Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the Bengal DGP to probe into the high polling percentage at a booth in New Town's Jangra Hatiara 2 gram panchayat, where a section of residents had called for a boycott of the voting, and file a report by August 3.
Expressing surprise at the 95 per cent of votes polled at the New Town booth, Justice Amrita Sinha said: "How can this happen? How could the polling officer say that 95 per cent of votes had been cast when no one has seen voters cast votes."
B.K. Pal, who moved the petition on behalf of eight candidates who had intended to fight the panchayat polls but were not allowed to file nominations and a few voters, told the court that even though no one had exercised their franchise at the booth concerned on July 8, 95 per cent polling had been recorded. The panchayat is on the outskirts of Calcutta.
"Each and every resident of the area has witnessed that no one could enter the polling station throughout the day. But it was declared that 95 per cent of voters had cast their votes and Trinamul Congress candidates won the seats," Pal told the court.
Expressing surprise at the submission, Justice Sinha ordered the DGP to probe the incident and submit a report to the court.
Apart from the New Town case, several other petitions accusing Trinamul of malpractices were filed before Justice Sinha's court.
A petitioner claimed that a Trinamul candidate had been declared a winner allegedly on the basis of ballots belonging to another booth in Hooghly's Arambag. The judge has sought the local BDO's report.
The New Town Forum and News, which is a platform of residents known to be close to Trinamul, had called for the poll boycott in the Rajarhat part of the Jyangra Hatiara 2 gram panchayat.
A section of residents had been demanding the exclusion of planned areas of New Town and Rajarhat from the Jyangra Hatiara 2 gram panchayat. They had submitted memorandums to multiple authorities but did not get the desired result. The non-acceptance of their request prompted the forum to give the boycott call.
However, on July 8, hordes of men and women allegedly carrying Trinamul Congress flags descended on New Town and blocked roads leading to three polling stations using iron guardrails, wooden benches and bamboo shafts.
Those who defied the boycott call and came out were allegedly shoved, slapped and asked to return without exercising their franchise. A voter, who braved the resistance and headed towards the polling station, said he, along with several others, had been asked to choose between assault and their right to vote.
The biggest among the three polling premises was set up at the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Government College, also known as Newtown Government College. This polling premises was located in the heart of New Town behind Central Mall, around 1.2km away from the New Town bus stand.
Those who defied the boycott call and came out were allegedly shoved, slapped and asked to return without exercising their franchise. A voter, who braved the resistance and headed towards the polling station, said he, along with several others, had been asked to choose between assault and their right to vote.
The goons carried sticks and waved them angrily while shouting at the top of their voices at residents who were seen anywhere near the polling station.
The biggest among the three polling premises was set up at the Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Government College, also known as Newtown Government College.
This polling premise was located in the heart of New Town behind Central Mall around 1.2km away from the New Town bus stand.
This polling premise witnessed the maximum number of violent incidents and many residents of New Town had been at the receiving end of these outsiders’ ire simply because they had chosen to step out and cast their votes.
