The Election Commission of India has suspended a poll official posted as general observer in Odisha after he allegedly checked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter in Sambalpur in violation of norms.
An April 16 order issued by the commission said Mohammed Mohsin, a 1996-batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, had not acted in conformity with the EC’s instructions concerning Special Protection Group (SPG) protectees.
The PM had visited Sambalpur on Tuesday and addressed a rally there. He also addressed a rally in Bhubaneswar on that day.
The EC took the action on the basis of a report from the Sambalpur district collector and the deputy inspector general of police.
Quoting an official, a PTI report said the PM was stated to have been held up for around 15 minutes because of the sudden checking.
“Checking of the prime minister’s chopper, undertaken at Sambalpur, was not in accordance with the EC guidelines as SPG protectees are exempt from such checking,” said the official.
According to reports, EC flying squad personnel checked Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s helicopter in Rourkela on Tuesday, and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s chopper was also checked in Sambalpur the same day.