SHILLONG, Sep 19: The booth level officer (BLO) of the South Shillong constituency, Banrikynti Ryntathiang on Monday lodged a complaint against an individual who allegedly obstructed her while carrying out her duty entrusted by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
In an FIR lodged with SP (City) Vivek Syiem, Ryntathiang said the individual publicly defamed her by posting false and defamatory information about her on social media.
“The individual concerned tried to obstruct me while I was discharging my official duty. The individual also claimed her husband was an employee at the East Khasi Hills district SP’s office,” the BLO said.
She stated that on September 16, she was carrying out her normal duty of collecting information from households on Thrang Hok Rangad Road to enable the linking of EPIC with Aadhaar.
At about 2 pm, she visited the residence of the said individual and introduced herself as the BLO of South Shillong.
“When I asked for some information, she said she would first seek her husband’s permission before obliging me. Then I told her I would collect similar information from the other houses. While I was climbing the stairs of her house, she quickly took a picture of me with her phone without my consent and sought my phone number instead,” Ryntathiang said.
The BLO said the individual claimed her husband was an employee at the SP’s office and would like to talk to her before any information could be shared.
“I politely told her that I will not share my phone number but that I would willingly talk to her husband through her phone and would explain to him,” Ryntathiang said.
But the individual responded rudely refused to talk and shut the door on her, making her leave, she said.
“I was shocked and bewildered to receive a WhatsApp message from the assistant Rangbah Shnong of Laban, posted by one Javed at 2:12 pm with a picture of me climbing the stairs to House No 21,” she said.
The message read: “Girl asking for PAN card and EPIC going house to house at Laban now plz be aware… Introducing herself from the Election Commission office… be aware plz inform ur nearby police station.”
Ryntathiang said she went to the Laban police station at about 7 pm, accompanied by one Marbaniang to file the FIR. But she was discouraged by a uniformed policewoman who said she would have to unnecessarily visit the courts frequently if she filed such a complaint.
“The policewoman also suggested that I resolve the matter outside the police station. I refused outrightly and told her I have no problem in visiting the courts whenever needed,” the BLO said.
She then met the officer in-charge of the Laban PS and explained the nature of the criminal offence against her while discharging her assigned duty.
“A police team was detailed to inquire into the incident, and I was asked to accompany the team to ascertain the location of the individual concerned. I willingly agreed, and along with the police team reached the house of that individual around 7:30 pm,” she said.
The BLO said the individual flatly denied any knowledge of or role in the false and defamatory WhatsApp message.
“However, after much questioning, her husband, who was present at that time, said he had sent the message to the police station. He claimed it went viral from the police station. When I sought to know from him, how, being a government employee, that too an employee of the SP’s office, he was ignorant of the exercise being undertaken by the ECI throughout the country, he chose to avoid a direct response, prompting a brief altercation,” Ryntathiang said.
She stated the WhatsApp message was highly defamatory with a mala fide intention after being prevented from carrying out her assigned duty.
“Under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, I stand to be penalised with a prison term if I fail to complete my designated task fully. This condemnable defamatory act against me, a humble government servant has caused much pain and mental agony to me, as well as grave distraught to my family, relatives, friends, and well-wishers,” the BLO said.
She said she filed the FIR with the fervent hope that justice would be done to her and the husband-wife duo booked.
“I have prayed for a thorough investigation into the matter so that such incidents do not happen again to deter a large number of ECI-deputed government servants from faithfully performing their official duties without fear or favour. I hope that the guilty persons are punished as per the law of the land,” Ryntathiang said.
Earlier, the other BLOs extended their support to Ryntathiang after her photo went viral on WhatsApp. The victim narrated her story to her colleagues at a meeting at the Assam Club on Monday.
