One person was killed and eight others injured on Saturday after a mob clashed with security forces at a polling booth in Jharkhand as violence marred the second phase of voting in the state, officials familiar with the matter said.
According to Jharkhand chief electoral officer, Vinay Kumar Choubey, violence broke out after a group of villagers tried to snatch the weapons of the Rapid Protection Force (RPF) personnel deployed at polling booth number 36 in Ghumla district’s Sisai assembly constituency.
“Villagers tried to snatch arms from the RPF personnel deployed at the polling booth. In order to control the mob, police had to open fire in which one person died and two others received bullet injuries. They are reportedly out of danger and have been shifted to Ranchi hospital,” Choubey said and added that six people were injured after the villagers resorted to stone pelting at the booth.
Choubey said that on the district election officer’s recommendation, they have asked the Election Commissioner to hold repolling at the booth on December 12.
Gumla superintendent of police (SP) Anjani Kumar Jha said the law and order situation was now fully under control. “In order to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of poll process and to bring the situation under control, we held meetings with villagers. The situation is fully under control. Statements of polling party, magistrate, police personnel and villagers are being taken to ascertain what exactly happened. An FIR will be lodged after preliminary investigation. We have got video footage showing armed villagers pelting stones on the police,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Gumla superintendent of police (SP) Anjani Kumar Jha said the law and order situation was now fully under control. “In order to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of poll process and to bring the situation under control, we held meetings with villagers. The situation is fully under control. Statements of polling party, magistrate, police personnel and villagers are being taken to ascertain what exactly happened. An FIR will be lodged after preliminary investigation. We have got video footage showing armed villagers pelting stones on the police,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Officials said two separate acts of violence by suspected cadres of the CPI (Maoists) also took place on the day. While a school bus on election duty was torched in Chaibasa, an election party returning from poll duty was fired upon in in Khunti district, they said.
“In neither case any injury was reported. All staff and security personnel are safe,” Choubey said.
According to the police, more than 42,000 security personnel, including central forces, were deployed in the 20 constituencies spread across seven districts that went to poll on Saturday.
The state recorded 63.44% voting across the 20 assembly seats that went to polling on Saturday. The turnout was 5% lower than the one registered on the same seats in the 2014 state elections. In all, 260 candidates, including chief minister Raghubar Das and state assembly speaker Dinesh Oraon were in the fray in the second phase. The next phase of voting is scheduled to take place on December 12.