Police told to arrest attackers of poll officers in Bengal
New Delhi: The Election Commission Friday directed West Bengal Police to arrest those who were allegedly involved in an attack on two poll officials in the state. Two election commission officials were beaten up Thursday while they were video-graphing a rally organised by Trinamool Congress workers in Malda district. “Director general of police West Bengal has been directed by the commission to arrest all persons named in the FIR (first information report) and the organiser of the motorbike rally, and asked to send a compliance report by 5 p.m. Friday,” the commission directive said. Several Trinamool activists assaulted the poll officials in Manikchak area in the state’s Malda district when the officials objected to a motorbike rally being taken out in support of the party’s candidate from Malda South, Moajjim Hussain as such rallies are prohibited.
NRIs voting via Internet now may open pandora box: SC
New Delhi: Hopes of NRIs to cast votes in the ongoing general elections through Internet were dashed on Friday with the Supreme Court saying that any interim relief at this stage may open a pandora’s box. The apex court took into consideration the submission of the Election Commission that grant of interim relief at this stage would be beyond the scope and relief claimed by the petitioners when the polls have already been taken in 104 Lok Sabha seats spreading over 20 States and Union Territories. “After polls, is it possible? Will it not a open pandora’s box. If some consideration is given, practical difficulty will arise,” a bench comprising justices K S Radhakrishnan and Vikramajit Sen said while noting that yesterday only polls have taken place in many parts of the country including Kerala and incidently many of the petitioners before it were from the southern state. However, the bench decided to throughly deliberate on the demand for extending the right of voting through electronic format of Internet to NRIs registered as voters in different places in the country. It issued notices and asked the Centre and the Election Commission to file counter affidavits within a month and posted the matter for hearing at the end of August. The bench also asked the Election Commission to place before it the report of the committee set up by it to “study various available options for the purpose of NRI voting”. The court on April 7 had asked the Election Commission to explore the possibility of doing something so that NRIs may be able to cast their votes through Internet from overseas in the ensuing elections. Keeping the issue alive, the bench said, “we need solution and we should enable every citizen to cast their vote and we should come out with a reasonable direction. “In this case it has become infructuous but we have to consider for one composite order so that all complexities should go,” the bench said. (PTI)
Army Chief visits J&K, takes stock of security situation
Jammu: Army Chief General Bikram Singh on Friday arrived on a two-day visit here at Northern Command in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district and was briefed about the security situation. The Army Commander briefed Gen Singh on the overall security situation in the Command theatre and relief operations taken by the army for the general public during recent onslaught of snow in the remote areas of the valley, defence spokesman said here. The visit of the Army Chief comes in the backdrop of several successful counter terrorist operations conducted in the Command theatre in the past few months. He also interacted with other senior commanders and discussed issues pertaining to welfare of troops and veterans (ex servicemen), he said. The Army Chief commended all ranks for the recent successes and the high state of operational preparedness. He also complimented the officers and personnel from Dhruva Command for extending humanitarian assistance to the public. Gen Singh will leave for Delhi on Saturday in the afternoon, the spokesman added. (PTI)
Security man killed in Maoist attack in Maharashtra
Gadchiroli : At least one security personnel was killed and three others were injured when Maoists attacked a team of election officials near Damrancha outpost in Gadchiroli district Friday, officials said. The Maoists made the strike when a police escort was accompanying an election officials’ team after it completed the Lok Sabha polling Thursday in the area and was returning with the election materials to the district headquarters town. “We have received information of at least one security personnel being killed and at least three security personnel were injured in the firing by the Maoists,” said an official from Gadchiroli. The firing between the security forces and Maoists continued for over an hour. After firing a few rounds of bullets, the Maoists retreated into the thick forest. This is the second attack on polling officials in the district during the current Lok Sabha elections. On Thursday, security forces foiled an attempt by the Maoists, who attempted to snatch some EVMs in Gardewada village in the district. (IANS)
Police get 15 days to conclude probe against suspected LeT men
New Delhi: A court here has allowed the plea of Delhi Police seeking 15 days time to conclude investigation against suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operatives Mohd Rashid and Mohd Shahid after the investigators said the efforts to nab wanted accused Abdul Subhan were still going on. Rashid and Shahid were arrested from Haryana’s Mewat region last December in connection with a case of planning to carry out terror attacks in Delhi and adjoining areas. Special Cell of Delhi Police moved an application before Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash, saying they require 15 days to complete the probe as missing links in the conspiracy would be established once Subhan, who was allegedly in touch with Pakistan-based top LeT terrorist Javed Baluchi, was arrested. “Wanted accused Abdul Subhan is still absconding and non- bailable warrant against him has been issued by the court. With the arrest of this wanted accused, the missing links in the conspiracy are likely to be established which require that period of investigation and judicial custody of these accused (Rashid and Shahid) be extended,” the police said. It said that names of two more suspects, Javed and Sabbir, have also surfaced during the investigation and they were also absconding. The probe agency also claimed that Rashid and Subhan were in touch with Baluchi through mobile phone numbers and, according to reports of a central intelligence agency, Baluchi is a “known terrorist”. (PTI)