Village Pradhan's Teen Son Casts Fake Votes In UP's Farrukhabad, Detained

The 17-year-old son of a village head has been caught for allegedly voting multiple times in the fourth phase of polling in UP's Farrukhabad seat on May 13, the police said.

The purported video, shared by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, showed the teen pressing the EVM button seven to eight times in the presence of Mukesh Rajput, the BJP candidate from the constituency.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa said repolling has been recommended to the Election Commission in the polling station concerned.

Naval Kishore Shakya, the SP candidate from the Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat, which went to polls in the fourth phase on May 13, submitted a written complaint, following which a case was registered against the teen.

Mr Shakya also posted the alleged video on social media and complained to the District Election Officer.

"The accused teenager has been detained and the matter is being investigated," the Station House Officer (SHO) of Nayagaon police station Ritesh Thakur said.

The incident took place in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district where the son of Khiriya Pamaran village pradhan Anil Thakur allegedly cast fake votes about seven to eight times at booth number 343 under the Nayagaon police station limits.

The boy recorded a video and uploaded it on social media. It went viral after the SP chief and Rahul Gandhi shared it on their X handles.

Farrukhabad District Magistrate VK Singh said that taking note of the video posted by the SP chief, the assistant returning officer concerned lodged an FIR at the Nayagaon police station.

A case has been registered under the Representation of People's Act and IT Act, he said.

The accused has been detained and sent to the rehabilitation centre in Etah, the police said.

Meanwhile, CEO Rinwa, in a statement, said, "A video of a person voting multiple times has circulated in social media. Action has already been taken in regard to the above incident." 

He added that instructions have been issued to suspend and institute disciplinary proceedings against all members of the polling party concerned.

"Repolling has been recommended to the ECI in the polling station concerned," the CEO said, adding that strict instructions have been issued to all District Election Officers for the remaining poll phases in the state to rigorously follow the procedure of voter identification.

The Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat consists of four assembly segments - Kaimganj (SC), Amritpur, Farrukhabad, and Bhojpur. The assembly segment of Aliganj is located in the Etah district. 

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