HC asks ECI to probe missing keys of Dharmapuri strongrooms

HYDERABAD: The row over the 2018 Dharmapuri Assembly election result continued as the Telangana High Court on Wednesday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to inquire into the missing keys of two strongrooms to recheck the election result.

The court, asking the district collector about the course of action over the strongrooms at VRK Engineering College, adjourned the case to April 18.

The incident pertains to a petition filed by Adluri Laxman, the Congress runner-up in the 2018 Assembly election, who has been alleging irregularities in the counting of VVPATs, as he lost to BRS’ Koppula Eshwar by 441 votes.

As part of the petition, the High Court had previously ordered the district officials to submit documents by April 11, but officials claimed they could not locate the keys and that Laxman objected to breaking of locks, querying how they were lost.

Laxman filed another petition in the High Court in this regard on Wednesday, questioning the sequence of events and standard procedures, calling for an inquiry into the missing keys.

After hearing the arguments, the High Court issued orders to the ECI for an inquiry into the missing keys and asked the district collector about actions in such a scenario.

Laxman took the opportunity to attack minister Eshwar, rhetorically questioning who could be responsible for missing keys and a pending case in the court, five years after the election.

“If welfare minister Koppula Eshwar has respect towards law, then he must probe an inquiry about missing keys and if needed, he must resign from his post until the investigation is completed. Instead, by appointing senior advocates, he is trying to cover his mistakes with arguments in court,” Laxman said.