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In a decisive move, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken action against three senior officers following the theft of an Electronic Voting Machine’s Control Unit from a government district office in Maharashtra on February 3.
The ECI has directed the immediate suspension of the Sub-Divisional Officer, Tehsildar, and Sub-Divisional Police Officer involved in the incident. Additionally, disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against them, as per officials.
A letter has been dispatched to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary by the ECI, urging prompt suspension of the implicated officers and demanding an explanation from the District Election Officer and Superintendent of Police (Pune-Rural) for the security lapse. They are required to submit a report by Monday, February 12.
Earlier, upon discovering the theft, the Pune Rural Police had suspended a police constable responsible for negligence. A subsequent investigation, led by the Saswad Police, was launched into the matter.
The stolen Control Unit of the Electronic Voting Machine was housed in a secure storage area within the Saswad Tehsildar’s office. The theft was noticed when officials returned to work after the weekend.
According to CCTV footage, three unidentified individuals were seen carrying the stolen unit along with election-related stationery late at night, raising concerns about the integrity of the upcoming elections.
Both the police and Tehsildar office confirmed that the stolen unit, while used for demonstration purposes, is fully functional. This incident has highlighted the importance of stringent security measures to safeguard the electoral process.
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