'Outsiders' from neighbouring state creating problem to affect smooth nomination: ADG

Kolkata: Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Anuj Sharma said on Saturday that "outsiders" from Dumka in Jharkhand are fomenting trouble to mar the smooth nomination process for the Panchayat polls in Bengal.

"The information and the footage that we have gathered regarding the violence at Mohammad Bazar and Suri in Birbhum have shown "outsiders" coming to these places sitting on roof tops of buses. We have information that these people have come into Birbhum via Dumka border," Sharma said.

The senior cop showed a video footage supporting his claims that also highlighted a good number of people alighting from buses armed with BJP flags. "People are also entering from other parts of Jharkhand," he maintained.

Birbhum Superintendent of Police N Sudheer Kumar called up his counterpart in Dumka and expressed his concern over the incident and urged the latter to take immediate steps. One Biswanath Mahara was injured in violence at Mohammad Bazar on Saturday after he was pricked allegedly with an arrow. "Wherever there has been trouble, we have deployed more police force to bring the situation under control," Sharma said adding that 199 people have been arrested in the past 24 hours across the state. The filing of nominations for the elections that began on April 2 will continue till April 9.

Meanwhile, state Election Commissioner A K Singh held a meeting with observers of the Panchayat polls at Sisir Mancha and advised them to work with honesty and not to indulge in any favouritism in dealing with political parties. "If you face any difficulty in carrying out your work properly, you can call me directly," Singh told the observers.

Sources in the SEC added that Singh is yet to give a green signal to the security plan sent by the state government that states that booths will be managed by unarmed constable or civic volunteers and the premises will be guarded by armed forces. "In case of one booth premise there will be one armed force and if it is more, then there will be two armed personnel. There will be patrolling vans, Rapid Action Force and flying squads but there is no mention of any kind of CCTV coverage, live streaming or videography," a senior official of the state Home department said.