Clash erupts during voter list verification in Sambhal; 3 held

According to officials, the violence erupted at the gram panchayat secretariat while deputy collector Neetu Rani and naib tehsildar Deepak Kumar Jureil were supervising an inquiry into alleged fake voters. During the verification process, an argument broke out between the pradhan’s husband, Mohammad Qamar, and pradhan candidate Abid. The verbal altercation soon escalated into a physical fight.

Chaos prevailed in Sambhal district on Tuesday when the village head’s husband, a rival pradhan candidate and their supporters allegedly clashed violently in the presence of senior revenue officials during routine verification of the voter list.

Three people, including the pradhan’s husband, were arrested. (For representation)

The incident took place in Vilalpat village under the Asmoli police station and block area. An FIR was registered on Wednesday against multiple accused, and three people, including the pradhan’s husband, were arrested, officials said.

According to officials, the violence erupted at the gram panchayat secretariat while deputy collector Neetu Rani and naib tehsildar Deepak Kumar Jureil were supervising an inquiry into alleged fake voters. During the verification process, an argument broke out between the pradhan’s husband, Mohammad Qamar, and pradhan candidate Abid. The verbal altercation soon escalated into a physical fight.

Eyewitnesses said chairs were hurled and stones pelted as supporters from both sides joined the clash. The situation deteriorated rapidly, forcing the deputy collector and the naib tehsildar to take shelter in separate rooms of the secretariat for their safety. Police reached the spot around 25 minutes after being informed.

Asmoli station house officer (SHO) Mohit Chaudhary said that Qamar, Rafazul, and Jafarul were arrested and produced before the court after completing legal formalities. He added that Qamar has three previous criminal cases registered against him, while Jafarul is named in two earlier cases.

Meanwhile, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Ramanuj confirmed that lekhpal Gunnu Babu had been transferred following the incident.

The violence comes amid heightened scrutiny of the voter list in the area. On December 23, Asmoli police had registered an FIR against 48 people allegedly included fraudulently in the voter list on a complaint by lekhpal Gunnu Babu. An inquiry committee later submitted its report to senior officials, stating that more fake voters could be present in the village and recommending further verification.