3 held for attacking truck carrying reserve EVMs in Assam's 2nd phase of polling

Three persons have been arrested for allegedly attacking a truck carrying reserve EVMs in Cachar district of Assam during the second phase of polling, a police officer said on Monday.

The police have identified more than 20 people for their alleged involvement in the incident which occurred at Jhapirbond near the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP) centre in the district, he said.

"All the arrested persons were produced before the court and were sent to judicial custody," the officer added. Cachar District Magistrate Keerthi Jalli has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident by Additional District Magistrate Ruth Lienthang.

On the night of April 1 after the end of the second phase of polling, a truck was taking reserve EVMs from Lakhipur constituency to the NATRiP centre, where the strong room has been set up.

The truck was stuck on the road in a traffic jam near the centre and it was spotted by a mob which ransacked the truck and also overturned it.

However, the attackers did not take the EVMs and security personnel reached the spot immediately, officials said. The reason behind the attack was not yet clear.