Amethi: Village head's husband dies from burns, family says killed over electoral rivalry
Amethi (UP): A village head's husband died from burns here on Friday, with his family claiming that he was killed over electoral rivalry, police said.
The victim's family lodged a complaint against five people, of which three have been arrested.
Arjun Kori (45), husband of Bhadoiya village head Chhotka Devi, was found with serious burns on Thursday night. He died while being taken to a Lucknow hospital for treatment on Friday morning, police said.
His son Surendra Kumar told reporters that Arjun Kori had gone to a market to purchase vegetables on Thursday evening but did not return home.
Later, he was found with serious burns at a property belonging to one Krishna Kumar Tiwari.
Surendra Kumar said his father had a strong base in the area, which had perturbed his opponents. He has been killed over electoral rivalry, Kumar alleged.
The victim's son claimed that his father had taken names of four people, who stuffed a piece of cloth into his mouth and set him on fire after beating him up.
SP Dinesh Singh said the incident was reported late in the night and Arjun Kori was admitted to a hospital here. He died while he was being taken to a Lucknow hospital on Friday morning, he said.
On the complaint of the family against five people, an FIR was registered. Three of the accused, including Krishna Kumar Tiwari, have been arrested while the hunt is on to nab the remaining two, District Magistrate Arun Kumar and SP Dinesh Singh said in a joint press conference here.
Necessary financial help is being extended to the family, they said.
The SP said there are reports that a minor is also among the five named by the family and investigations are on in this connection.
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
