UP Constable On Ballot Box Security Duty In Kaushambi Found Dead

A police constable tasked with the security of ballot boxes at a vote counting centre in the Kokhraj area of this Uttar Pradesh district died on duty under "suspicious circumstances", officials said on Thursday.

Head Constable Rajeev Singh (46), a resident of Ghazipur district, was deployed to ensure security of ballot boxes in the strong room set up at Bhavans Mehta College, located in the Bharwari Nagar Palika Parishad area, they said.

Polling for the urban local body in Kaushambi was held in the first phase on May 4.

Kaushambi Additional Superintendent of Police Samar Bahadur Singh said nobody had seen the constable since 5 pm on Wednesday. His body was found on the college campus on Thursday morning, he added.

CCTV footage showed Rajeev Singh heading to the terrace of the building but he was not spotted coming down, the additional SP said, adding that he might have slipped and fallen to his death from the terrace.

The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination and his family members have been informed, he added.

Urban local body polls to elect representatives of nagar palika parishads and nagar panchayats in Uttar Pradesh concluded with the final phase on Thursday. The counting of votes for both phases will take place on May 13.

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