Patna: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Sunday levelled fresh allegations against Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), accusing the officer of attempting to influence the Bankipur assembly byelection by allegedly targeting party workers and intimidating voters.
The allegations came a day after Kishor said he had submitted a complaint against the Patna SSP to Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer.
Claims of unlawful detentions
Addressing a press conference, Kishor presented what he described as evidence to support his allegations. He claimed that more than 50 people were detained or arrested during the election period and alleged that most of them were residents of Patna rather than outsiders.
According to Kishor, police personnel entered the homes of several party workers at night and took them into custody while they were asleep. He questioned how individuals sleeping in their homes could be accused of disturbing law and order.
Allegations of voter intimidation
Kishor also alleged that police personnel threatened voters in Ward No. 22 to discourage them from casting their votes. He further accused the Patna SSP of acting at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an allegation for which he did not present independent evidence during the press conference.
He described the SSP’s conduct as “unprofessional” and alleged that the police action was aimed at influencing the electoral process.
Detainees presented before media
Kishor presented three individuals before the media, claiming they had been forcibly taken from their homes without justification during the election period.
Demanding action against the Patna SSP, he said his party would continue to pursue the matter and urged the officer to perform official duties impartially and in accordance with the Constitution.
The Patna Police had not publicly responded to the latest allegations at the time of publication. The Election Commission has also not issued any immediate statement on Kishor’s claims.
