BJP Polling Agent Casts Votes For Haryana Women, Arrested After Video Goes Viral
Officials in booth watch passively
NEW DELHI: On Sunday, during the 6th phase of voting, Giriraj Singh, a polling agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was arrested by Palwal Police, Haryana after a video of him surfaced on social media where he was seen influencing and even casting the ballot for voters at a polling booth in Faridabad.
Officials at the polling station looked on passively each time the man got up to press the button on the Electronic Voting Machine for the voters. The video captures him rushing into the booth as soon as the women voter goes in, pressing the button and rushing out back to his seat. The women are unable to say a thing and leave clearly scared to counter the man.
As per the media reports, the Presiding Officer, Amit Atri stated that the accused, "With the excuse of helping voters", pressed the button meant to cast votes three times.
“I stopped him each time but Giriraj Singh did not listen. While Giriraj Singh was trying to put a vote, some person recorded a video film and made it viral. During this time, a crowd of other voters came and Giriraj Singh managed to escape,” he said.
In the video, Giriraj Singh (in blue t-shirt) was seen walking up to the polling booth atleast three times in less than 90 seconds. He appears to have influenced the voters by either pointing to the party symbol on the EVM or pressing the button, for at least three voters.
As he gets up to walk to the booth for the third time, he is told that he is being called outside. He finally walks out of the purview of the camera.
A man off the camera is also heard saying “BJP BJP.”
When the matter came to the light in the afternoon,a FIR was registered under Sections 171C (undue influence at elections) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 135 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, and 198 at Sadar Palwal Police Station and the accused was arrested in the afternoon itself said, aid Sub Inspector (SI) Kuldeep Singh, Station House Officer (SHO) of the Sadar Palwal police station. He also added, "Giriraj Singh was produced in court and released on bail today."
When TC spoke to District Election Office, Faridabad over phone, a spokesperson at DEO seems to be unaware of the bail granted and said, "Accused is still under arrest."