name of candidates got viral on social media which was uploaded on Facebook by Firdous Ahmed Bhawani, contesting candidate of Udhampur Parliamentary constituency.
The Nodal Officer for Model Code of Conduct and Law & Order (Additional District Development Commissioner Kishtwar) accordingly served a notice to Firdous Ahmed Bhawani contesting candidate directing him to explain his position.
The contesting candidate in his reply stated that the photograph of the ballot unit was found viral on social media and the same was shared by him on his group but he didn’t disclose the name of the group.
In order to ascertain further as how and who has leaked the photograph of the ballot unit, the DIO, NIC Kishtwar was directed to identify the Polling Station and the staff deployed. The DIO ascertained that the photograph which got viral is of Polling Parties No.127 of Polling Station 194 Charosou of Inderwal Assembly constituency.
Thereafter, the Nodal Officer Model Code of Conduct and Law & Order also enquired from Agha Zahid Rehman, Presiding Officer of Polling Party No 127 of Polling Station 191 Charosou telephonically regarding the matter wherein he was found guilty.
“The Presiding Officer has not performed his election duty with due care and responsibility as such committed offence under Section 127-A of the Representation of People Act-1951 and also violated the Model Code of Conduct which invites strict punitive action under rules”, the order of DEO reads.
Accordingly, DEO Kishtwar has suspended Agha Zahid Rehman, Presiding Officer, with immediate effect for not performing his election duty with due care and responsibility and also removed him as Presiding Officer and appointed another Presiding Officer from reserved polling staff in his place.
Meanwhile, a complaint was received that one Karnail Singh, Physical Education Teacher presently posted at Government High School Pochhal uploaded his profile picture with tagline of BJP on his Facebook account and also found campaigning secretly for the BJP candidate.
The Nodal Officer MCC directed the concerned committee to conduct an enquiry and submit detailed report. During enquiry, the teacher was found guilty of violating Model Code of Conduct.
Acting tough against the gross violation of MCC, DEO suspended Physical Education teacher namely Karnail Singh with immediate effect.
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