• Source:JND
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The Election Commission on Monday halted the appointment of an Indian army officer as a senior superintendent of police by the Jammu and Kashmir administration, a day before the third phase polls in the union territory. In an order to the Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary, the poll panel referred to the appointment of Colonel Vikrant Prasher as the SSP of training and special operations in J&K police.

Citing model code of conduct in force due to assembly elections, the election commission stated that the officers connected to the poll process can not be transferred.

“Without going into the rationale at this stage, process and urgency of posting of an Army officer as SSP in the civil side during the period of operation of MCC, the Commission hereby directs that order shall be kept in abeyance with immediate effect,” the election commission stated.

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“If the order has already been implemented, the status quo before the issuance of the order must be restored immediately,” the order read.

Colonel Vikrant Prasher, who is currently stationed at the Para High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg, has been appointed as SSP for training and special operations in the J&K police on a two-year deputation. The appointment order was issued by Chandraker Bharti, the principal secretary of the J&K home department.

Jammu and Kashmir Elections: Third Phase

The third phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled for October 1. In this phase, over 39.18 lakh eligible voters will cast their votes across 5,060 polling stations. It will cover 40 assembly constituencies, including Jammu, Udhampur, Samba, and Kathua in the Jammu region, as well as Baramulla, Bandipora, and Kupwara in north Kashmir.