Nagpur head constable suspended after CCTV at graduates' poll counting centre goes dark for 20 minutes

A lapse in security has come to light at the counting centre and strong room for the Nagpur division graduates' constituency election. The CCTV cameras there are reported to have stayed off for about 20 minutes, after which Head Constable Wankhede was suspended. The incident took place late on the night of October 26. The election officials and the Nagpur city police have begun separate inquiries.

Wankhede, who is posted at the police headquarters, had been deployed on security duty at the centre. According to police sources, he found a bright halogen lamp near the entrance bothersome. In trying to switch it off, he is alleged to have pulled out a nearby electrical connection. The connection was linked to the CCTV system, and the cameras went off as a result.

The incident is said to have occurred at around 11 pm. Wankhede was tired and wanted some rest while on duty. The strong halogen lamp near the gate was falling directly on his face, it is said. He pulled out the connection pin to turn it off. He either did not realise that doing so would cut off the CCTV system, or did not think about it, it is said.

As a result, the cameras were not working for about 20 minutes. At a place where round-the-clock surveillance is considered necessary to maintain the credibility of the election process, monitoring was interrupted for some time.

Inquiry after candidate's objection

The matter came to light after a candidate lodged an objection before the election officials over the CCTV cameras being off. Following the complaint, the officials looked into the circumstances in which the cameras went off. They also examined whether the fault had affected the security of the counting centre or the strong room.

During the inquiry, the officials checked footage from other working cameras in the area. The recordings are said to show Wankhede pulling out the connection pin. This gave the investigators a basis for determining how the CCTV system was shut down.

The election officials and the Nagpur city police conducted separate inquiries into the incident. Their findings were submitted to the concerned authorities for further action.

Police Commissioner orders suspension

On the basis of the findings, Police Commissioner Dr Vishwas Nangare Patil ordered the suspension of Head Constable Wankhede. The action shows that officials are treating a break in surveillance at a sensitive election site seriously.

The incident has brought the security arrangements at the counting centre under discussion. CCTV cameras play an important role in watching entry, keeping a record of events and maintaining transparency while ballot papers are stored and counted. Even a short break can raise questions about whether enough care was taken to prevent unauthorised entry or movement.

According to the available information, the incident arose from an attempt to switch off the bothersome halogen lamp. The episode has drawn attention to the need for personnel deployed at sensitive places to understand how security equipment works and to follow the prescribed procedure.

The suspension was ordered after the inquiry. The available information does not mention any tampering with ballot papers or any other unauthorised act during the period the cameras were off. Even so, the incident underlines the need for uninterrupted surveillance, proper supervision and strict adherence to security rules at election-related sites.