M A I N   N E W S

RLD men clash with Dalits

Meerut, February 17
Rashtriya Lok Dal workers and Dalits clashed in Soop village of the Chaprauli Assembly segment of Bagpat, the home constituency of Union Minister and RLD supremo Ajit Singh, when the Dalits were allegedly not allowed to cast their vote during the first phase of polling for the assembly elections in UP on February 14.

The police intervened and dispersed the clashing groups. No one was injured in the clash, Superintendent of Police U.N. Singh said.

He said the presiding officer of booth No 1167 in Soop village lodged a report with Baraut police station saying two Dalit brothers — Malkhan and Sardar — who came to the booth without proper documents for identification were not allowed to cast their vote, but they insisted on exercising their right to franchise.

Later, they were driven out of the booth by the police, he said, adding the polling concluded peacefully.

But the two brothers spread the rumour that they were denied the right to cast their vote and a group of Dalits gathered near the booth and clashed with RLD workers after the polling was over, the police said.

An FIR and counter FIR have been filed, he said. No one has so far been arrested in this connection.

Meanwhile, Dalits alleged that the RLD workers, who prevented them from casting their vote, assaulted them and ransacked their houses, injuring several people. Three Dalits were missing and one Onkar was admitted to a hospital in Delhi, they claimed. PTI

Fernandes’ accident: 2 cops suspended

Guwahati, February 17
Assam’s Director-General of Police today suspended two officers for failing to provide escort to Defence Minister George Fernandes, who sustained injury in a car accident here on Friday.

According to official sources DGP H.K. Deka suspended Assistant Sub-Inspector Habibur Rahman and Reserve Inspector Dambarudhar Saikia with immediate affect.

Meanwhile, the Assam police completed a departmental inquiry into the security lapses in the incident.

The police chief said the inquiry report was submitted to the authorities. “This is an internal inquiry and since the Assam Government instituted it, we will hand over our findings to them” he said. UNI