Tuesday, October 18 2005 19:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Nine poll personnel, including a Presiding Officer and four policemen, were today (Oct 18, 2005) suspended on the charge of dereliction of duty in Chakai and Sahar Assembly constituencies in Bihar, State Home Secretary H C Sirohi said.

Sirohi told PTI that activists of a particular party stormed booth number 21 at Sanpurha under Chakai constituency and thrashed the Presiding Officer while trying to capture the booth.

Two District Armed Police jawans, two homeguards and a havildar, who were posted there, were placed under suspension for failing to discharge their duty in preventing the incident, he said, adding that a repoll was being ordered for the booth.

In another incident, a presiding officer and four other poll personnel were suspended as they clashed for chairs at booth numbers 103 and 104 under Sahar Assembly constituency in Bhojpur district, Sirohi said.

He said that the official bodyguard of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate for Govindpur, Sanjay Prabhat, who broke an electronic voting machine at Rupo village in his constituency, was also placed under suspension for allegedly opening fire from his official weapon to intimidate the securitymen.