Take departmental action against two officials, EC tells Jharkhand

Ranchi, June 21 (IANS) The Election Commission has asked the Jharkhand government to take action against a senior police officer and an aide to Chief Minister Raghubar Das for the horse-trading indulged in during the 2016 Rajya Sabha polls.

A June 13 letter sent by Election Commission Principal Secretary Birendra Kumar to the Jharkhand Chief Secretary, which the media accessed on Wednesday, said: "By way of preliminary verification, it appears there is prima facie case to proceed against the accused persons, who are public servants."

The commission directed immediate departmental action to be taken against the accused persons for "misusing positions and interfering in elections and breach of Code of Conduct", the letter added.

The EC letter said since the matter related to bribery of voters and corruption, appropriate proceedings under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 171B and 171C of the Indian Penal Code may also be imitated.

Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik President and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, and legislators Chamra Linda of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Nirmala Devi of the Congress had lodged complaints of horse-trading ahead of voting for two Rajya Sabha seats from the state in 2016.

These opposition leaders had produced a compact disc with alleged recorded voices of Additional Director General of Police (Special Branch) Anurag Gupta and Chief Minister's then Political Adviser Ajay Kumar, now his Press Adviser.

Both had allegedly spoken to opposition legislators and tried to influence voting in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and against the JMM candidate. The BJP had won both the Rajya Sabha seats despite the fact that the numbers were against it.

The EC letter directed the state to keep it posted with the matter.

The opposition parties have demanded the suspension and arrest of the ADGP and the Press Adviser.