Missing postal ballots: Kerala HC orders EC to probe case

Kochi (Kerala) [India], February 16 : The Kerala High Court on Thursday ordered the State Election Commission to probe the missing postal ballots of the 2021 Kerala assembly elections from the strong room of Perinthalmanna sub-treasury and its recovery from the office of the Joint Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Malappuram district.
The report should submit by the EC to the High Court within four weeks, according to the Court order.
The Court ordered this while considering the petition filed by defeated LDF Independent candidate KP Mohammed Musthafa seeking a probe into the matter.
He sought a directive to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances under which the postal ballots kept under the safe custody of the Perinthalmanna Sub Collector in the sub-treasury had reached the office of the Joint Registrar.
The petition also sought a directive to the State Election Commission to find out who were responsible for the incident and whether the packets containing the postal ballots had been tampered with in any manner.
Kerala High Court also made it clear that it will inspect the ballot boxes and other materials in the courtroom on February 23.
The report filed by the sub-collector in the High Court pointed out the absence of 482 valid postal votes from the ballot box.
The incident happened when a petition questioning the election result of the assembly polls in Perinthalmanna assembly constituency was under consideration by the High Court.
At the assembly elections, UDF candidate Najeeb Kanthapuram won the election with a thin majority of 38 votes in the Perinthalmanna constituency.