EC Appointed Poll Officer Missing In WB

BENGAL  Police  is  investigation  disappearance  of  Election Commission  of  India  appointed  Nodal Officer Arnab Roy, a 2010 batch West Bengal Civil Service officer. He was assigned for election duty in Ranaghat Parliamentary constituency in Nadia district. He is reportedly missing since Thursday, April 18.His wife claims on Facebook that he was hale and hearty when he left for duty. He was not mentally distressed as claimed by the police, she says. Roy, in his 30s, was in-charge of the EVMs and VVPATs at a polling booth in Ranaghat parliamentary constituency.  In another development, the ECI has also sought report from the West Bengal chief electoral officer on an alleged biopic on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.   The biopic titled ‘’Baghini’’ meaning tigress in English is slated to hit theatres on May 3. The BJP had approached the poll panel seeking postponing the release of the movie till the election process is over. Roy’s wife has lodged a missing complaint in this regard. ECI said that a officer is being appointed in his place to look into EVMs and VVPAT in Nadia district. Nadia has two parliamentary constituencies – Ranaghat and Krishnan agar – where elections are due on April 29, in the fourth phase. It is considered Trinamool Congress stronghold. His two mobile phones are switched off and their last location was detected near Shantipur in Nadia district. “After Shantipur his location could not be detected as his phones were switched off. This is making it difficult for us to locate him,” said a police officer. The police are tracking the officer’s phones and scanning CCTV footage of the area. According to reports, Roy was last seen at Shantipur in Nadia. Initial investigation revealed that Roy, a few days back, had an alleged tiff with Nadia District Magistrate Sumit Gupta, who was also his neighbour, a few days ago on some operational duties in connection with the elections.Gupta has however denied any till with Arnab Roy. Union Minister and BJP candidate of Asansol, Babul Supriyo, tweeted and attached a picture of the officer about his missing.  “Nadia District Nodal Election Officer Arnab Roy is reportedly missing. He was at Bipradas Choudhury Polytechnic College for his poll duty yesterday and after lunch went untraceable. He is in-charge of the EVMs and VVPATs. Police has begun investigations, ”Babul Supriyo tweeted. Ahead of the third phase, the election observers reviewed the security situation, in a high level meeting on Friday. On Thursday, during the second phase of Lok Sabha polls, massive violence erupted in West Bengal causing apprehensions about free and fair elections in the state. After violence at booths in Darjeeling’s Chopra, the observers in West Bengal called for 50 more companies of central forces for elections on April 23, when five constituencies of Balurghat, Maldah Uttar, Maldah Dakshin, Jangipur and Murshidabad goes to polls. It is also alleged that Hindu residents of a Muslim dominated village have been barred from voting in the Raiganj constituency in the state.” HE WAS NOT SUFFERING FROM ANY KIND OF DEPRESSION AND WE HAVE A VERY HEALTHY AND HEARTY RELATION,” Anisha Jash, Roy’s wife wrote in a Facebook post. His vehicle was, however, found parked outside the college.