Former Assam DGP Harekrishna Deka cries foul over EVM malfunction

Guwahati: Former Assam DGP Harekrishna Deka alleged malfunctioning of electronic voting machines (EVM) at a polling booth in Lachit Nagar MP School in Gauhati constituency, where he exercised his franchise, during the third and final phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state on Tuesday morning.

Deka, who was the first person to stand in the queue at the polling station, said that voting was delayed by around 20 minutes at the polling station. When he looked inside, he saw a lot of activities going on. That’s when he suspected that something was wrong.

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“I was the first voter at the polling station. When I pressed a particular button on the EVM, the VVPAT machine dispensed a slip with a different name,” revealed the former top cop of the state.

He further said that the polling agents, who were present at the booth, denied his request to cancel his vote saying that there was no such option provided.

“When asked about any other option, the agents advised me to go for a challenge vote by paying Rs 2, after which I would be provided with a receipt. If found guilty of forgery upon inquiry, they said I would be charged a jail term of at least six months and an additional fine amounting to Rs 10,000,” Deka told EastMojo.

Meanwhile, being a responsible Indian citizen, Deka urged the Election Commission to take strong note of the matter as EVM malfunctioning cases were reported from across the state even during the earlier phases of Lok Sabha elections.