Probe finds CRPF official's complaint 'wrong'

A probe by senior Jharkhand officials found the complaint of an assistant commandant-rank officer of the CRPF "wrong", and the para-military force has removed him from poll duty, Chief Electoral Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey said on Wednesday.

The reaction comes days after the CRPF official had alleged that "animal-like treatment" had been meted out to the troops, who came for election duty, and they were "provided water from water cannon for drinking and cooking purposes".

The official hailing from 222nd battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had written to the state authorities and his headquarters in Delhi in this regard.

He claimed that the troops, who had finished duty of the second phase of polls on December 7, were not provided any local assistance and water when they reached Ranchi on Sunday after covering a distance of 200 km, including 17 km on foot.

"The Superintendent of Police (Ranchi city) and Inspector General of Police (Ranchi zone) investigated into the facilities at Khelgaon and found that the complaint by the CRPF official is wrong," the CEO said at a press conference here.

Stating that such complaint would demoralize others, he said, "Khelgaon is a well-lit international standard sports complex with drinking water and other facilities. The assistant commandant (of the CRPF) was put up in a star hotel," he added.

The CEO said that when the matter was taken up with the CRPF officials it was found that "he is a habitual complainant".

Choubey said that he has been removed from poll duty and the CRPF has instituted disciplinary action against him.

The CEO, however, said that officials, including Superintendents of police, are greeting everyone involved in election duty with "welcome banners" in their respective districts.

Jharkhand is in the middle of the five-phase assembly elections with the third-phase polling slated on Thursday.