HC orders screening of CCTV footage of Nainital poll counting
The court was hearing a petition filed by Poonam Bisht, one of the 22 voters in the election, who alleged that a ballot was tampered with during counting on the intervening night of Aug 14-15. The bench ordered that the footage, preserved in the treasury locker, be shown at 11 am on Thursday at the district magistrate's (DM) office. DM Vandana Singh will arrange for the screening and ensure videography of the process.
Bisht's counsel has alleged that an officer tampered with a ballot paper, adding to the controversy surrounding the result.
The HC directed that the petitioner, govt counsels, the State Election Commission's advocate and both presidential candidates -- Deepa Darmwal and Pushpa Negi -- be present during the review of CCTV and video recordings.
The bench clarified that only nine individuals will attend the screening: three advocates from the petitioner's side, three from the govt, the SEC advocate, and the two candidates. Security for the process will be handled by SP (city) Jagdish Chandra.
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At the hearing earlier in the day, the DM informed the court that one voter had marked only a second preference without indicating a first choice, rendering the vote invalid under election rules. "The tally was equal, so a lottery was conducted to decide the winner. I saw the entire process, as did the observer and it is recorded in the CCTV footage," she told the court. Singh added that both candidates were given two opportunities to examine the process and review the ballots, once during the counting itself and again on Aug 19.
The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
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