Official booked for not giving back EVM

NOIDA: A sector magistrate has been booked for allegedly not returning an

EVM

given for trial during the

2017 Assembly elections

in Noida.

The accused has been identified as

Divya Krishna Mishra

, executive engineer with the irrigation department.

Amit Kumar Singh, SDM Dadri, said all sector magistrates had been given an EVM each during the elections.

“The sector magistrates were sensitised to conduct trial in their respective polling booths. The elections were conducted and all the EVMs were returned. However, Mishra has not returned the machine given to him,” he said.

The officials said a trial is conducted to ensure that the EVM is working and the vote has been recorded. In the process, as soon as the voter presses the ‘blue button’ against the candidate and symbol of his/her choice, a tiny lamp on the left side of the symbol glows red and simultaneously a long beep sound is heard.

Thus, there is both audio and visual indication for the voter to be assured that his/her vote has been recorded.

Dadri police have registered a case against Mishra under Representation of People Act, 1951. Nishank Sharma, circler officer, Dadri, said the case was registered last week. “The SDM had filed a complaint against the accused person. We have registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter,” he said.