EVM controversy in MP: Khurai Returning Officer Vikas Singh removed
New Delhi, Dec 5: The Election Commission Wednesday ordered the removal of returning officer of Khurai assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh after some electronic voting machines and paper trail machines reached the strong room 48 hours after the elections were held.
These machines were meant as reserves and were not used in polling.
Assistant returning officer of Khurai Rajesh Mehra has already been placed under suspension.
On Wednesday, Khurai returning officer Vikas Singh was removed from his post and another officer Tanvi Hooda was put in charge of the seat, a EC order said.
Elections in MP were held on November 28 and counting will take place on December 11.
Two petitions were filed Tuesday in the Madhya Pradesh High Court in connection with EVMs used in the state assembly polls.
Congress leader Naresh Saraf sought direction from the high court to set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe alleged irregularities in the handling of reserve electronic voting machines (EVMs) in Bhopal, Satna, Sagar, Shajapur and Khandwa.
Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Kamal Nath and Kapil Sibal met EC officials Tuesday and raised a number of issues, ranging from EVM-related complaints in Madhya Pradesh and Shah's statement to the arrest of the opposition party's working president in Telangana.
Earlier on Tuesday, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath also met the CEC in Delhi and demanded that EVMs should be protected in a secured place and counting should be done in an impartial and fair manner.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
