Harassment of voters in UP bypoll: EC suspends 5 cops

New Delhi: At least five police personnel were suspended and many others removed from poll duty in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday for flouting Election Commission guidelines and stopping electors from casting votes in the ongoing assembly bypolls, officials said. The action by the poll authority came amid complaints by opposition parties, mainly Samajwadi Party that people from a particular community were being prevented from casting vote.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav urged the EC to suspend all police officers who are checking voter cards and Aadhaar IDs on basis of video evidence. Acting on the Commission's directions, district election officers and superintendents of police, after verifying the complaints, have suspended the police personnel for their conduct. EC officials said in Muzaffarnagar, two sub-inspectors have been suspended for "non-compliance" of EC guidelines for voter checking.

In view of complaints received regarding checking of identity cards of voters by police personnel in Moradabad, a thorough investigation was conducted, the officials said. The cases pertained to Bhikanpur Kulwara and Milak Siri villages. In this regard one sub-inspector, two head constables, and two women constables have been removed from poll duty and sent to the police lines.