A booth-level officer (BLO) was allegedly assaulted while issuing summons for hearing to a voter in Nadia’s Kaliganj, around 167 km north of Kolkata, on Sunday.
The BLO, Ali Saheb, had gone to the residence of Ayatullah Sheikh and his wife, Alifa Bibi, at a village. The BLO alleged he was assaulted when the couple was informed that the wife would have to attend a hearing for the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to clarify the ”logical discrepancy” in the age difference between her and her daughter.
“The complainant said that he was attacked after he informed the woman that she would have to attend the hearing,” an officer said.
Sources said the daughter’s age was five years more than the mother in the enumeration form submitted with the poll official.
Ali said he tried to convey to the couple that he was only the messenger and to resolve the dispute they would have to attend the hearings.
“Ali has claimed on hearing this Sheikh hit him with a stick. He sustained head injuries and was taken to a hospital to attend to the injuries,” the officer said.
Denying Ali’s claims, Sheikh lodged a complaint against the BLO with accusations of misbehaving and harassing his family. “We have received both the complaints,” the officer said.
The BLO is admitted at the Shaktinagar Sadar hospital.
The SIR hearing process in Bengal has been marred with violence since the BLOs started the door-to-door visits last November. The violence has only intensified as hearing centres, central observers deputed by the commission were attacked in different parts of the state.
The Supreme Court, hearing a bunch of petitions including one filed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, had ordered the state’s director general of police to ensure the hearing process did not affect law and order.
Police were examining both versions of events and would proceed in accordance with the law.
The hearing of voters officially ended on February 14 and the poll officials are currently examining the documents submitted by the electors who were marked under the “logical discrepancy” category. The final electoral rolls will be published on February 28.