Rajgarh: Authorities in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh and Bhind districts have imposed hefty fines on people involved in violence during panchayat elections and warned that bulldozers action would be taken against their illegal assets if they do not pay the fines, an official on Friday said.
He said the Bhind district authorities had issued notices to four persons who snatched ballots, forcibly put seals on ballot papers and put them in ballot boxes to obstruct voting in the first phase of the June 25 panchayat elections.
A notice issued by the Lahar sub-divisional magistrate stated that due to these activities, re-polling had to be conducted in these booths and the government had to spend Rs 5.02 lakhs on salaries of polling staff, food, tents, electricity, diesel, coolers, fans, drinking water and videography of the entire process.
SDM issued notices to Ajay Singh, Dharmendra Singh, Sourabh Chouhan and Rampratap Singh on June 27.
SDM Lahar RA Prajapati said that they were directed to pay the fine and warned that the illegal constructions in their houses would be demolished to recover the amount spent by the government for re-polling.
Similarly, an official said that the district administration in Rajgarh fined over Rs 1 crore in total to 16 people for disrupting the polling process by looting ballot boxes, PTI reported.
He added that each of the accused persons would have to pay a fine of Rs 6.52 lakh for disrupting the election on June 25.
The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Rajgarh issued notices against these 16 persons for looting ballot boxes, assaulting polling parties, pelting stones and looting ballot boxes, the official said and added that the administration would also raze down their illegally constructed buildings.