Cancel postal ballots of Kerala Police officials: Congress
Thiruvananthapuram: A Congress delegation on Tuesday met Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena to seek cancellation of postal votes of police officials deployed outside their home districts after a probe ordered by police chief Loknath Behra found foul play.
At the meeting, the Congress delegation handed over a letter by state party chief Mullapally Ramachandran demanded the police officials be given an opportunity to cast their votes afresh.
The delegation comprised sitting legislator and Vadakara candidate K. Muraleedharan, Mavelikara MP and candidate Kodikunnil Suresh, and senior party legislators K.C. Joseph and V.S. Sivakumar.
Kerala voted on April 23 to pick 20 Lok Sabha members.
Following an audio clip of two police officials speaking on postal ballots surfacing in the media, Behra ordered a probe by the intelligence wing into the allegations of irregularities by CPI-M backed office-bearers of the Kerala Police Association.
A four-page report submitted to Behra points at foul play and has recommended action against two police officials besides recommending a comprehensive probe.
The association consists of 58,000 police officials and is led by those said to be close to the CPI-M.
Meanwhile, sources in the know of things said that Behra will give a report on the issue to Meena, besides taking action against the erring police officials and ordering a comprehensive probe.