Featured Image: Voters in Assam queued outside a polling booth | Credits: DNA
Five police personnel attached to Assam Assembly Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar have been suspended after they opened fire on public during the second phase of polling, officials said Tuesday.
At least three persons were injured in the firing by the body guards of Laskar on April 1 after clashes broke out between supporters of BJP and AIUDF inside the polling station at 463 Madhya Dhanehori LP School of Sonai constituency. Sitting MLA Laskar is contesting the polls against Karim Uddin Barbhuiya of the AIUDF in Sonai constituency.
Aminul Haque Laskar was interrogated twice in connection with the incident. Police sources said Laskar was quizzed twice for several hours during the last 48 hours and his statements have been recorded in front of a magistrate.
Cachar Superintendent of Police Bhanwar Lal Meena said that all the nine police personnel attached to the deputy speaker have been removed from duty with immediate effect in view of the ongoing probe.
“Out of them, five police personnel have been suspended in connection with the firing. Among them, three are the body guards of Laskar and two are the security personnel of the escort vehicle,” Meena said.
Those suspended are Pervej Ahmed Laskar, Sajidur Rahman Laskar, Abidur Ahmed Barbhuiya, Altaf Hussain and Akram Hussain Laskar, he added.
Meena said another jawan Lakhikanta Mahato of the Indian Reserve Battalion of Jharkhand had also opened fire on the public during the incident. However, as he is not directly under Cachar Police, action has not been yet taken against him.
The SP said these persons were suspended on the allegation of entering inside the polling station without permission and firing on public without due order. “Laskar can enter the polling station as a contesting candidate, but he cannot enter with the security personnel,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Cachar district Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
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