Loknath Behera for action on postal ballot scam

Thiruvananthapuram: DGP Loknath Behera has recommended action against those who committed malpractice in the police postal ballot.

The DGP submitted the report he received from the Intelligence  ADGP T.K. Vinod Kumar to the Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena here on Tuesday. The DGP in his letter to the CEO pointed out that the provisions of the representation of people Act were violated in the case. He also said that further probe was needed in the case.

The  probe by the state Criminal Intelligence Department (CID) chief has confirmed that the members of the Kerala Police Association were threatened and their postal ballots were seized by its leaders.

 The Intelligence ADGP (Additional Director General of Police) was asked to hold a probe after allegations of large-scale malpractice in the postal ballots surfaced. In his probe, it was found that most irregularities were detected in Kasaragod, Kannur, Vatakara, Alathur, Kollam and Attingal Lok Sabha constituencies. It was also found that hundreds of postal ballots were sent to the house of a member of the Left-linked police association at Vattapara in Thiruvananthapuram.

The complaint was raised following the circulation of voice messages in the WhatsApp group of police personnel posted in Sreep-dmanabha Swamy Temple. The messages were sent by a policeman asking other policemen to give him the postal ballots for handing over to a police association leader.  

The police headquarters had issued guidelines for postal votes even before the polls. As many as 58,000 cops were deployed for election duty. The police association has dismissed the allegations of rigging in postal votes  and asserted that these things do not happen with the knowledge of the police force.

Though the police personnel had to personally sign and collect the ballot paper, there is no rule that the ballot papers should be returned personally by the person using the postal ballot. This clause is being misused by the association.