Our Special Correspondent
TURA:
A polling official on his way to elections in Garo Hills died in a road accident near Tikrikilla in West Garo Hills on February 25 night. The deceased, identified as 30-year-old Chesan Ch Marak of Chandmari, Tura, was the Technical Assistant for MGNREGA at Gambegre Block and had been deputed as the second polling official for Jangrapara polling station in Tikrikilla.
Marak had left Tura with his eight-member polling team on Saturday as part of the first batch of the personnel deployed for duty. They were traveling in a Mahindra pickup when the driver, who was reportedly speeding, lost control of the vehicle causing it to capsize. The accident occurred at Potamati village, and the driver fled from the scene, leaving the polling team with injuries, including Marak, who sustained head injuries.
Rescue teams consisting of locals and authorities managed to take the injured to the nearest hospital for medical assistance. However, Marak was found to be in critical condition and was subsequently taken to Guwahati for further medical treatment. He passed away from his injuries early Sunday morning.
Two BSF personnel and one home guard personnel, who were giving armed escorts, also sustained injuries in the accident. The Zonal magistrate has since arrived on the scene and taken control of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and proceeded to the Jangrapara polling station with a reserved team.