Standoff in Kottayam: CISF soldiers aim weapons at officials during strong room dispute

KOTTAYAM: A dispute broke out between election officials yesterday afternoon at Baselios College, Kottayam, regarding the security protocols for locking the strong room where voting machines are stored. The incident involved the machines for the Vaikom constituency. The disagreement arose when the Central Observer, Ranjan Kumar Sinha, objected to the traditional locking procedures used in Kerala.

While the voting machines for Ettumanoor are stored at the MD Seminary School, the Vaikom machines are housed at Baselios College. The conflict began when the Central Observer instructed that after the strong rooms were locked, the keys should be sealed and kept directly with the locks themselves.

Standard Procedure vs. New Instructions Under established rules, a strong room door features two locks. Once locked and sealed, the Returning Officer (RO) keeps the key to one lock, and the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) keeps the key to the second. This ensures that the room can only be accessed when both officials are present. Additionally, a wooden plank is typically fixed across the door for added security.

However, Sinha argued that in states like Bengal and Assam, keys are sealed with the locks, with only the spares held by officials. This suggestion drew immediate objections from the Kottayam West Police, who expressed concerns over security, as well as from the Returning Officer. Amidst the confusion, the Ettumanoor UDF candidate and DCC President, Nattakam Suresh, and election agent G. Gopakumar, filed a formal complaint with District Collector Chetan Kumar Meena and Chief Electoral Officer Ratan Kelkar.

Following the Collector’s visit and subsequent discussions, it was decided to revert to the traditional locking method. However, as officials attempted to re-secure the room, CISF personnel guarding the college reportedly pointed their weapons at the officers.

The standoff was eventually resolved after further consultation between the Central Observer and the Collector. It was agreed that the rooms would be locked according to the old rules, with the keys handed over to the RO and ARO. The doors were then fully secured by covering them with large plywood sheets and fixing a reinforced plank over them.