[Reader-list] Srinagar: "Bogus voting, fake arrests"

[Shivam V]

Bogus voting, fake arrests

Baba Umar
Srinagar, Dec 24:
http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9312&Itemid=1

Bogus voting and bogus arrests marked the beginning of the final leg
of seven-phase assembly polls in Srinagar where 152 candidates were in
fray.

In Batamaloo, residents said that the mainstream political parties had
already anticipated poor turnout owing to which, fake voters were
transported in the area.

"I saw people coming in Tata Sumo vehicles to cast votes. If they are
from this area, what is the need to come in vehicles to reach booths,"
asked an elderly person near Ziyarat Sharief Batamaloo.
He said the polling agents and activists of various parties cast votes
multiple times in the area while people, alien to the area, were
dropped in dozens to build turnout.

In Sutrashahi, where voting was fairly mild till afternoon, residents
alleged counterfeiting by agents and party activists.
Till 3 pm, out of 1306 votes at least 330 voters had turned to booths
who, the residents feared, were bogus.

"I know the entire locality is on boycott. It is people brought in
vehicles who are casting the ballot," said Muneer, a student.
Meanwhile, Muslim League's Mushtaq-ul-Islam called Rising Kashmir from
an undisclosed location saying that the residents of Batamaloo scared
away many vehicles loaded with fake voters in Diywarwani and Ziyarat
Sharief.

"Since the area is boycotting polls, people successfully chased away
some bogus voters who had come in vehicles from rural areas to
make-believe as Batamaloo voters," Islam who is popularly known as
Guga sahib said.

He said police and CRPF were arresting League's men who as a result
had gone underground.

Meanwhile, paramilitary CRPF men arrested one Mushtaq Ahmad Matoo of
Banpora Batamaloo for unknown reasons from his resdience.
Matoo's friend Krishen Dev Singh said that the 45-year-old was at his
residence when he was dragged out and bussed into the CRPF vehicle
before noon.

"He is a J&K Bank employee and father of three. He is innocent and was
just preparing to come out to play cricket with his friends," he said.

Matoo's 11-year-old twin sons said they tried to chase the CRPF
vehicle but couldn't save their father. "We tried to see where they
are going to take our father but couldn't compete with the Rakshak
vehicle," said Musaib and Munawar.

CRPF spokesperson Prabhakar Triparthy said that the detained will be
released shortly.

"No one will be detained today. After questioning, the forces will
release the person," Triparthy said.
Eyewitness in Kawdara claimed that police apprehended at least 10
bogus voters who had come in vehicles to sneak into a polling booth to
cast votes.

"Yes there have been many such incidents in the area and police is
investigating. We are also investigating about their original
residence too," SHO Safa Kadal, Nissar Ahmad told Rising Kashmir.

Reports of mobile voters casting votes also came from all parts of old
city including Bemina, Soura, Lal Bazar, Allochi Bagh and other uptown
areas.


o o o

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