EC transfers SP of Hassan, where Deve Gowda's grandson is in fray
Bengaluru, Apr 4: The Election Commission Thursday transferred the superintendent of police of Hassan and changed an election observer in Mandya the two sensitive constituencies from where former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's grandsons are contesting the Lok Sabha polls.
Hassan SP A N Prakash Gowda has been transferred and Chetan Singh Rathore has come in his place, while Mandya election observer Ranjit Kumar has also been changed, a senior electoral officer said.
The EC has informed the state chief electoral officer Sanjiv Kumar that it has, in response to his letter, approved the proposal for posting of Rathore in place of Gowda.
"The ECI has transferred A N Prakash Gowda. Similarly, Mandya election observer Ranjit Kumar has also been changed," chief electoral officer Sanjiv Kumar said.
The transfer of Prakash Gowda comes barely four days after the transfer of the deputy commissioner of the district Akram Pasha who has been replaced by Priyanka Mary Francis.
The BJP had alleged misuse of official machinery and had requested the Election Commission to transfer the two officers to conduct free and fair elections in Hassan.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's nephew and Karnataka public works minister H D Revanna's son, Prajwal Revanna is contesting from Hassan.
Prajwal is the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda.
Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil is fighting a tough battle in Mandya, where he is pitted against multi-lingual actress Sumalatha, widow of former minister and actor Ambareesh.
BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar and MLA S Suresh Kumar had submitted a memorandum to the election commission on March 28 with a list of 13 officers, including Pasha and Gowda, asking it to remove them from the irrespective districts.
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Truck driver arrested with cannabis worth over Rs 80 lakh in UP
Bhadohi (UP) (PTI): A truck driver was arrested here on Tuesday with cannabis worth over Rs 80 lakh, police said.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shubham Agrawal said that during vehicle checking on National Highway 19 in the Gopiganj police station area, a container truck was stopped near a roadside eatery for inspection.
During the search, police recovered several sacks containing 3 quintals and 78 kg of cannabis from the truck. The seized contraband is valued at around Rs 81 lakh, the officer said.
The truck driver, Son Pal, has been arrested and a case has been registered against him and four others under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Agrawal said.
During preliminary interrogation, Pal revealed that the cannabis was smuggled from Odisha by Salim and Chaman Khan, residents of Etah district. Half of the consignment was to be delivered to a person named Khalik in Bareilly, while the remaining half was for a person in Punjab, Agrawal said.
Pal further told police that he was promised Rs 1 lakh for safely transporting the consignment, the officer said.
