One killed as trooper opens fire in Chhattisgarh

Raipur  : One person was killed and another injured Tuesday at a polling booth in Chhattisgarh’s Saja assembly seat when a CRPF trooper opened fire at a group of people following an argument, a police official said.

Director General of Police Ramniwas said two-three people, who were reportedly drunk, came to a polling booth at village Bhindarwani and had some heated arguments with policemen deployed there for ensuring free and fair voting.

“One person was killed on the spot while another was injured when a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) jawan opened fire at locals who, as per initial reports, wanted to disrupt polling,” Ramniwas told reporters in Raipur.

He added that a magisterial inquiry had been ordered and further details of the incident were awaited.

Voting was held up at Bhindarwani booth for about 20 minutes after the firing but later resumed.

Saja assembly seat is known as a Congress bastion for about two decades where Leader of Opposition in Chhattisgarh Ravindra Choubey is contesting.

Chhattisgarh, which has been ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party for a decade, is having the second and final phase of assembly elections with polling for 72 seats of the 90-member house.

In the first phase of ballotting, 18 seats, majorly located in Maoist strongholds, went to the polls Nov 11.