In a rare move, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed Saroj Kumar Thakur, an IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, as police observer for Dubbak by-election. “In exercise of powers conferred on it by Article 324 of the Constitution of India and Section 208 of the Representation of People Act, 1961, the Election Commission hereby appoint Saroj Kumar Thakur, IPS, TN, 2010, as police observer for the by-elections to the 41- Dubbak Assembly constituency, Siddipet district,” read a press release issued by the ECI on Wednesday.
On October 26, a high drama took place at Siddipet where police seized ₹18.67 lakh from the house of Surabhi Anjan Rao, a relative of BJP candidate M. Raghunandan Rao. However, BJP workers who reached there in large numbers along with the candidate alleged that the police had tried to put the cash in the house of S. Ramgopal Rao, father-in-law of Raghunandan Rao. From there the BJP workers allegedly snatched ₹12.8 lakh from the police and a case was registered against 27 persons in the matter and three of them were arrested and sent in remand. An amount of ₹27,500 was recovered from them.
Initially, police said that raids were held at eight places and money was seized from two places. Later, the number of raids conducted was put at four.
BJP Sate president Bandi Sanjay, who was not allowed to enter Siddipet on the night of October 26, stated his party would lodge a complaint against Joyal Davis, Commissioner of Police, Siddipet, alleging that police were favoring the ruling party.
