Kasargod: Fake voting in the Kalliashery polling booth of the Kasargod Lok Sabha constituency on 23 April, was confirmed after an enquiry, informed Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Teeka Ram Meena.
He said that when enquiries were conducted in this regard in ward 69 and 70 of the Kalliassery polling booths, it was found that three people are guilty of casting fake votes. Mohammed Faiz, Abdul Samad and Mohammed KM are confirmed to have cast fake votes.
However, it is not yet confirmed if Ashik M cast fake votes although he was seen loitering around many polling booths. Enquiries are still underway to find out whether he cast fake votes, he added.
According to the CEO, the enquiry revealed that Abdul Samad had cast two votes, while Mohammed Faiz and Mohammed K M cast three votes each.
Abdul Samad was served a notice to come for the enquiry, but he did not turn up. He will be served a warrant soon, he added.
“Even though the DC and other electoral officers confirmed the fake voting, the polling officers and other polling staff stated that they had not come across any such malpractice,” he said.
“Cases will be registered against those who had cast fake votes,” he said, adding that action will be taken against those polling officers found guilty of malpractice.
The CEO also stated that complaints regarding fake voting had come from other polling booths in the state and that they are being probed.
The CEO also stated that complaints regarding fake voting had come from other polling booths in the state and that they are being probed. The DC has been instructed to conduct an enquiry into this issue and give a report in seven days, he added.
