An independent candidate Subhash Bhobe shows election-related papers to the Joint Mamlatdar found strewn on the ground in front of the Peddem sport complex on Saturday. Agnelo Pereira
PSI manning strong room at South Goa district Collectorate tests positive – See pg 2
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MAPUSA
Questioning the lax security at the Peddem Sports Complex, some candidates contesting the Mapusa Municipal Council elections said there were no security personnel manning the doors leading to the strong room where the ballot boxes have been stored.
They also informed that the official of the deputy collector’s office who entered the hall had neither a written authorisation to enter nor did the policemen on duty take his signature on the inward register.
However, the strong room was found to be intact and there was no tempering with the seal on the lock to the strong room.
CONCERNS: On Saturday noon, social worker Sanjay Barde and some candidates belonging to the Shree Bodgeshwar Development Front alleged that a man was allowed entry into the hall housing the strong room without authorisation.
Barde and the candidates along with their supporters who were present outside the hall questioned the man for entering into the hall. They also questioned the two policemen stationed at the complex to guard the strong room for allowing the man inside the hall.
Barde also recorded the entire incident on Facebook live which alerted others in Mapusa.
TENSION: Several other independent candidates rushed to Peddem, creating some tense moments at the complex.
Additional police personnel of the Mapusa Police rushed to the complex and were found trying to calm the agitated candidates and their supporters.
Later, Joint Mamlatdar Shailendra Dessai also rushed to Peddem and was found trying to explain to the candidates.
The police then allowed some independent candidates to enter into the hall and have a look at the strong room.
The candidates found that the strong room was intact and there were no signs of tampering with the seal.
“The strong room where the ballot boxes have been stored is sealed and intact as we had left it last night. It looks secured,” said Sangeeta Korgaonkar, an independent candidate in Ward 4.
Seconding her was candidate Tarak Arolkar of Mhapshekarancho Ekvott, who said the strong room was intact and there were no signs of tampering.
QUESTIONS: But Barde and some other independent candidates maintained that the security at the complex housing the strong room was negligent.
“How did the person from the deputy collector’s office enter inside without following the protocol and signing the register? Even when I entered the hall, the police asked me to write my name and took my signature which was not done in the case of the official,” said John Lobo, candidate of ward 8.
The candidates also raised doubts over some election-related material that was found strewn around in front of the complex.
“How were these official election-related papers with the signatures of all the candidates of ward 14 found outside the hall? We smell a rat here. There must be some mischief,” said Subhash Bhobe, one of the candidates in Ward 14.
Although the strong room was found intact, the entire incident put focus on the security around the complex housing the strong room.
