‘No chance to escape’: Cops ‘lathi-charged’ voters in Muslim-majority villages in UP’s Sambhal

In at least four Muslim-dominated villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, state police allegedly “lathi-charged” voters, injuring hundreds of people at polling booths during the third phase of polling on May 7. While the locals alleged that the police action was “unprovoked” and to “prohibit” them from voting for the Samajwadi Party, the police denied the charges. 

Newslaundry reached out to the SHO of Asmoli police station, who first denied “having knowledge of any such thing” but later said at certain booths, some youths “got scared on seeing the police battalion and a stampede broke out”.

Notably, among the 10 constituencies in UP that cast their votes on May 7, Sambhal registered the highest voter turnout at 62.82 percent. It was marginally lower than the 64.71 percent voter turnout it recorded in the 2019 polls. 

Locals said after the lathi-charge – allegedly at multiple times during the day – more people came out to vote out of anger. Meanwhile, some said if the lathi-charge had not taken place, there would be a higher voter turnout. The polling was stopped for some time at the booths that witnessed such incidents. 

Some locals told Newslaundry they couldn’t vote because their “Aadhar cards and voter slips were snatched by police”. Several others, including women, showed marks of injury from being beaten with batons on their hands and legs.  

A local woman said, “There were long queues of people to vote here, when 70-80 policemen entered and began checking people’s voter ID cards. They subsequently assaulted people with sticks, saying that their IDs were fake. I have been beaten many times on my elbows, buttocks and legs. We didn't even get a chance to escape. Women were also not left out.”

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