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High drama marks Panchayat polls in Nainital
Uttarakhand High Court investigates missing panchayat members amid voting, with allegations of abduction and violence between BJP and Congress supporters.
Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court on Thursday took cognizance of allegations that five elected representatives in Nainital district panchayat were missing ahead of voting. However, police said that affidavits submitted by the five elected members claimed they were staying away voluntarily.
Congress leaders alleged that they were abducted to influence the outcome of election of district panchayat president for which voting was underway on Thursday .
A division bench of chief justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mahra, hearing a public interest litigation, questioned the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nainital PN Meena on whether the missing representatives had been traced. The SSP said security personnel had visited their homes as per earlier court directions to provide protection 10 days before voting, but were told by relatives that the representatives were visiting family and did not require security.
Polling was held on Thursday for the posts of district panchayat presidents as well as vice presidents and Block Pramukhs.
The SSP added that the police had received affidavits from the five representatives stating they were travelling and had asked that no case be registered if anyone reported them missing. Two more similar affidavits were received on Thursday.
Advocate General SN Babulkar told the court that all representatives had confirmed they were abstaining from voting on their own will.
However, senior counsel DS Patni presented a pen drive with video footage allegedly showing one of the representatives, Dikar Singh Mewari, being dragged away by unidentified men, some of whose faces were visible, while an armed policeman looked away. Another video purportedly showed three more affidavit signatories being forcibly removed from a polling booth.
The bench directed that both videos be handed over to the Nainital SSP and District Magistrate Vandana Singh for examination.
Counsel DS Mehta told the court that an attempt to file a kidnapping complaint naming the alleged abductors was rejected by the Tallital SHO. The SSP assured the bench that action would be taken against any police personnel found guilty of dereliction of duty.
Family members of three missing representatives — Uma Bisht, sister of Deep Singh Bisht; Vinod Kotalia, brother of Pramod Singh; and Sanjeev Jantwal, son of Vipin Singh Jantwal-appeared before the court — each detailing how their relatives were taken away. Kotalia alleged that his brother was abducted by a group . Jantwal said he had seen a video of his father’s abduction on a Facebook account.
The court ordered that its directions be sent immediately to the district magistrate and SSP, with affidavits kept in the safe custody of the Registrar (Judicial). The matter will be heard next on August 18.
Earlier, high drama was witnessed during the election for district panchayat president and block Pramukh in Nainital, turned tense on Thursday with clashes, allegations of kidnapping and even firing between supporters of the BJP and Congress. Congress leaders Yashpal Arya, Khatima MLA Bhuvan Kapri, Haldwani MLA Sumit Hridayesh, former MLA Sanjeev Arya, district panchayat president candidate Pushpa Negi, and 10 members arrived at the High Court while a hearing was underway before Chief Justice G Narender and Justice Alok Mahra. They alleged before the bench that “people of the ruling party” assaulted them and “tried to kidnap some members.” Showing election result certificates for 15 members, they claimed that “five of their local leaders were missing.”
The court directed District Magistrate Vandana Singh and SSP Nainital PN Meena to appear virtually within minutes. It ordered both officers to “maintain law and order” and ensure “peaceful and fair elections,” instructing that members be brought to the polling station in police security. High Court security officer Rakesh Bisht was tasked with escorting the 10 district panchayat members who were in court to the polling station under police protection.
In the block pramukh election at Betalghat in Nainital districts, three rounds of firing were reported amid clashes between supporters of both parties. Police dispersed the crowd and began an investigation. Both sides accused each other of instigating violence.
BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt alleged that Yashpal Arya was “trying to influence the voting,” while Congress state president Karan Mahara accused the BJP of “assaulting Congress leaders.”
District Magistrate Vandana Singh, who appeared in the court in the evening again, told the court that she will recommend repolling for zila panchayat elections to the state election commission (SEC)
