Sonai BJP candidate Aminul Haque Laskar questioned over firing; PSOs suspended

SILCHAR: Sonai BJP candidate Aminul Haque Laskar was grilled for about three hours at Silchar Sadar Police Station here last night in connection with the poll day firing at a polling station in Sonai by his personal security officers (PSO).

At least three persons suffered bullet injuries when the sitting MLA’s PSOs opened fire to disperse a mob that allegedly attacked the MLA for assaulting a voter at the No 463 Madhya Dhanehari LP School polling booth.

Sources said Laskar was questioned as part of a magisterial level probe, ordered by Cachar deputy commissioner Keerthi Jalli into two separate poll related incidents that took place on April 1, the day of second phase of polling in Assam.

ALSO READ: Assam Elections 2021: Sonai MLA Aminul Haque Laskar’s PSOs fire on mob; 3 hurt

Cachar district development commissioner BC Das has been asked to conduct the probe and submit a report within three days.

Five PSOs of Laskar have already been put under suspension following the firing incident.

The firing reportedly took place when Laskar allegedly assaulted a voter who was not carrying his voter’s slip and got involved in an altercation with security men insisting on casting his vote because he was carrying his voter’s identity card.

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In the other incident, miscreants overturned a vehicle transporting ‘unused’ electronic voting machines the same day.

Cachar additional district magistrate Rukh Liangthang has been asked by the DC to probe into the incident and submit a report within three days.

Polling in seven constituencies of the Barak Valley were conducted on April 1.