Bengal: EC warns BLOs against violating rules on form distribution; show-causes 8 for non-compliance
Kolkata (PTI): The Election Commission has show-caused eight Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in West Bengal for allegedly distributing enumerating forms for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) from tea stalls, local clubs and other places instead of visiting individual households, officials said.
The EC also issued a new set of directives to ensure strict adherence to procedures during the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in the state.
Officials at the state Chief Electoral Office here said the EC has expressed dissatisfaction over the lapses and directed all District Election Officers (DEOs) and District Magistrates to ensure that BLOs personally visit every voter’s residence to distribute and collect forms in compliance with electoral norms.
"The Commission has instructed state authorities to follow the 'Bihar Model', under which BLOs are required to both distribute and collect forms directly from voters’ homes," the official said on Saturday.
"Any officer found negligent in duty will face disciplinary action. So far, eight BLOs have been show-caused for allegedly violating these instructions," he said.
To ensure effective monitoring, the EC has ordered the formation of control rooms at the district level and directed the appointment of one BLO supervisor for every 10 booths, he said.
Additionally, the Commission has launched a special helpline for citizens to report complaints related to BLO conduct or irregularities in the enumeration process, the poll panel official said.
"These measures are aimed at tightening supervision and maintaining transparency in the voter list revision exercise across the state," he said.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
