Rohtak poll officer report gives clean chit to MoS Grover

nit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, May 16

A report submitted by the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO)-cum-Rohtak SDO (Civil) on Tuesday regarding a complaint of intimidation of voters has given a clean chit to Minister of State for Cooperatives Manish Grover. Ironically, on the basis of the ARO’s report, an FIR had been registered against Grover and former Congress MLA from Rohtak BB Batra and an SIT had been constituted to probe the case.

The election agent of Congress nominee for Rohtak Lok Sabha seat, Deepender Singh Hooda, had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC), alleging that Grover, along with a number of musclemen, had entered several polling booths at Rohtak and intimidated voters on polling day.

The ARO said the statements of the presiding officers, sector supervisor and sector magistrate were recorded. “They have stated that no such incident occurred at Booth No. 142, 143, 146, 149 and 150,” the inquiry report states.

As per the report, Kulbir Singh, the presiding officer of Booth No 145, has stated that Grover went to the booth around 11 am and enquired about the procedure of making polling agents. “While Grover was returning, Batra entered the booth from the exit door and an altercation broke out between the two. They left the booth leveling allegations against each other. It did not hinder the polling process and no objection/ complaint was lodged by any polling agent,” the presiding officer has said.